Today we take a few minutes to introduce the rules of our newest game release form A Slice of Horror Games: Campfire Storyteller The Card Game!
About a year ago, I and a group of friends began work on a table top role playing game. The theme was zombies. At the time our group had strong creative differences because I, as the lead writer for the team, disagreed on our selected theme. And the zombie apocalypse theme is something that is currently very popular and therefore fairly overdone. After a while I realized that I was the main team member, possibly the only team member, who was doing any work on the project. So, since I was the one doing the work I changed the theme over to something completely different, something I was interested in doing: a slasher RPG. Pretty soon, between work as a writer and my college work as an English major, I dropped the project temporarily—if not permanently. So, I began to dig deep and do some research to see if there was anything already out that had a similar theme. Recently, as I have been doing research on role playing games, I found a horror themed game that is very clever, open ended, and perfect for running a slasher themed storytelling RPG. That game is called Dread. Dread is a game that uses no dice rolls, no character stats, and a purely simple character system. It is a game that purposely focuses on the feelings of dread and tension. It tries to capture the building tension you may feel as situations get worse and worse, just like in a horror movie. The game does by utilizing a Jenga tower as the center of its gameplay. Before a game begins a storyteller or game master will choose a type of story arc that the game will follow. The core rulebook has three scenarios included for use by game groups. The story arc will include different Acts, like in a drama or play. And within each act is a list of possible scenes or scenarios that could happen during that part on the story. It is up to the game master to decide what scenes will happen when according to how the characters are play. The players will create characters beforehand, just as in any other RPG. But in this game each player is given a questionnaire with 12 questions to help them build a character, a backstory, and their character’s flaws and fears. Each player’s questionnaire is slightly different and will help guide them to build a specific type of character to fit the group. For example: If the group is doing a classic teenage slasher story there might be questionnaires to guide players to be a nerd, a cheerleader, a jock, etc. Once all the preliminary actions are complete the group then comes together to play. A Jenga tower is set up in the middle of the table where everyone can reach it. Three blocks are removed for every character the group has that exceeds five. Then the game begins. The storyteller drops the players into a horrible situation and tells them what is happening. Then the players are allowed to act. Each time a player tries to do something difficult or hard the storyteller will require them to pull a block from the tower. The player can choose to pull the block and possibly succeed at the task, or they can instead opt out of pulling and automatically fail. Why would someone want to fail? What is the benefit in that? Well, if ever the tower is knocked down one of the group members die—usually the person who is responsible. For example: If a player is being chased down by an axe wielding killer in the woods and they come to a ravine they will have to pull one or more blocks to jump across. Let’s say the character is a weak nerd and so it is harder for him to make the jump. So the storyteller tells him to pull three blocks. The nerd player can choose not to pull and not jump. But then he would need to face his foe. But if he chooses to pull he has to pull the three blocks without knocking down the tower. If he knocks down the tower he falls in the ravine and dies. After the tower falls the group sets the game back up and removes three blocks for each dead character. This builds the tension the more the game goes on and the more characters die. One last thing a player can do is purposely knock the tower down and forfeit their life. But if they die in this way they have an epic death where they have some sort of significant success. So if the nerd, as descried above, knocks the tower down on purpose he may be able to pull the killer into the ravine with him. Dread is an inventive and engaging game. Each time I’ve played it the group has loved it. Everyone gets very excited and tense as blocks are pulled and situations become direr. And it is always fun when characters die in gruesome ways. Dread facilitates great storytelling and focuses much less on any game mechanics or rules. So characters feel free to try to play their character as much as possible. However, you have to play with a group who are creative and willing to tell a good story. This game isn’t about winning or surviving, it is about making a good horror story. Even one player who simply wants to “win” can make the game drag. Also, the game can be very boring for whoever dies first. And sometimes if a player has poor dexterity they have poor dexterity (usually we'll have someone substitute pull if one player has shaky hands. That way the game is more fair). Often times I will still find ways to incorporate them into the game after their dead—become a werewolf, become a possessed ghost, play an NPC—to help them still enjoy the game. The one other issue with the game is having to reset the tower each time someone dies. The game is very tense and exciting as someone gets closer and closer to doom. And then it is very exciting when the tower finally falls and you get a gory death scene. But then he game stalls while the storyteller sets the tower back up again and pulls blocks for the dead characters. But this is a minor setback to a good horror story. Summing it Up Dread is a great game of horror and impending doom. Almost any modern horror movie—especially slashers—can be transplanted into the game. The use of the Jenga tower as a mechanic makes the game tense and fun for everyone present. However, unless everyone in the group is creative and willing to tell a good story the game can become bland. And characters dying off early in the game can make it an unpleasant experience for that player. But if you have some committed gamers/storytellers you can get a great horror story out in one session. Language: 0 Gore Factor: 3 Sex Factor: 0 Scare Factor: 3 Fun Factor: 5 Overall Rating: 4 To learn more about my rating system click here.
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