In Back Again from the Broken Land, you play as small adventurers returning to your hometown after playing a humble but crucial role in the fall of Doomslord. The game begins after the great war with the Doomslord, and the the stories you tell with determine the details of the adventures you've had and the home to which you return.

Other key game elements of Back Again from the Broken Land are Moves, Burdens, and Stories.

Moves are things you can do in the game that have important narrative and mechanical consequences. Sometimes you'll roll dice to see how the move goes. The game features homeward bound moves for the more reflective parts of your journey (these moves include chart a course, negotiate an obstacle, gaze into the distance, and share a meal) and peril moves for times when the Doomslord's vengeful Hunters are right on top of you (these moves include run, hide, and make a desperate stand).

Burdens represent the physical and emotional tolls of your adventure. You begin the game with a few unnamed Burdens, and seek to give names to them by telling stories. (Moments of danger and difficulty can lay on more burdens.) Once given a name like "a broken promise" or "a fallen comrade's cloak-pin," a Burden can be faced and cleared. The tone of your epilogue upon reaching home will be determined by how many named and unnamed Burdens you have left.

Stories are just that: stories you tell along the way, perhaps huddled round a campfire or in a moment of respite after a tense chase. Stories help define your past and give you ways to name and clear Burdens. The game includes lots of story prompts and evocative details to help inspire your stories. Some story prompts by way of example: "How yourweapon was shattered,""The service you paid for with a song from home (and the verse you omitted)," and "How you made contact with the Doomslord in a place that should have been protected"