Looking for a properly bleak game for a paper.

[zakael19]

Trophy: Dark.

"Trophy Dark is a collaborative storytelling game about a group of treasure-hunters on a doomed expedition into a forest that doesn’t want them there."

Expectation: none of the characters will survive the expedition, and the mechanics reinforce that.

 

[Rune]

Trophy: Dark.

"Trophy Dark is a collaborative storytelling game about a group of treasure-hunters on a doomed expedition into a forest that doesn’t want them there."

Expectation: none of the characters will survive the expedition, and the mechanics reinforce that.

The original Dark Sun. Before they put out any supplements for it, or ruined it with the novels.

 

[Laurefindel]

I remember finding that Wraith: The Oblivion was depressingly bleak. I haven’t read anything about it in years though

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm looking for an example of a ttrpg that is properly bleak in the text as written. I will try to explain what I mean below.

I don't mean a game that can be played bleak or hopeless. I mean one which is rules as written designed for the players to expect to fail, ideally without even the dignity of their failures having some possible positive effects in the form of a noble sacrifice or a pyrrhic victory. I mean straight up a game about how you fail just for that experience alone.

Can anyone site any possible examples of this level of bleak in a game as the default setting or barring that, one which the text of the published material explores it as a game option and has some actual discussion of what that would look and play like?

Thousand Year Old Vampire. Your character will lose most of their memories, along with loved ones, before almost certainly succumbing to a lonely and possibly grisly death.

 

[Laurefindel]

The underlaying setting of Blades in the Dark is pretty bleak as well.

The sun has vanished. The seas are ink-black but transparent, letting star-like lights shine through, and filled with gargantuan creatures. The soul of the departed no longer go to an afterlife and keep haunting the land, making it inhospitable beyond the domed cities etc

 

[Bagpuss]

Call of Cthulhu is pretty bleak, you character is likely to die or go insane, and the ancient Gods can and do wipe people or entire cities out when the players can't delay them.

 

[Ath'kethin]

The Midnight setting by Fantasy Flight is a rather bleak setting where Evil has won and much of the character's activities is just staying alive and there is little chance that anything they do will change the overall world events. Similar to if the hobbits failed to destroy the One Ring and Sauron won.

Was coming here to suggest this one. It's prety solid as a setting.

There was also a 5e seting called The Lost Citadel a while back. It's premise is that the PCs are residents of the last bastion of living ccivililzation in the world, which has ben overrun wioth undead. It's tightly written, interesting, and has some great new character options.

 

[Bagpuss]

Don't Rest Your Head, where you play insomniacs with weird "madness" powers as you descend into an insane world.

 

[aramis erak]

The original Dark Sun. Before they put out any supplements for it, or ruined it with the novels.

it made up for it with PCs having stupidly high atts.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I second 10 candles