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South East England · England

The Portsmouth postcard, reinvented as a tiny game

Portsmouth is home to the Royal Navy and a seafront where the wind always wins. Pompey knows how to give a proper send off, so send yours as a game.

Every “Greetings from Portsmouth” game ends with a postcard flying in: the place in big retro letters, your message on the back, a stamp and your signature. What goes in the jokes is up to you: Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and HMS Victory, the Royal Navy, or the thing that happened on day two that nobody is allowed to mention.

Make a Portsmouth postcard See 3 ideas

Who sends a postcard from Portsmouth?

Navy families saying see you soon

Ships come and go from the harbour all year. A playable postcard with a heartfelt message is a lovely thing to find waiting the next time there's signal.

Students at the University of Portsmouth

Lectures, sea air and a lot of fish and chips. Send home a game starring you, so they know you're doing more than sleeping.

Day-trippers to the Historic Dockyard

HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and a lot of ladders. Send a postcard to the history buff in the family who'd have loved every minute.

3 ideas for a Portsmouth postcard game

Idea 1

Southsea Gull Run

A runner along Southsea seafront suits the postcard look, with chip-thieving gulls and runaway suitcases to jump while the wind does its worst.

Put this in

“Wind on Southsea front: strong enough to take your chips and your dignity.”

Idea 2

Pompey Graduate

A platformer full of exam papers, diplomas and coffee suits a student finishing a degree by the sea.

Put this in

“Dissertation done. Coffee intake: naval quantities.”

Idea 3

Home for Christmas

Christmas elves and snowballs in waves suit the festive rush of families welcoming sailors home.

Put this in

“Ship's in, presents are wrapped, mince pies are under armed guard.”

What to write on a Portsmouth postcard

  • Name-drop a landmark. “Wish you were here at Spinnaker Tower” works because it’s specific.
  • Mention what Portsmouth is known for: the Royal Navy, or Southsea seafront. One specific detail beats “lovely views” every time.
  • Use the nickname. Signing off “love from Pompey” is the postcard equivalent of a wink.
  • Keep the ending message short: one detail, one feeling, one sign-off. It reads better on a phone screen.

Ending messages to steal

  • “Went up the Spinnaker Tower and only looked down once. Portsmouth is brilliant. Play up Pompey!”
  • “Counting the days till you're back in port. Proud of you, always.”
  • “Saw HMS Victory and the Mary Rose today. You'd have loved it, you history nerd.”

Portsmouth at a glance

Where
Hampshire, England
Nickname
Pompey
Famous for
the Royal Navy · Southsea seafront

Landmarks to name-drop

  • Spinnaker Tower
  • Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
  • HMS Victory
  • The Mary Rose Museum
  • Southsea Castle

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 Portsmouth we’d also try endless runner with the Postcard look.
  3. Type “Portsmouth” as where it’s from. The “Where’s it from?” field takes up to 24 characters. Your game is titled “Greetings from Portsmouth”; rename it if you like, e.g. “Southsea Gull Run”.
  4. Make the jokes yours. The pre-written lines are postcard and holiday flavoured. Swap one for something only Portsmouth would explain, like a line about HMS Victory.
  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.

Portsmouth postcard: questions

Will the game show Spinnaker Tower?

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

What should I write on a postcard from Portsmouth?

Keep it short and specific: one place, one moment, one sign-off. For example: “Went up the Spinnaker Tower and only looked down once. Portsmouth is brilliant. Play up Pompey!”

Can I send a Portsmouth postcard to someone abroad?

Yes. It’s a link, so it plays in the browser on any phone or computer, anywhere in the world, with no download or app store. Send it on WhatsApp, by text or email, or as a QR code.

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 Portsmouth

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

Send your Portsmouth 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