Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying (Osprey Roleplaying)

Product Information

The ‘GM Simulation Expansion’ is a free short book that gives the General Monitor a few more options to play with in a game of Those Dark Places. In the core rulebook there were plenty of adventure hooks and ideas to get a game going, as well as the adventure ‘The Argent III Report’, and in this supplement there will be a few more ideas for different kinds of games… B: Those Dark Places has recently been released. For those who aren't familiar with it, could you give us a brief overview of what it's all about?

Inspired by the movie Alien, Outland, Silent Running, and Moon, Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying game is a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game that uses paranoia, claustrophobia, and isolation to induce tension and suspense—horror survival in space. There are no high-tech weapons or alien technologies to rely on. It’s you, your fellow crew members, and your ship of dials, switches, and levers to quell your fears. I do like how it leaves some things up in the air. Are there aliens? Maybe. Officially no extraterrestrial life has been found bigger than a bacterium but unofficially there are stories. If you want aliens, go for it. The game is already shooting for a mood like Alien without Xenomorphs to begin with. Writing stories for it would likely be easy. Imagine all the working parts of a space ship or station. Now something goes wrong or breaks. Then accelerate months or years to when the PCs show up. You can run more pedestrian adventures but the promise of industrial horror does kind of mandate that things go wrong. Space is a hell of a thing but you need to be sure that this is what you want. Like, what you really want. The idea of space exploration to further the frontiers of mankind is noble, but let's not kid ourselves--it's really all about furthering the profit margins. There's money to be made and out there is the place to make it, but you hear all kinds of stories… equipment malfunctions, strange discoveries, crewmembers going insane... You'll be out there in the reaches, alone, for months or years, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water, with nothing but a few feet of metal and shielding between you and certain death. Venture into the darkest corners of the galaxy in Those Dark Places, an upcoming sci-fi horror RPG inspired by the likes of Alien and Dead Space.Blurb from the publisher: ''Space is a hell of a thing but you need to be sure that this is what you want. Like, what you really want. The idea of space exploration to further the frontiers of mankind is noble, but let's not kid ourselves - it's really all about furthering the profit margins. There's money to be made and out there is the place to make it, but you hear all kinds of stories... equipment malfunctions, strange discoveries, crewmembers going insane... You'll be out there in the reaches, alone, for months or years, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water, with nothing but a few feet of metal and shielding between you and certain death. Space is a hell of a thing but you need to be sure that this is what you want. Like, what you really want. The idea of space exploration to further the frontiers of mankind is noble, but let's not kid ourselves – it's really all about furthering the profit margins. There's money to be made and out there is the place to make it, but you hear all kinds of stories… equipment malfunctions, strange discoveries, crewmembers going insane... You'll be out there in the reaches, alone, for months or years, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water, with nothing but a few feet of metal and shielding between you and certain death. The result of these experiments is The Loop, a facility that seems to be the origin of several odd events taking place around the countryside of Mälaröarna. In the game, players become a group of children who are curious about the goings-on in the underground facility. This group can be made up of any number of classic ‘80s sci-fi archetypes, such as the bookworm or the troublemaker. Players will need to balance the challenges of everyday life - such as school bullies and demanding parents - with the weirder troubles presented by The Loop. Lovers of classic sci-fi movies like ET or series such as Stranger Things would be remiss not to give Tales from the Loop a try. JH: It's an industrial science-fiction game, inspired by the dark science fiction aesthetic of the 1970s and 1980s such as Outland and Alien. Please excuse me for using the book blurb as an answer!

B: What are some of the fun moments you've had when playtesting Those Dark Places and running/being a part of games? B: The artwork from Nathan Anderson is particularly stunning in the book. Did you have much input on this side of things and help with this process?

Osprey Blog

Although 'Those Dark Places' can be used for ongoing campaigns - the aim isn't to improve, it's to simply stay alive long enough to finsih your tour - it's perfectly suited for one-shots and short adventures over several sessions. As a story game, Those Dark Places uses minimal game mechanics—a solitary D6 for all dice resolutions. The single D6 die is used in conjunction with a character’s attribute and crew position to hit a target number of seven. A character’s primary position awards them a +2 to dice rolls, whereas their secondary duties give them a +1. Results are categorized into three levels: failure, partial success, and success. Any result below the target number is a failure, an exact result of the target number is a partial success, and results above the target number are a success. The target number of seven is just the starting point. When tension rises or a task requires additional skills, the target number may rise as the Gamemaster (GM – General Monitor) sees fit. Combat