The second edition of Black Armada’s Lovecraftesque, funded in fewer than five hours, will run over Halloween and die on the 9th of November.
As a group, using cards for prompts, you’ll tell the story of a solo character on their way to a terrible end. Players develop their own theories about the secret horror, and then the awful truth is revealed at the end. The campaign is live on Backerkit.
Lovecraftesque’s emergent gameplay, where the story emerges from the players’ actions, has been adopted by other games such as Brindlewood Bay, Apocalypse Keys, Bleak Spirit, and Cobwebs. It has also influenced games like Stealing The Throne, The Sol Survivor, and many more.
It is a GMless game, meaning there is no game master or dungeon master to control the story. Instead, the mystery and horror of the game emerge over time from clues created by all the players.
Lovecraftesque is also a Lovecraftian game that directly challenges H.P. Lovecraft’s racism and deconstructs negative ideas about mental health that had become synonymous with cosmic horror.
The core box contains:
- The 40-page Lovecraftesque rulebook with hidden UV art.
- The 48-page extras book containing additional rules, play examples, scenarios, etc.
- The illustrated game board with Story Track.
- Story Token and Active Player Token.
- UV flashlight (batteries included).
- The Core Deck of 90 Location Cards, Character Cards, Mystery Cards, Rule Cards, Role Cards and Story Cards
- Six scenarios consisting of a further 80 Location Cards, Character Cards and Mystery Cards
Backers at £20 get the Lovecraftesque PDF and access to the virtual playroom as a reward.
At £30, backers can pick up the physical Lovecraftesque 2e scenarios, and as they are compatible with Lovecraftesque 1e, that might be enough for the games’ original buyers.
Indie supporters who prefer digital can support with £40 and, in exchange, get the PDF and the virtual playroom with scenarios.
Alternatively, horror fans who prefer things in their fingers can back at £40 and get the Lovecraftesque boxed set instead.
To mix and match, backers can go to £45 for the Lovecraftesque boxed set, PDF and virtual playroom access. £75 adds the scenarios into the virtual playroom.
A custom clue for superfans, in a limited tier, is the £100 mark, which gets all of the above as well.
Black Armada estimates that the virtual playroom will open in March 2024 and that shipping of the physical boxed set will start a few months later.
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