It’s 1992. The homecoming queen is dead. The coffee is warm, the cherry pie is fresh, but something in this town is rotten.
If you have ever wanted to trade dice rolls for the static of a VHS tape and the eerie calm of a lakeside mystery, Newborn Games has an announcement for you. The Portuguese publisher has unveiled Silent Læke, a new “surreal tabletop storygame” that channels the spirit of Twin Peaks and the psychological weight of Perfect Blue.
Launching soon on BackerKit, the game promises a departure from traditional number-crunching mechanics, opting instead for a card-based narrative engine designed to break hearts.
A Town Wrapped in Plastic
Set in the spring of 1992, Silent Læke places players in a misty town haunted by the murder of Deirdre, the local homecoming queen. The premise is classic noir-tinged horror: beneath the veneer of small-town normalcy lies a web of tragedy and secrets.
The game is described as a “storygame,” distinct from a traditional RPG in its focus. It is designed for an intimate group, just one or two players and a Director. Rather than a party of adventurers fighting monsters, players step into the shoes of suspects, lovers, and rivals, piecing together the truth of Deirdre’s death one scene at a time.
No Dice, Just Decaying Relationships
Mechanically, Silent Læke appears to strip away the clutter of character sheets and hit points. The system uses a custom 42-card deck (though a standard deck can be substituted) to drive the narrative.
Instead of skill checks, the game utilises two narrative trackers: “Beautiful Darkness” and “Melancholic Horror”. As cards are drawn, these trackers dictate the story’s direction, shaping whether a character descends into truth, trauma, or something worse. The press materials note that scenes are played one-on-one, a design choice likely intended to heighten the tension and emotional intimacy of the roleplaying experience.
The Team Behind the Tragedy
The game is written and designed by Helder J. Araújo, also known as “A Máquina do RPG” (The RPG Machine). Araújo is the founder of Newborn Games, an indie studio that has carved out a niche by managing crowdfunding campaigns for Portuguese creators, with titles such as Demon Ninja and Asilo in its portfolio.
Araújo does not lack ambition regarding the project’s scope.
The RPG Machine comes from the future with a simple mission: to save roleplaying games. This goal is fueled by decades of roleplaying, game reviewing, and, most importantly, an unwavering passion for narrative storytelling.
While “saving roleplaying games” is the sort of hyperbole often found in press kits, the production partners suggest a commitment to quality. Fulfilment for the physical edition will be handled by Games Omnivorous, the publisher best known for the hit minimalist RPG Mausritter. Their involvement is a strong signal to collectors that the physical artefact will match the “arthouse” aesthetic the game strives for.
The Road to 1992
Silent Læke is scheduled to launch its crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit in Autumn 2025.
For those unwilling to wait until next year to start their investigation, Newborn Games has released Dusk’s Embrace, a free quickstart version of the game. It requires only a standard deck of cards and “a mug of creamy joe” to play, offering a prologue to the full mystery.
