Cthulhu Dark Horror; Cosmic Horror; Narrative-Driven; Investigation; Rules Lite; Quick-Play; Low Prep

At‑a‑glance: Modern/Cosmic Horror • d6 pressure tests • 2–5 + GM • Near‑zero prep • Rules‑lite • 2–3h sessions

Theme and Setting

Cthulhu Dark is about ordinary people confronting incomprehensible truths. It shines anywhere the mundane frays—drab offices, rain‑slick alleys, forgotten archives, rusted ships. The tone is bleak and human: mysteries end with awful clarity rather than triumphant victory. Settings in the book range from 19th‑century London to present‑day Mumbai and near‑future urban decay, but the engine is flexible enough for small‑town disappearances, cold‑case dossiers, or found‑footage horror.

Core Mechanics and Rules

Resolution is deliberately spare. When you risk something, you roll simple dice (including an Insight die when forbidden knowledge is at stake) and read the highest. Higher results grant clearer, more authoritative outcomes, but invoking the Insight die risks ratcheting your mind open to the horror—once Insight climbs too high, you spiral. There are no build trees, skill lists, or tactical subsystems; fictional positioning and consequences do the heavy lifting. Procedures for writing, running, and replaying mysteries emphasize clue clarity, player agency, and fail‑forward outcomes so the investigation never stalls on a single roll.

What Makes It Unique

The Insight track is the game’s beating heart: it tempts you with understanding exactly when knowledge is most dangerous. Its upward march structures tension naturally—each scene either buys a little safety or trades it for critical truths. The text doubles as a craft manual: chapters on composing mysteries, reframing clues, and pacing dread are practical tools you can lift for other systems. Because resolution is uniform and modifiers are light, the game stays fast even at the table’s tensest moments.

Target Audience and Player Experience

Best for groups who enjoy investigative horror, moral unease, and fiction‑first play. Expect short arcs, few mechanical crutches, and decisions that matter; success often arrives paired with new terrors. If your table wants crunchy combat or power progression, look elsewhere. If you want lean procedures that keep the story moving and the dread mounting, Cthulhu Dark delivers.