“variations…” is a contemplative short role playing game about setting and adjusting personal goals and the various ways humans attempt to reconcile with the approach of death. its recursively looping “active-time preparation” structure reinterprets various visual and mechanical genre tropes in service of a collection of intimate ruminations and a genuine moral and practical dilemma. the player takes on the role of a monk in a medieval monastery in the final hour before the dawn arrival of a brutal invading army. through exploring the building and conversing with their various contrasting peers, the player is given the chance to set and then carry out their own objectives for dealing with the impending collective fate.