Mechanically, I created this game by combining Avery Alder’s slow, thoughtful card-draw game, The Quiet Year with S. Donelly’s heartwarming dice-pool romance game Coffee Shop AU. With their powers combined… A system about exploring a haunted house? It was an idea. And apparently one that I liked enough to pull to completion, more or less.
This is a game about a place. A spooky place. You know the one: The old, rickety cabin atop the hill – The abandoned manor haunted by the old owners – The deserted hospital. No matter what it is, it’s plagued by rumours. Rumours which have gotten you hooked.
But what’s a good place without some dumb kids to explore it? This is a GMless tabletop roleplaying game about you and your friends getting way out of your depth as you attempt to get to the bottom of the mysterious location. To play, you’ll need a deck of cards, separated by suit and many, many, six-sided dice. Oh! While you can play this game alone, I’m sure a couple friends will make it more fun.
Who are you?
You’re gonna be a dumb kid, but exactly what flavour of little shit are you? Start with an archetype. Are you a jock? A nerd? A virgin?(??????) Trust me, building a personality off the back of a classic teen-film archetype will help you conceptualise your character far more easily. Plus, it’ll probably allow your character to fit into the story much better.
Next, you should think about why they’re here. What does this mystery mean to them? Conquering their fears? Proving themself to others? It’s all a grand metaphor for their spiralling daddy-issues? It’s all up to you.
Finally, give them a name. Then, you’re all set to send them off into danger!
What is this place?
Ultimately, without a GM, this game is a fully collaborative story. You’ll need to work together to describe your surroundings, work out exactly how you come across trials and how you get through the whole thing together. So, as a group, decide what this place is, what people say about it and what brought all of you together. Give a basic description of the place, no need to go into too much detail, it’ll get more fleshed out as you explore it.
What’s going on?
To prepare the game, draw a spade card and place it face-down on the table (no peeking). Then, decide how many trials you face in the Spooky Place™. Trials are made up of a diamond, heart and club card. These three will guide what happens, how you may feel and how you must grow to overcome it.
Trials must be faced in order to further the mystery. When you make a successful roll to encounter one, flip the next trial card in the order. Work out why you must face this trial and what it means for all of your characters.
The Phenomenon will be at the centre of all of the strange happenings. To conquer it, you’ll need three successful rolls. Figure out what it’s powers are, why it’s a threat etc. together.
How do I roll?!?
Take a die from the pool if:
- You put yourself in direct harm (Charge into battle, defend someone, anything where you’re sure what you’re doing is dangerous and you do it anyway).
- You look a little too close (Whatever, you’re a snoop, it doesn’t matter. You have to know what’s going on, no matter the consequences).
- Go off alone (It’s a classic trope. You hear a noise or you’re just fed up with everyone else. Whatever it may be, you decide that you need to take things into your own hands).
- Refuse help (You don’t need them! You don’t need anyone. Turn off your phone, shut someone out. If you’re turning down help, you get a die).
- Have a heart-to-heart (Opening up to people may very well be the hardest thing to do. Can you stand to truly lay yourself bare?).
However, doing any of these will have consequences. It’s up to you to work out what these are.
When your character does anything that will further the plot; come across a challenge, overcome a challenge, face the phenomenon, you must roll. This line is vague and can be subject to debate depending on how you want to play it. When you do, you roll all of the dice you currently have and take the highest result.
On a 5-6, you do what you intend to. Describe it and give a die to one other person.
On a 3-4, you lose your nerve and are unable to get it done.
On a 1-2, you get hurt. How, who cares and why?
After you roll, put all of your dice back into the pool.
How do we play?
Work together, build the environment, and be true to your characters. As you make your way through the Place, you all get to create this fantastical, spooky, possibly silly journey. Have fun with it!
Start by entering the first room, describing what it looks like together, then you can slip into your characters and explore your very own Spooky Place.
♦ – Things
These trials will be artefacts or happenings you must face to move forward. It’s up to you to interpret what they do, why they stop you and how you overcome them.
| A | A strange glowing orb stops you in your tracks. |
| 2 | A living weapon attacks. |
| 3 | A doll/statue goes to stop you. |
| 4 | The room begins to flood. |
| 5 | Objects are flying around the rooms. |
| 6 | Fire surrounds you! |
| 7 | It all melts. |
| 8 | You feel caught in the thrall of an entrancing skull. |
| 9 | The walls begin to close in. |
| 10 | The exit stretches away from you. |
| J | It’s so cold. |
| Q | Time is wrong. |
| K | The room shifts around you. Nothing stays put. |
♣ – Growth
| A | To move forward, you leave something behind. |
| 2 | To move forward, you must overcome your fears. |
| 3 | To move forward you must help someone |
| 4 | To move forward you must ask for help |
| 5 | To move forward you must fix something |
| 6 | To move forward you must break something |
| 7 | Love will let you proceed |
| 8 | Trust will let you proceed |
| 9 | Hate will let you proceed |
| 10 | Anger will let you proceed |
| J | You must dig up something deep to proceed |
| Q | You must be spooky to proceed |
| K | You must answer you obstacle in kind |
♥ – Feelings
These trials mean stress in your relationships, your trust. What causes them and how you move forward from them is up to you. No matter what, you must all continue.
| A | A deep fear overtakes you. |
| 2 | One of you breaks down crying. |
| 3 | Your faith is shaken. You can’t trust anyone. |
| 4 | HORNY! |
| 5 | Your secrets are revealed. |
| 6 | You are furious with one another. |
| 7 | One of you can’t stop laughing. |
| 8 | You are wracked with guilt. |
| 9 | You feel completely lost. |
| 10 | One of you pulls away. |
| J | You’re satisfied. |
| Q | You’re all so proud. High-five! |
| K | You overcome with a strange longing |
♠ – The Phenomenon
| A | A squid named Steve |
| 2 | Aliens! |
| 3 | A vengeful spirit |
| 4 | Doppelgangers |
| 5 | A mad scientist |
| 6 | A powerful rat named Charles Entertainment Cheese |
| 7 | A strange wizard |
| 8 | An evil time traveller |
| 9 | Your parents giving you an elaborate lesson in safety |
| 10 | A lion |
| J | A witch |
| Q | A wardrobe |
| K | Satan |
The Lethe 
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