Fright season is upon us and what better time to share some of my favourite creepy, unsettling, horror or horror-adjacent media? From movies, books, video games and, of course, a variety of different TTRPG goodies, I’ve collected sixteen recommendations to be shared over two weeks – I hope you find something new to check out this October! I know I’ve been taking full advantage of the rainy, cooler days (meaning just October 7th so far as it has been nearly 30c all month) to curl up and get cozy with some of my favourites, and make progress on the never-ending “to watch” list.
Have a Halloween staple you want to share? Let me know! I’m always on the lookout for new finds! And with Halloween only two weeks away, what better time to share my Halloween playlist [here] featuring old classics, and reimagined ones like “Heads With Roll” from Austin’ based darkwave band, Haunt Me. May your evenings be ever frightful, and happy reading!
You can read Pt. I of this article [here].
Video Game: Decarnation
Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…
Paris, 1990. Gloria is a cabaret dancer at the end of her rope. As her career, relationships and self-esteem begin to deteriorate, a mysterious patron makes her an offer she couldn’t possibly refuse. Doing so will change her life forever, but is that for the best?
A story of survival where everyday life is filled with nightmares and monsters, Decarnation deals with some heavy subject matter that will not be suitable for everyone. It is a beautiful game, the pixel art striking, environments engrossing and the soundtrack is one I’m still listening to a few months after having played it. Fleur et Bleue’s music [here] is a moving addition to the game and brings a sense of peace and grounding in an otherwise very ungrounded and sometimes seemingly hopeless story.
Very much worth the few hours it takes to play through – Decarnation is one of my favourite games this year.
TTRPG AP: Dimension 20’s Neverafter
Neverafter is the sixteenth season of Dropout’s Dimension 20, set in The Neverafter. It is the first hardcore horror-themed season and is darker than previous seasons of Dimension 20 series. The show’s original “Intrepid Heroes” each take on the role of a traditional fairy tale character with a macabre twist in their tales. Neverafter explores the dreamlike worlds in the fairytales world with the sensibility of the six comedians at the table. It is also a meditation on the nature of stories, especially stories utterly ingrained into cultures, and the power that stories still have over audiences through their various retellings.
First off the intro for this season is by far my favourite of all the D20 intros, to the point that I tracked down the song they’re using to see if there was a longer version of it (tragically, there isn’t). I only have good things to say about Neverafter. I’m a sucker for dark fairytales, meditations on the nature of stories, and for horror so this was basically gift wrapped for me. I know I’ll be returning to watch this show again and again.
Need to shout out Emily Axford in particular. I’m a shameless fan of her as a performer and a player – I learn so much about playing by watching how she uses her class(es) and it’s always immensely satisfying. Little Red has all the awkwardness you’d expect of a pre-teen, and I think her overarching story, and relationship to/with the Big Bad Wolf is my favourite of six very strong arcs.
I love how danger and death are treated, and how much uncertainty there is throughout the campaign – choices that don’t necessarily seem important at the start come back in big ways, and there are many consequences for the actions the party takes. Sometimes fairy tales don’t get their happily ever after. Sometimes that isn’t how the story is written. Everyone should have the chance to write their own story… right?
Video Game: Birth
Birth is an adventure puzzle game about constructing a creature from spare bones & organs found around the city in order to quell your loneliness. Solve physics-based puzzles & discover secrets in lovingly hand-drawn museums, bakeries, bookstores and more.
Birth was a short, charming game with a horror-adjacent aesthetic I deeply appreciated. There isn’t much by way of instruction in this one, and you figure it out by interacting with the environment, clicking on things until a puzzle makes sense to you, or – in my case – chat offers insight after you ask for help. I’m not usually big on puzzle games because I’m not great at puzzles, but by and large I did okay with this one! It’s a relaxing little game perfect for a quiet fall morning with your favourite warm drink. Family friendly!
Video Game: Fran Bow
Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny. After witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents, found dismembered at their home, Fran rushes into the woods, together with her only friend, Mr. Midnight, a black cat that Fran had previously received as a present from her parents.
Creepy, very creepy, but fun! Fran Bow (and Little Misfortune) are very much interactive fiction games to me. There’s some minor puzzles and doubling back to collect items you need, but by and large it is quite straightforward and while genuinely disturbing at parts, there’s no jump scares (that I recall) or anything that had me going “wow am I glad not to be playing this at night”. As a rule I just, do not, engage with horror media at night – sleeping is hard enough without my brain making up new problems, thank you very much!
I enjoyed Fran Bow’s art style and enjoyed it enough that it prompted me to pick up Little Misfortune which has the same darkness to its story, but tells an arguably more tragic tale. Good for a weekend game, not good for kids.
Solo Journaling Game: The Dark
The Dark is a solo tabletop roleplaying game about being lost in a darkness that seeks to overtake you, and your desperate clinging to the memories of those you loved. You’ll play as the last remaining of a group of friends who set out for adventure in the wilderness in Scandinavia. All was well until the path was lost in the midst of a dense forest, one by one your friends were taken by an encroaching preternatural darkness.
Are you afraid of the dark? You may well be after playing this solo journaling game! One thing that stood out to me immediately is the suggestion to play the game by the light of four candles, extinguishing all other lights in the room – these candles can, and most likely will, go out as you play. Very cool atmosphere, just be sure not to strain your eyes. I enjoy the classic “you can journal this” suggestion being accompanied by the “or make recordings on your phone”. Immediately reminded me of found footage horror films – it would be pretty neat to rewatch your playthrough and see there being less and less light as the candles went out. Such a smart way to put you into the oppressive, encroaching darkness of the game world.
Prompts are divided between your dearly departed friends: the close, childhood, work, and school friend. Through the prompts you progress the story towards your (likely) inevitable demise or (unlikely) salvation, but more than that you’re expanding on the relationships between you and the friends you came out here with. I’m a big fan of the prompts being divided this way, and like the focus on the relationship with each friend.
Will your memories allow you to break through the all encompassing dark? There’s only one way to find out if you make it out of the forest…
Party Game: The Ghost of Northwood House
After the Wytecliff family’s annual harvest festival banquet at their manor, the Northwood House, Lord Remington Wytecliff was found dead in the foyer. Foul play is suspected, and so is everyone who spent the night… This story is the first of six mythical incidents from around Salchester that I am writing about in a series of mystery party games entitled the Northwood Fables. My name is Penelope Press, and I am an acclaimed investigative journalist at the Salchester Gazette. My goal is to bring you the facts of this curious case so that we can solve these mysteries together.
I am a very big fan of The Northwood Fables – it’s one of the very few games Fence Macabre [here] can play with a large number of our members without anyone having to be too stressed over preparing anything (except you know, scheduling and assigning characters but compared to prepping a full session, or a campaign? Easssyyy)! These games come with everything you need to play either online or in-person, and even come with suggested recipes to bring a bit of extra joy to game time.
Don’t have a full group? No problem, there’s a solo version available with pre-recorded audio tracks so that you can still enjoy the full experience! The mysteries are fun and, on average, have taken us less about 60 minutes to play through. This is a great addition for party game, or for those large friend groups whose schedules are very hectic!
Zine: GothHoblin’s Grimoire Issue 1 – Gothic
gothHoblin’s Grimoire is a TTRPG zine that presents interesting and useful content over a variety of themes, with contributions from members of the indie TTRPG community. Issue 1 is focused on the theme of ‘Gothic’, and is a massive 78 pages! Within this issue you will find articles, interviews, reviews and coverage of crowdfunding projects, as well as a range of system agnostic supplements, including rolling tables and magic items for you to use at your own tables throughout the spooky season and beyond.
Am I biased because I have an article in here, and am interviewed? Probably, but even without those things I’d still be recommending picking up this zine. If nothing else, it is beautiful to flip through! There’s plenty of new, gothic themed content for your home-games, two community interviews, and more – including an article from Penny Blake about bringing witches to your TTRPG table. I think Penny’s contribution is my favourite in this issue. It’s well-researched, easy to follow, and synthesizes the key points after each section in an attention grabbing way!
I’m really pleased to have been able to contribute to this zine – to the surprise of nobody, I’m sure, I provided three TTRPG reviews!
Book: The Stygian Collection
Do you dare confront the demons lurking in the Stygian depths of the human psyche? Step into the shadows with 24 fresh voices, each offering their own unique twist on the meaning of “Stygian”. From dark horror and murder mysteries to surreal poetry and philosophical musings, each story is a unique journey into the unknown.
I am, admittedly, only fifty or so pages into this collection but it has been interesting so far and that’s enough for me! I’ve encountered a mix of poetry and short stories and, because of the anthology format, this has been great for those days when I get into bed and am getting tired but am not quite there yet – read a few pages, finish a story and then there we have it, my brain is relaxed!
At the time of writing I’ve just hit part two, The Devil’s Bargain, and am looking forward to getting a few more stories in soon. As with most anthologies some stories resonate more with me than others, but the variety is part of what I enjoy. Note that if you’re outside of North America and want to pick up a copy, you’ll need to do so on Amazon – The Stygian Society doesn’t currently offer overseas shipping.
Until next week, stay cozy!
The Cozy Cauldron 
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