Moreau Vazh

I tried Cthulhu Dark and it worked quite well... Especially as my group spent a few months playing a very rules-light system. The end-game where players are trying to keep their characters sane by burning every occult thing they can get their hands on is quite fun.

My only regret is that it really isn't set up for campaign play. A lot of horror games have folded themselves into the 'special Halloween event before trudging back to joyless 5e campaign' slot and I am not at home to it.

Mar 21, 2025 at 8:59amWeb
Show threadCharnockMar 21, 2025
@Taskerland That's because a lot of horror event games can be scary by piling on the events, the creaks, the pictures of the players with their eyes cut out, hiding black dogs under tables and causing the skies to darken mid game. The thing is you can't do that every session, it loses effect fast. To make an running occult/horror/spook game you need developing threads. We harken back to the Stone Tape a lot but it is a great concept base for investigation. Omega Factor too
Show threadCharnockMar 21, 2025

@Taskerland Players more used to a comfortable "return to a base" sense of gaming need their Koestler Institute of Paranormal Cuisine to settle back to from week to week.

I think part of my trouble with Delta Green is I feel it's throwing raw meat to the people who really want to be down a dungeon.

Ongoing spooky needs a gentleness and more folk horror feel. Building towards things, but with embedded doable side and sub quests.

And gargoyles.

#bokpropaganda

Show threadRoger BW 😷Mar 21, 2025
@Taskerland Yes, though I'd argue that many of the tropes of horror are a better fit for one-shot games. If you survive the horrible thing and escape, that's horror; if you choose to go back, that's monster hunting.
Show threadBodo HeyeMar 21, 2025
@Taskerland I ran #CthulhuDark two times and it was a blast - wanted me to never return to horror #ttrpgs featuring long skill lists. For me, the dark fantasy / horror-themed game #TrophyGold occupies just the right spot between rules-lite and campaign-able plus its mechanics include Cthulhu Dark „DNA“ inherited via Trophy Dark. When it comes to modern horror, my game of choice would be #LiminalHorror these days.
Show threadMoreau VazhMar 21, 2025

@HeyeBodo I like Liminal Horror too... The corruption mechanics that see the charaxters get weirder and weirder are a lot of fun.

Cthulhu Dark is an interesting stepping stone towards storygames too. My players had fought me on shared narration elsewhere but here they didn't quibble.