Publisher: Stormforge Productions
Author: James Andrews
Illustrator: Howard Levy
Year: 2018
Genre: Horror RPG
Pages: 35
Price: 4.95 PDF on DriveThruRPG
Haunt is a thrilling horror/investigation hybrid that pits the GM against players in a struggle for secrets and survival. Designed for four to five participants, the game centers on paranormal investigators attempting to uncover the cause of a paranormal haunting. Each investigator carries three secrets that threaten to destroy them, secrets the GM attempts to discover and exploit.
From a mechanics standpoint, Haunt is relatively straightforward, running on a d10 system similar to Onyx Path’s Chronicles of Darkness and Storypath systems. Players roll a pool of dice based upon an attribute, skill, weakness, and the number of secrets remaining. Every die showing a value of eight or greater is a success, with two required to pass any given check.
A failure opens the door for the GM to attempt to discover a secret by asking a question. The more secrets the GM uncovers, the more difficult the game becomes.
Character creation is of the utmost importance in Haunt. Players build characters from one of six archetypes, each with different skill specialties and unique boons. Helpful notes are included for first time players to better explain the role of each type in the broader investigation team.
The most interesting feature, however, is the creation of secrets. Over the course of creation, players must come up with three secrets: haunt, backstory, and character. Of the three, character secrets stand alone for the requirement that they involve another player’s character, and the suggestion that every character should be the subject of another’s secret.
Haunt is a game with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere. As players struggle to solve the haunt and set things right, the GM continues to raise the stakes. If all three of a character’s secrets are revealed, that character is lost and removed from the game. Failure is a clear and present danger throughout the game, as no one is immune to the loss of secrets and all investigators can be eliminated.
While author James Andrews provides ample support, including a haunt generator, Haunt is not a game for newbie GMs. It requires extensive preparation, but more importantly, the ability to read and steer a table of players in order to build atmosphere and tension. In the hands of a talented Gm, however, it has the potential to be a truly hair-raising experience.
A certain kind of care should be taken when running Haunt, however, especially with a group that does not regularly play together and where all participants may not know one another well. Disturbing material may emerge in the secrets and it’s important for players to note any hard boundaries that may cause real world psychological distress. Previous conversations that have circled in the tabletop gaming world about player consent are pertinent here, and GMs should be mindful.
Haunt is a great addition for fans of Mansions of Madness or Betrayal at House on the Hill. There’s real potential for scares embedded in compelling storytelling and a system founded on secrecy. For players looking for a fright, this is a title to check out.
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