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Monday, 27 March 2023

Miskatonic Monday #185: Game Night

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu InvictusThe PastoresPrimal StateRipples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was Five Go Mad in EgyptReturn of the RipperRise of the DeadRise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—

Name: Game Night
Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Sean Liddle

Setting: 1980s USA
Product: Scenario Outline
What You Get: Five page, 173.91 KB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Twixmas Terror.
Plot Hook: Students stuck in a store in a snow storm leads to scares.
Plot Support: Staging and set-up advice, timeline.
Production Values: Undemanding.

Pros
# Straightforward plot outline 
# Phasmophobia
# Chionophobia

Cons
# Requires development by the Keeper
# Requires Player Characters to be created
# No Sanity losses or gains
# Works hard to trap the Player Characters in place to face the Mythos at the end

Conclusion
# More mundane clean-up duties than meeting with the Mythos
# Sit tight until the terror might work for the screen, but for Player Characters, not so much...

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