jack_in_the_box | Sleep Tight game idea

Good Night

Bedford isn't the most exciting town. Ever since the old shoe plant shut down, things have gotten downright sleepy around here. Sure, we get a little bump in the population from the bed and breakfasts every tourist season, and Bedford University hasn't dipped too much in admissions, but for most it's just a pit stop on the way to the Big Apple or Washington DC. Most of the people who live here have their roots firmly planted. They've never lived anywhere else.

But lately they say strange things have been happening.

Sleep Tight

People have been talking about having bizarre dreams. Can't remember them when they wake up, though. Some claim they do know they heard a voice. "To find what is lost, you must play the game."

Eh, it's probably nothing, though. Just an urban legend, like the stories of people going to sleep and waking up with injuries they can't account for. Or the people who go to sleep and never wake up again.

After all, nothing ever happens in Bedford.

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Basic Info

Premise

Sleep Tight is a memloss game with horror elements where characters are transported each night to a dream world where they must complete tasks to regain their memories. The game is divided between the waking world, where characters live out their AU lives in the fictional town of Bedford, Connecticut, and the dream world, which can take any shape and where excitement and danger lurks around every corner.

In the dream world, characters are given a task, which could be anything. Those that complete the task will regain a memory at the end of the dream, as well as gain a few other perks.

Taking on tasks in the dream world can be dangerous, however. While characters will not remember what happened when they wake up, their injuries will follow them into reality, no matter how big or small. But taking the risk is the only way to learn the truth of their identities - and to remember how to get back to their true lives.

Of course, they can always refuse to play the game; after all, isn't it better to live on in the comfy world they know?

Game Flow

The game is divided each month into two phases: the waking world, and the dream world.

Waking World phase: first week of the month

While in the waking world, characters live out their AU lives in the town of Bedford. During this phase they will not be able to remember anything that happened in the dream world or any of their regained memories, though they may be able to access any posts made or messages sent through the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app during the dream world phase (see Network). Characters will, however, sustain injuries in the waking world if injured in the dream world. See the Waking World section for more information.

The waking world runs on a day ratio of 1 IC day to 1 OOC month.

Dream World phase: last 3 weeks of the month

While in the dream world, characters will be able to remember all previous dreams and any memories they have regained; they will also regain their canon appearance and powers as they remember them (see Memory Regains). At the start of each dream, characters will receive a task (usually the same task for all characters, though this may differ for some events), and if they complete the task successfully they will regain another memory. See the Dream World section for more information.

The dream world typically runs on a day ratio of 1 IC day to 1 OOC day, though this may differ for some events.

Waking World

Setting

The waking world is set in the fictional town of Bedford, Connecticut, in the year 20XX (characters will ICly know the year, but OOCly it is not defined). It's a small town that has been decreasing in population more and more over the recent years, ever since the town's biggest employer, a shoe factory, closed down. There's still some mom and pops to work at, and a small private college in the north part of town keeps a steady stream of new college kids coming in, but it's not the most happening place.

AU Lives

Characters will live as residents of the town, either lifelong or relative new arrivals. Characters will always be human in the waking world, regardless of their race or species in canon, and will generally be the same age, race, and gender identity as they are in canon (if the character is not human, feel free to humanize them as you see fit).

Character AU backstories do not have to align in any way with their canon backstory (in fact it's better if they don't). Players are free to create the backstory for their character's AU life how they see fit, with the restriction that they can't contain anything fantastical or highly improbable. For example, your character can be an orphan because their parents were killed by a drunk driver, but not because they were assassinated by a hitman or abducted by aliens. Mods may ask for changes to a character's backstory at their discretion if they feel like it doesn't fit the tone of the setting.

As for the characters' AU personalities, while at the very core the character should be similar to their real self, players are free to play with this as they think would be interesting. If you'd like to play your character as they are in canon, that's fine. But if you'd like to explore how they'd be without all that trauma and a normal life, for example, that's also fine!

When building character AUs, keep in mind that your character has had their identity stolen, changed into a different person. Players are allowed to play with this concept in whatever way will make the game more enjoyable for them, within some of the limits stated above.

Players are free to develop AU connections between characters, and develop their own NPCs to stand in as important people in their character's life (for example, child characters will need parents or guardians, which can be another PC if desired, or an NPC created by the player). There's no need to actually play these NPCs, but feel free to populate the world!

DreamSmart Sleep Tracker App

On the day before your character officially debuts in the game, they will have downloaded the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app. Maybe they did it because it would save them a little money on their health insurance, or maybe it's required at their school or workplace, or maybe they're just some kind of health nut. Either way, it's on their phone now! (Or their parent's phone, if they're too young to have their own.)

It seems like a normal sleep tracker app, with maybe one odd feature: a full forum, complete with text, audio, video, and picture uploads! Now you can talk to other DreamSmart Sleepies in your area!

For more information about the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app, see the Network section.

Effect of the Dream World on the Waking World

Memories: While awake, characters will not remember things that happened to them in the dream world, nor will they remember any regained memories. They will have a general sense that they had a dream, and depending on events may have the vague sense that it was a good dream or a nightmare, and it may also leave them feeling a bit unsettled, anxious, or even happy if the situation calls for it. But they won't be able to recall specifics.

Injuries: If a character is injured in the dream world, those injuries will persist to the real world, in a way that would not immediately kill them upon waking up. For example, if a character gets a black eye, in the morning they will have a black eye. If they get their arm chopped off, when they wake up they will be missing an arm, though the wound will be healed over already so they aren't gushing blood.

Death: If a character is killed in the dream world, they will spend the next day in a sort of coma, unable to wake up. If examined by a doctor, there won't seem to be anything wrong with them; they will be breathing fine on their own and will still have brain activity. They just can't be woken up. This state will persist until the character makes it through a dream without dying.

Dying in the dream world will erase any other injuries the character gained during that dream, and instead characters will simply fall into the coma. This won't fix any injuries gained from prior dreams, however. If they lost that arm in last night's dream, dying in tonight's dream will not fix it.

Dying repeatedly has long-term effects. Though it will be imperceptible at first, every time a character dies they will suffer some level of organ damage in the waking world. After about 3 or 4 deaths, doctors will be able to tell that the character's organs are necrotizing. Characters should start experiencing serious health effects, and may have to undergo treatments. After 10 or so deaths, the damage will become irreversible, and the character will be dying in the waking world.

Let the mods know if your character falls into a coma and is taken for medical treatment. Someone in the waking world may take notice...

Though characters who are in a coma cannot interact with the waking world directly, they are still part of the game! See the White Space section for more details.

DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app: Characters who complete their tasks the night before will be able to access posts that were made to the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app from the dream world; characters who did not complete their tasks will only see posts made from the waking world. Of course, whether your character believes any of the weird stuff about alternate realities in their dreams is up to you!

Dream Shop Purchases Dream Shop purchases will arrive wherever they receive packages, in an unassuming box with the Dream Shop logo on it, clearly addressed to them. Attempts to find out who ordered it and when will be fruitless. See the Dream Shop section for more information.

Waking World FAQ

Can my character leave Bedford?

Currently yes they can! There are no travel restrictions on the citizens of Bedford. They will have to overcome any realistic travel limitations, however (travel costs, proper documentation if leaving the country, parents' permission or supervision if a minor, etc).

No matter how far from Bedford they travel, characters will still enter the dream world when they sleep.

What if my character has an unusual/irregular sleeping schedule (staying up late, night shift work, etc)?

It doesn't matter when your character sleeps, or for how long - as soon as they do, they end up in the dream world at the same time as everyone else. This may seem odd, but time is weird in dreams, after all.

What happens if my character stays awake all night?

If characters manage to go past the next sunrise without any sleep, they will successfully manage to skip the dream world for that night. Keep in mind that if your character sleeps at all (even dozing off for a few minutes), they will still end up in the dream world, so they'll have to stay wide awake.

Characters who stay awake should suffer realistic consequences of sleep deprivation, and NPCs around them may try to make them sleep, possibly with medical assistance if they're persistent. But there are no supernatural forces forcing your character to sleep.

Even if the character skips the dream, players will still be responsible for their AC for that month, or will have to hiatus.

What happens if my character dies in the waking world?

Then they are dead for real! They will have to be dropped.

Characters that have died in the real world will go on a cooldown for a period of two months. After that time they can be re-apped, but they will have to have a whole new AU life, and any memories they regained will be fully erased.

Can my character commit crimes? What happens then?

This will be handled on a case by case basis. If your character does something that they could potentially be arrested for, contact the mods to discuss the outcome.

In general, if you intend to do something that will draw a lot of attention to your character, contact the mods to learn what will happen to them.

How are language barriers handled in the waking world?

There is no automatic translation in the waking world, so if a character uses a language the character they're interacting with does not speak, they will not be understood. Because the game is set in the USA, your character will generally speak some level of English as part of their AU lives, but ultimately the choice is up to the given player. Be sure to specify if your character is speaking something other than English in a post!

Dream World

Setting

Default: The basic setting of the dream world is the town of Bedford, but eternally covered by a blood red sky, no stars, moon, or sun to be seen. This is generally the setting used for test drive memes and lowkey events. This warped version of Bedford will change depending on the current event or happenings, but it does have a few features that remain constant.

In dream Bedford, shadows roam the streets, always on the lookout for victims. If a shadow gets near your character, it will change into one of their fears, whatever this may be. Depending on what they take the form of, they may attack or chase your character, or they may only appear to traumatize them. It is possible for the shadows to injure or kill characters if in the right form, though that may not always be their goal. Players can use this mechanic however they see fit.

In general the layout of Bedford is the same as it is in the waking world, but it is also highly responsive to the imaginations of the characters. The layout may become mixed up or take them somewhere other than they meant to go, with streets turning into mazes if they don't keep their focus on their destination. They may also catch glimpses of people or places that seem familiar, even if they haven't remembered them yet, though they will never stick around long enough for characters to get a good look.

If a character has a place they feel particularly safe or at home at in the waking world (their house, a favorite coffee shop, etc), that will function as a sort of safe place for them in the dream Bedford. As long as they are inside, the shadows or other effects of the dream world will not be able to reach them. This will depend on the perceptions of the character, though - if their feelings about that place ever change, it will no longer be a safe place in the dream. Furthermore, if another character enters who does not feel safe there, shadows may still be able to come in.

Characters will never be able to encounter NPCs in the dream world, only other PCs. If they care about an NPC, they may occasionally catch glimpses of them here or there, though they will never be able to reach them.

Event Dreams Of course, the dream world can be anything: an ancient castle, an abandoned space station, a desolate cave system. Each month, the event post will detail what the dream world looks like for that month's dream, as well as detail any special events or effects that are associated with it.

Feel free to contact the mods if you have an idea for a dream world! They can be entirely original, or based on a canon.

Tasks

Every time the characters enter the dream world, they will be given a task. OOCly, the task will be announced as part of each month's dream world post; ICly, the characters will innately know what the task is as soon as they enter the dream world, without anyone having to tell them. Generally, the task will be the same for all characters, though this may not be true for some events. Either way, characters will not know for certain if the task is the same for everyone unless they talk to everyone about it - and even then, it's entirely possible for characters to lie or refuse to answer.

If a character successfully completes their task, they will regain a new memory at the end of the dream, immediately prior to waking. They will also be able to read any DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app posts made during the dream even while awake (see Waking World and Network). Depending on what they remembered, their perception of themselves may be different at the start of the next dream (see Memory Regains).

Failing to complete a task (or refusing to) does not result in any immediate consequences, however characters will not regain a memory for that dream or be able to read DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app posts that were made in the dream world. The longer characters go without completing any tasks, the more their dream perceptions of themselves will start to revert back to their AU self, taking them further from escaping to their old lives and entrenching them in their new AU lives. Players are free to play with this as they think it would be interesting, but generally 3-4 dreams without completing a task will lead to a full regression to their AU self.

A task is considered "completed" once a thread has been played out that shows the character completing the task. Tasks cannot be handwaved. Note that the thread itself does not have to be considered complete by both players; you only need to have a tag or tags that show the character completing the task.

So, for example, if the task is to slap another character in the face, all you need is a tag where your character successfully slaps another character in the face. The thread could end there or continue for another hundred comments, but as soon as the slap successfully lands the task can be submitted as completed.

OOCly players have until the start of the next dream world phase (the second week of the month) to submit their completed tasks in order to get a memory regain. If a thread is not submitted by then, then it will be considered ICly as though the character did not complete the task. So get those tasks in as soon as you finish them!

Injuries and Death

Characters can be injured or even die while in the dream world, whether due to various threats within the dream or due to the actions of themselves or other characters. Each month's dream world post will outline any threats that characters should be on the lookout for.

Injuries: If a character suffers an injury, that injury will affect them for as long as they are in the dream world, even minor cuts, bruises, and scrapes that would normally heal over time. If a character wakes up with an injury, that injury will follow them into the waking world (see Waking World). The injuries will also follow them into the next dream, and continue to follow them as long as the condition lasts in the waking world.

Injuries in the dream world can be healed by characters who have healing abilities or magic if they have regained them. They can also be healed by purchasing certain boons from the Dream Shop (see Dream Shop). Note that once a character has woken up with an injury, it will persist in the waking world for as long as it realistically would, even if the character gets it healed in the next dream. However, they will be healed in the dream world going forward.

Death: If a character dies, they will immediately wake up in White Space, and remain there until the start of the next dream. See the White Space section for more details.

Sometimes death may not mean a trip to White Space, depending on the event. If this is the case, the month's event post will say so explicitly.

Dream Inventory

Characters have a Dream Inventory, which holds any items they've purchased from the Dream Shop (see Dream Shop). Characters can access this inventory at any time (unless a particular event specifies otherwise) simply by thinking about the thing they want to take out or put into it. Only items obtained through the Dream Shop or items specifically noted as being inventory items as part of an event can be put into or taken out of the Dream Inventory in this way - characters will have to carry any other items they find in the dream world in the traditional way.

Characters will also have access to the Dream Inventory in White Space (see White Space).

Dream Shop

The Dream Shop is a special shop that appears in the dream world. It exists in its own pocket universe, accessible from the dream world but not actually part of it. As such, any threats from the dream world cannot enter the Dream Shop, meaning that characters will be safe as long as they are inside making transactions. Characters will have to seek out the Dream Shop, and sometimes its entrance may be hidden, but once they know where it is they will always be able to find it during that night's dream and can reveal the location to other characters. The Dream Shop will move at the start of the next dream.

The proprietor of the Dream Shop is a mysterious figure in a hood that covers their face. They are humanoid in shape but have no discernable age, gender, or species. They are only interested in selling wares and are not sympathetic to the plight of the characters - indeed, those hoping to hide out from the current dream within the Dream Shop will find themselves thrown out and banned from the shop for the rest of the current dream once the proprietor realizes they don't intend to buy anything.

Characters can buy items for the dream world (which will go directly to their inventory) or for the waking world (which will be delivered wherever they receive mail the next waking world day; see Waking World).

ICly, wares within the Dream Shop are purchased by using Participation. The proprietor will decline to explain further what Participation means or how much Participation a character has. Instead, the proprietor will offer them wares that they can afford and that the proprietor believes the character would want; they are right most of the time. If a character attempts to pry them for information on what they know and how they know it, the proprietor will refuse to answer, and may eventually kick them out. No powers, abilities, or weapons can be used within the Dream Shop, so threatening the proprietor for info will not succeed.

OOCly, wares are purchased from the Dream Shop using activity points! See the Dream Shop page for more information on what can be purchased and for how many points.

For some events, the Dream Shop may not be available. The Dream Shop's availability and location will be outlined in each month's event post.

Network Access

While characters are within the dream world, they will have access to the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app through various setting-appropriate means. In a modern dream setting, characters will have access through whatever devices they use in their AU life, or in the world they came from if they are from a modern setting and remember it. In an older dream setting, characters might find they can bizarrely access the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app through books or pieces of parchment, which work like a touch screen tablet despite not being one. The monthly event post will detail how characters can access the network if it's anything different from the norm.

In some modern or futuristic dream settings, characters will also be able to access the broader internet. However, any posts made on sites besides the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app will not persist to the waking world, even if your character finishes their task. Only the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app can store messages and posts from the dream world.

See Network for more information.

Dream World FAQ

Can my character wake up early from the dream?

No. Regardless of how long characters are asleep in the waking world, they will be in the dream world for the entire dream (unless they die and go to White Space).

Do my characters feel physical things (pain, hunger, thirst, etc) even though this is a dream?

Yes, which may be the first tip off for your character that this isn't as simple as a normal dream. Characters will still feel hunger and thirst, and will still feel pain if injured. Characters can also die of starvation or dehydration. In the basic setting, food and water will be fairly simple for characters to obtain, but in some settings this may be a more acute threat to the characters' survival.

Can my character get sick in the dream world?

If your character is sick in the waking world, they will also feel the effects in the dream world, unless they are healed through a purchase from the Dream Shop (see Dream Shop) or by another character. Some events may also have illness as a threat, and if so this will be outlined in the month's event post.

Characters who suffer from an illness or chronic condition in canon will suffer from that condition again in the dream world once they remember it (if they didn't already have that condition in their AU life). Characters may have to utilize the Dream Shop if they need certain medications or have certain dietary restrictions they can't satisfy through the dream world environment. See Memory Regains for more information.

How are language barriers handled in the dream world?

Automatic translation is in effect in the dream world, so characters can speak in whatever language they prefer. Specifying what language the character is speaking in while in the dream world is not necessary.

White Space

Setting

The White Space, as its name implies, is a formless white void, devoid of life, objects, or any visible landmarks. Characters can wander around this space without any clear sense of direction, or they may stay in one place. While characters are in the White Space, they will have no sense of time passing, even if they have an object on them that will keep time.

Characters will spend most of their time isolated while in White Space, though they can occasionally run into other characters who are trapped in White Space with them. They can spend as much or as little time conversing as the players involved prefer, before being separated again. Though characters can see and hear each other, they will find they cannot touch as long as they are in White Space - their bodies pass through each other like ghosts.

While in White Space, characters will still remember anything that happened to them in the Dream World and any memories they have regained.

Network Access

While in White Space, characters can still access the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app through whatever device they use in the waking world. This will allow them to read and respond to other posts and make posts of their own. However, instead of appearing with their normal screen name and profile picture, they will appear as Unknown_User_###, with a random number and a generic profile picture.

In the waking world, their posts will only be able to be seen and read by those who completed their task for the month, or those who are also trapped in White Space.

Inventory Access

Characters in White Space will still have access to their Dream Inventory, for all the good it will do them.

White Space FAQ

Can my character get injured, sick, or die while in White Space?

Once characters arrive in White Space, they will get "reset" to the state they were in at the start of the last dream, meaning any newly obtained injuries or illnesses will be gone (any old injuries that were healed over the course of the dream will still be healed). While they are in White Space, they cannot obtain any new injuries or illnesses, nor can they die.

Can my character feel physical things (pain, hunger, thirst, etc) while in White Space?

While in White Space, characters will not suffer from any physical needs like hunger or thirst. They may still feel pain from injuries that were not erased, but they can't be hurt by anyone or anything within White Space.

Can my character use regained powers in White Space?

Yes, but they won't affect other characters.

Network

DreamSmart Sleep Tracker App Features

The DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app functions something like modern social media sites, with all the following features:

- text and audio posts
- image and video upload
- video and audio streaming

Seems like a very odd suite of services for a sleep tracker app...

Incidentally, you can also track how much sleep you're getting on it.

Characters will choose a username when they first log in and can also upload a profile picture. This will always appear on any of their posts or comments, unless they are in White Space, in which case they will have a generic profile picture and the username Unknown_User_###.

DreamSmart Sleep Tracker App Access

In the waking world, characters will be able to access the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app from their phone or tablet; there's also a browser version if they prefer.

In the dream world, characters will have access on different devices depending on what the dream world currently looks like. In the basic Bedford dream world setting, they will have access to whatever device they use in their AU lives to access the network; in other dream worlds there will be different options. Monthly event posts will detail how characters access the network.

In White Space, characters will have access to whatever device they use in the waking world to access the app.

Other Apps/Websites

While in the waking world, characters also have access to all the other websites that exist in our world, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. If your character is posting from one of these platforms, please include the tag !Other Apps on your post, so that players know this is not something on the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app.

Anything posted on other websites may be visible in the dream world if those websites are available, but only if your character remembers seeing or posting that content. Anything characters post to these sites or apps in the dream world will not carry over to the real world.

Network FAQ

Is anonymous posting available on the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app?

No. However, there is nothing making your character tie their DreamSmart account to their real identity, or anything stopping them from making additional accounts.

Can my character hack into someone else's DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app account?

It's possible with player permission. Note that characters will never be able to hack into Unknown_User_### accounts, no matter how good their skills are; something always seems to block them.

Can my character research the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app? What will they find?

They'll find that it was developed by a small independent development company called Healthy Tech Solutions, but trying to find out anything about that will be fruitless. There are some customer reviews, many of which mention strange dreams that started up not long after they downloaded the app...

Can my character make accidental posts to the DreamSmart Sleep Tracker app?

Technically yes, characters can accidentally hit the stream button or post before they meant to. However, mods discourage abuse of this rule. No posts of your character staring into the camera doing nothing.

Memory Regains

Types of Regains

Characters can have two kinds of memory regains:

Scene Regain: This is when your character regains an actual memory, like a movie that will play out in their mind. Characters will remember what they saw, heard, and felt during that exact time, but will not gain any further context. For example, they could remember seeing someone die, and remember feeling sad about it, but not remember who the person who died was or their exact connection to them, unless other regained memories help fill in the gaps. These should usually be only a few minutes long, and should focus on an important moment from a characters life.

Characters are free to make assumptions about what they're seeing (right or wrong), and try to extrapolate whatever they can from it - it's up to the character's personality and how the player wants to play it.

Information Regain: This is when your character regains a simple, hard fact about themselves. For example, they could remember that they were a beat cop for a few years and then spent a decade as a homicide detective, or they could remember that their mother was a teacher, but had cancer and died when they were a teenager, etc. They won't remember how they felt about this information, or any further details than this, though it could help provide context for other memories they regain. They can also remember things like a person's face, their name, and their connection to them, though again, they won't remember how they actually felt about the person. That requires a scene regain.

Players have complete control over what kinds of memories their characters regain and when. Mods do have the right to ask that a memory be trimmed down if we feel like too much is trying to be regained at once.

Initial Regain

Upon arrival, all characters will get one free memory regain, which they will receive during the dream they have the night before their official debut in the game. This memory should be something that would drive the character to remember more - a lover's face, their child, an important task they're meant to complete, etc. Whatever would be motivational to your character should be the focus of this memory.

Character Changes as a Result of Memories

Initially, your character will have the same personality and appearance in the dream world as they do in the waking world. However, as they begin to regain memories, their personality will revert back to how it is in canon, and as they begin to see themselves differently, their appearance will revert as well. They'll also begin wearing the same clothes as they do normally. If they are used certain devices in their canon setting, these may come to replace the devices they use to connect to the network in the dream world.

Characters' appearances are based on what the character thinks they look like; that is to say, your character can make wrong assumptions about themselves based on a memory regain and end up looking different from their canon appearance. For example, a character could hear that they are a robot in a memory and see themselves as blocky and made of metal, until they learn they are actually a very human looking android. How much you wish to play with this is up to player discretion - characters can also simply go back to looking like themselves without any confusion.

Usually a character's personality should be completely reverted back to their normal canon self by their third or forth regain, as more memories bring more of themselves back. It's up to player discretion how fast you'd like to move with this, however, within reasonable limits.

If a character fails to finish tasks for three or four dreams in a row, they will start to revert back to their AU personality, because they are failing to remember their true self. Completing a task again will reverse this process.

If a character has a medical condition or other issues in canon, remembering these things will cause them to have them in the dream world as well. Terminal illnesses will not kill characters in the dream world no matter how long they are in the game, though they can still suffer from the side effects of the disease. If characters need special medicines or foods, they can get those from the Dream Shop. If it's something necessary for the character, this can be handwaved - you don't have to spend points on it, but the IC assumption is that this is how characters are receiving their medicine or other necessary items.

Power Regains

If your character remembers having a power, they will now have that power in the dream world. Like anything else, this can be based on wrong assumptions or misunderstandings; for example, your character could remember flying, but not remember that this is because of another person's power, and be granted the power of flight until they regain a memory that changes their understanding of the situation. Players are free to play with this at their discretion.

Limits on Powers: The only hard limits on powers are things that are game-breaking. These will be handled on a case by case basis but generally include powers that allow characters to hop dimensions, powers that make characters completely impervious to death, and powers that can instantly kill other characters. In general, characters can keep these powers in a more limited capacity - dimension hopping becomes simple teleportation, inta-kills become just really really strong abilities, etc.

Item/Animal Regains

Characters can regain their possessions and pets up to a point by remembering they had them.

For items, this is generally limited to items characters regularly kept on their person. This can include weapons, gadgets, armor, etc. For larger items, like vehicles or battle mechs, they will have to go to the Dream Shop.

Characters can regain pets or animal companions as long as that animal is not appable themselves. This generally means animals that cannot talk and do not have personalities that are more than 50% headcanon. Note that the animal will only be available in the dream world - they cannot take it into the waking world with them.

Memory Regain FAQ

What if my character had already lost their memories in canon (due to amnesia, brainwashing, etc)?

Characters can still remember things they had canonically forgotten; they can also remember false memories they were given as part of a brainwashing incident or any other memory shenanigans that happen in various canons. As long as the memory belonged to the character at some point, they can remember it.

Are headcanon memories allowed?

Headcanoned memories are allowed to a point. Headcanon memories cannot be used to add a significant life event to a character's backstory, or contradict some part of their backstory (outside of the false memories situation detailed above). But headcanon memories can be used if something is a known part of their backstory that just wasn't shown on screen, or to flesh out known details of a character's backstory. So for example, if the character was happily married, you can have them remember a headcanoned domestic moment with their spouse, but you can't have them remember that spouse getting assassinated in front of them unless that is actually a part of their backstory.

OOC Information

OOC Age Restriction

Players must be 18 or older to join Sleep Tight.

Accepted Characters

The following characters can be apped:

Canon characters from any medium

For new canons, wait 6 weeks from earliest release date before apping

Characters must be more than 50% headcanon and should have a defined personality to be considered appable

Characters based on historical figures must be from a purely fictional depiction and cannot be from a work intended to be historical/biographical

Malleable and silent protagonists are allowed as long as they have some personality defined (user defined personality is okay)

Original characters

Original characters can be from established canon worlds as long as they do not interact with the main canon plot or characters (original Pokemon trainers, witches/wizards who went to Hogwarts, DND characters, etc)

The game does not allow:

CRAUs

Duplicates

Exceptions may be made to this rule if there are explicit, different universes in play (for example, different comic universes)

Exceptions will not be made for different iterations of the same malleable protagonist

Player created AUs

There is no age restriction for characters, as long as they are old enough to have a personality and an understanding of their actions.

Characters that die in their canon should be taken from a point prior to their death, unless the canon has or takes place in an afterlife.

An individual player cannot play multiple characters from the same canon unless the two characters do not interact together in any way (characters from different installments of an anthology series, for example).

Hiatuses/Drops

Hiatuses: During the waking world phase, hiatused characters will be on autopilot, doing whatever they normally do for the day. During the dream world phase, you can either put your character on autopilot (though they won't complete the task unless you thread it out), or you can choose to put the character in White Space for that particular dream. This won't count as a death for the next waking world phase, though your character may note how weird that was.

Drops: If a character is dropped but did not die, they will stop appearing in the dream world, but their AU self will now exist in the waking world as an NPC, doing what they generally did during the waking world phase. If the same player ever wants to come back with the same character, they can pick up where they left off, and the character will start appearing in dreams again.

If another player apps the same character, they can choose to either pick up where the other player left off, or not. If not, they will create a new AU life for the character, and they will begin appearing in the dream world again with their memories reset. The NPC for the old character AU will still exist in Bedford, but now the character will be associated with a different AU life.

If the character dropped due to a death, the next player who apps them (new or returning) will have to make a new AU life for the character, and start over with memories reset.

Playercest

Players can have their own characters interact to a degree, if a player wishes, but a player cannot use threads with themself to complete tasks or to pass activity check/gain bonus points.

Violent/Triggering Content

Because this game has significant horror elements, violent or triggering content is expected to come up. For both open and closed logs, players are required to include warnings for the following topics:

Extreme violence

Sexual assault

Dubious consent

Graphic depictions of illnesses/panic attacks/etc

Graphic depictions of abuse

Sexual content

Players are free to add additional warnings or more specific warnings as they prefer. In general, mods have a "read at your own risk" policy when it comes to other people's threads or logs, as long as the above are warned for.

Note on sexual assault: While player threads involving sexual assaults are not banned, they must be carefully handled in a way that does not involve players who don't wish to engage with plots of this nature. Every player involved with a plot like this must also be consenting - springing noncon on someone is an automatic ban.

Sexual Content

Sexual content is allowed in game under the following restrictions:

Characters involved must be 16+

Because the game is not locked, explicit sexual content must be played out in locked logs and cannot be played in open posts (you can fade to black or continue elsewhere)

Sexual content must be warned for (see above)

It's up to players to decide if they want to give more explicit warnings on logs with sexual content. In general, mods have a "read at your own risk" policy when it comes to other people's threads or logs.

Sleep Tight game idea

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