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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 9692765" data-attributes="member: 7023840">Hmmmm. This will be an unpopular opinion, perhaps, but here it is.What makes a successful horror game is the GM and players. Especially the GM. The mechanics of the game? They can help. I've run Ten Candles several times (and once had an IRON DM entry based on it) and the mechanics of the game are perfect for certain types of horror. But all the mechanical support in the world mean nothing if you don't have the right GM and, to a necessary but lesser extent, players. Let me explain-TTRPGs are a game. Horror doesn't work well with an emphasis on the gamified parts. Because it's about mood and tension. There are mechanics that can support it (the jenga tower in dread, insanity points, the candles in Ten Candles, etc.). But to get and sustain the proper mood, you need a GM who uses description (story) and pacing to evoke horror. That's a requirement. And not every GM is equally willing or able to do that. If that's abstract, let me be specific. Take D&D. If you encounter zombies, what happens can be horrific, or it can be a "alright, time to roll initiative" encounter. And that will depend on the DM- the narrative, the pacing, the atmosphere that has nothing to do with the mechanics. Mechanics can support horror, but in the end, the GM must deliver.But while that is necessary, it is never sufficient. You also need players that have buy-in. The players have to want to believe. They have to suspend their disbelief that this is just a game, and really invest in the horror. If the players aren't willing or able to buy in, it isn't going to work.</blockquote>

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