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Highlands and Islands · Scotland

The Orkney postcard, reinvented as a tiny game

Orkney has a Stone Age village older than the pyramids and a stone circle so big it makes Stonehenge look cosy. Add wild seas and huge skies, and the postcard practically writes itself.

It’s a link, so it works on any device, anywhere, with no download. Choose a game style and a look (the Postcard look has chip-thieving seagulls and runaway suitcases), type “Orkney”, write a line about Skara Brae or 5,000-year-old Neolithic sites, and it’s ready to send before your tea goes cold.

Make an Orkney postcard See 3 ideas

Who sends a postcard from Orkney?

History lovers on a dream trip

Walking around Skara Brae is a once in a lifetime moment. Share it with a postcard game that's a lot more fun than a lecture.

Grandparents on a cruise stop

Plenty of cruise ships call at Kirkwall. A playable postcard is a fun surprise for the grandchildren at home.

People who moved to Orkney

New island life? Let your friends down south know it's not all wind. Some of it is sunsets.

3 ideas for an Orkney postcard game

Idea 1

Older Than the Pyramids

A climb with milestones is a fun way to celebrate a big birthday from a place where everything is very, very old.

Put this in

“Happy birthday! You're not old. Skara Brae is old.”

Idea 2

Orkney Wind Flyer

A wintry one-tap flyer suits islands where the wind is the main event.

Put this in

“Tried flying. The Orkney wind had other plans.”

Idea 3

Ba' Game Brawl

Kirkwall's famous Ba' game is played at Christmas and New Year, so festive arena chaos feels right.

Put this in

“Joined the Ba' scrum. Came out with one shoe and a mince pie.”

What to write on an Orkney postcard

  • Name-drop a landmark. “Wish you were here at the Ring of Brodgar” works because it’s specific.
  • Mention what Orkney is known for: 5,000-year-old Neolithic sites, or Orkney fudge and ice cream. One specific detail beats “lovely views” every time.
  • Use the local word: “peedie” (small or little (an Orkney word)). It instantly sounds like it was sent from Orkney.
  • Keep the ending message short: one detail, one feeling, one sign-off. It reads better on a phone screen.

Ending messages to steal

  • “Stood inside the Ring of Brodgar. Felt very small and very lucky. Orkney is magic.”
  • “Saw Skara Brae today. Five thousand years old and tidier than my flat.”
  • “Peedie update from Orkney: windy, beautiful, and the fudge is outstanding.”

Orkney at a glance

Where
Orkney, Scotland
Famous for
5,000-year-old Neolithic sites · Orkney fudge and ice cream
Local word
“peedie” (small or little (an Orkney word))

Landmarks to name-drop

  • Skara Brae
  • The Ring of Brodgar
  • St Magnus Cathedral
  • The Italian Chapel
  • The Old Man of Hoy

The game shows the place name and your message, not these landmarks: the Postcard look’s far-off silhouettes are generic. Your words do the sightseeing.

How to send it, step by step

  1. Pick the Postcard occasion. Open become.games and choose Postcard. You can try it free with our demo characters straight away, no sign-up needed. To send it, you put your own people in it (drawn from a photo, which needs a plan); publishing and the link are free.
  2. Choose a game style and a look. Any style and any look work. The Postcard look (pastel houses, bunting, chip-thieving seagulls and runaway suitcases) is the natural pick, and for Orkney we’d also try story climber with the Birthday look.
  3. Type “Orkney” as where it’s from. The “Where’s it from?” field takes up to 24 characters. Your game is titled “Greetings from Orkney”; rename it if you like, e.g. “Older Than the Pyramids”.
  4. Make the jokes yours. The pre-written lines are postcard and holiday flavoured. Swap one for something only Orkney would explain, like a line about St Magnus Cathedral.
  5. Write the message on the back and send it. The ending is a postcard flying in with the place in big retro letters, your message on the back, a stamp and your signature. Publish it (free, with its own permanent link) and share it on WhatsApp, as a QR code or by copying the link. It plays in the browser on any device.

Free to build and play with our demo characters. To send it, star your own people (drawn from a photo with a plan); publishing and the link are free. See pricing or read how it works.

Orkney postcard: questions

Will the game show Skara Brae?

No. The game is titled “Greetings from Orkney” and ends with a postcard showing the place name in big retro letters and your message, but it doesn’t draw Skara Brae. The Postcard look has far-off landmark silhouettes, but they’re generic, not Orkney’s. That’s what your jokes and message are for: mention Skara Brae in a line and they’ll picture it.

What should I write on a postcard from Orkney?

Keep it short and specific: one place, one moment, one sign-off. For example: “Stood inside the Ring of Brodgar. Felt very small and very lucky. Orkney is magic.” You could also throw in “peedie” (small or little (an Orkney word)).

Can I put myself in an Orkney postcard?

Yes. Build and try it free with demo characters, then upload a photo to turn yourself (and whoever you’re with) into cartoon characters, which needs a plan. Everyone in the photo must agree, and the photo is deleted once the characters are made.

How much does a digital postcard game cost?

Making, playing and publishing it is free, and every published game gets its own permanent link. To turn your own photos into cartoon characters, or to give the game a custom link like yourname.become.games, you need a plan: £3.49 a month or £19.99 a year. Cancel any time.

More postcards from near Orkney

All UK postcard places · Digital postcard ideas · A holiday postcard you can play

Send your Orkney postcard

Pick the Postcard occasion, type where it’s from, write the message on the back and share the link. It plays on any device, no download.

Make a postcard