Slowmarch

How it works

A story that keeps going when you put your phone away

No levels, no grinding, no endless scrolling. A few minutes now and then, spread over days, while history moves at its own pace.

I

Step into a life

Each historical figure is a series of episodes. You see the night through their eyes: the storm, the fort on the hill, the old general who still doubts you. Characters speak to you, and they wait for your answer.

Episode I · Toulon, 1793
A scene with silhouettes of Buonaparte and Dugommier in the rain, and four possible orders.
II

Time runs with yours

The clock never stops. Messengers bring news, rumours turn out false and scouts tell you what is really there. When someone needs you, they send word, even if the app is closed. Miss a deadline, and history decides for you.

1 hour = 10 minutes
The map of Toulon at night, an unexpected message from Junot and a choice of where to send a scout.
III

Then see what really happened

You choose without knowing what they did. Afterwards the seal breaks: was your order historical, plausible, daring or completely free? Read what really happened, and see how many players chose like you.

Historical · Plausible · Daring · Free
The result of a choice: the order, its label and what really happened that night.
“Commander, the first column has broken. The reserve is ready. If we do not go now, the night is lost.”Captain Muiron, 01:30 · Episode I: Toulon

Built for the moments in between

What makes it different

Time that keeps movingEach episode has its own tempo. Toulon takes five days; later episodes will take weeks.Read more →Characters who send wordA notification from Junot or Dugommier when they need your orders, even when the app is closed.Read more →Choose, then see the truthEvery order is labelled afterwards: historical, plausible, daring or free.Read more →One night, three pairs of eyesLive the siege of Toulon as Buonaparte, as Sergeant Junot or as Thérèse, a washerwoman inside the besieged town.Read more →Rumours and scoutsReports arrive late or are simply wrong. Send a scout to see for yourself.Read more →Characters who rememberWhat you did in one episode follows you into the next. Junot remembers the joke, Barras remembers your letter.Read more →Letters in your own wordsWrite to Joseph or Barras yourself: choose the tone and the subject, and see how they answer later.Read more →Your own route on the mapEach finished episode puts a point on the campaign map. Where you leave history, your route turns red.Read more →Medals and challengesA medal for every episode, and six challenges each: stay faithful, break every rule, keep a friend’s trust.Read more →Play togetherStart the same night with friends or a class, and compare your choices afterwards. Teachers only see totals.Read more →Your chronicleA page with your choices next to what really happened, to keep or to share with a private link.Read more →Sound and reading aloudRain at night, distant cannon, gulls at dawn, and every message read aloud if you like.Read more →English, Dutch or FrenchPick your language at the start and switch whenever you like.Read more →On your home screenNo app store and no password. Add it to your home screen: it opens like an app, with a menu that takes you anywhere.Read more →Honest about historyEvery departure from history is labelled, and the archive tells what really happened.Read more →Compare your choicesSee how many players chose like you, and like the figure you play.Read more →

All features, explained

Step by step

Your first evening

  1. Sign in with your email. No password: you get a link and a code.
  2. Pick a life and an episode. Start now, or on the real date, years later.
  3. Turn on notifications. On iPhone and iPad, add Slowmarch to your home screen first.
  4. Give your first order. Then put your phone away. The characters will send word.
  5. Come back when you like. Read what happened, send a scout, answer before the deadline.
  6. At the end, see the truth. How close did you come, and what did other players choose?

Start playing, it’s free Questions? Read the FAQ