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The Pigeon
1243. You have five pigeons. Every letter takes wing.
1243, the night after the rout at Kösedağ. Yunus, an apprentice scribe stranded at Taşhan, writes to you, the keeper of Kızılhan, by carrier pigeon. A real-time historical story where every letter costs a bird.
- Genre
- Historical drama, thriller
- Length
- About a day in real time; about half an hour in fast mode
- Languages
- English, Turkish
- Mechanics
- Letters by pigeon, Flight waits, Plain or reversed writing, Code
- Endings
- 4
The story
July 1243. The Seljuk army has been routed at Kösedağ, and the Mongol army is marching on Sivas. A bird from Taşhan lands in the loft at Kızılhan, carrying a letter from a fifteen-year-old apprentice scribe.
Yunus’s master is wounded by an arrow and carries a sealed letter from the vizier to the kadi of Sivas. A wounded Mongol soldier is hiding in the han’s stable, and archers on the hills are shooting at the birds. Yunus has no one to trust but you, and you have nothing but a handful of pigeons.
How it plays
Yunus writes you letters; you build your reply out of a few parts, then release the bird. While it flies to Taşhan and the answer flies back, you really do wait. Sometimes the right move is one sentence, sometimes holding the bird until dark, sometimes not writing at all.
Decisions and endings
Some decisions are remembered and shape the ending; the game won’t tell you which. If you reach an early ending, you can rewind to the last decision point and try another way. As the keeper of Kızılhan, you get an ending too.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is The Pigeon?
- Because the letters travel by bird, the story spreads over about a day; you really do wait while the pigeon flies and while Yunus sleeps. Once you've finished it, fast mode unlocks and the game takes about half an hour.
- How do the pigeons work?
- Your loft holds a few birds that fly to Taşhan. Every letter costs one bird, however many parts it has. Not replying costs nothing. A bird released in daylight may be shot down by archers.
- How accurate is the history?
- The Battle of Kösedağ (1243) and Sivas opening its gates afterwards really happened. Yunus, Selim, Hatice Ana, Bögü and the two hans are fictional.
- How many endings are there?
- Four main endings and three early ones. Each ending reveals cards telling you what became of the side stories.
- Who is it for?
- It's written for ages 13 and up. There's war, loss and danger, but no gore or graphic violence.
Last updated: 25 October 2026