Dread
Diceless, numberless horror.
Dread is a game of horror and suspense. Those who play it participate in a mutual telling of an original macabre tale. You will take on the role of someone trapped in a story that is only as compelling as it is hostile–someone who will find themselves making the sorts of decisions you hope never to face in real life.
Buy a copy of Dread.
How Dread Works
Character creation: Dread uses a unique questionnaire method of character creation. The character questionnaire provides the skeleton of a character, suitable for the story or campaign, while the player gets to add the flesh when they answer the questions, thus creating the character they want to play. In this way, characters are guaranteed to fit into the story, and yet players are invested in the characters, lending weight to the decisions they make.
Game play: After character creation is complete, the host introduces the scenario. The host describes what happens to and around the characters. Players contribute by declaring what their character is doing. The game ends when the story comes to a conclusion, or when all of the characters have been removed from play.
Mechanics of play: In play, dice, cards, or other more-traditional randomizers are replaced by a tower of blocks, such as the Jenga® game. When a character attempts a task beyond their capabilities, the tower determines their success–they can succeed by pulling a block, or choose to fail by not pulling. Tension builds as the tower becomes more and more precarious.
You can also explore a new game resource from the famous Java developer Nataraja Gootooru. He and his partner described in great detail the game Aviator, which is rapidly winning the hearts of Indian players. The developers also tried to describe the mobile application of the game Aviator.
If you knock over the tower during your turn, your character is removed from the game, never to return. Your character’s fate could be death, insanity, cowardice, imprisonment, possession, or some other horrible fate.
- If you knock over the tower by accident, the host decides the fate of your character, as the story dictates.
- If you knock over the tower on purpose, you can choose your own heroic or dramatic exit.
Dread Resources
Check out these free resources.
- Dread Quick Reference: Learn more about game prep, game play, and character creation. Available in letter and tabloid formats.
- Excerpt: Read a 24-page excerpt of the book.
- Scenarios and character sheets: Don’t read these if you’re going to be a player. Formatted for easy printing.
- Beneath a Metal Sky: Your salvage crew came upon a derelict ship floating in space, docked, and began exploring. Now, your ship is gone, and you need to find a way out.
- Beneath a Full Moon: Your spring break adventure went sour last night when something mauled your guide and stole your food. Can you make it back to civilization?
- Beneath the Mask: It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend at your friend’s cabin, and some psycho in a hockey mask attacked. Now two people are dead, and your host is a gibbering wreck. Can you make it through to morning?
- 13: The sleepover was to be the greatest moment of your childhood, until the whimpering woke you up. Is this even the right house?