Survive the Night Horror; Survival; Quick-Play; Rules Lite; Low Prep; Narrative-Driven
Horror survival • d6 tests • 3–6 incl. Narrator • Near‑zero prep • Rules‑lite • 2–3h sessions
Theme and Setting
Survive the Night is about desperate people in over their heads, trying to make it to sunrise. It embraces classic horror tropes—isolated roads, haunted woodlands, empty houses with too many doors—and hands the table the tools to stage those set pieces with minimal rules overhead. Tone is tense and cinematic rather than splatter‑for‑its‑own‑sake; the fear comes from narrowing options, frayed nerves, and the creeping realization that not everyone will get out.
Core Mechanics and Rules
The engine is a streamlined d6 system. Players roll small pools or single dice against straightforward targets, with situational advantages and disadvantages doing most of the work that other games offload to dense character builds. Archetype playbooks (the Camper, the Bookworm, the Leader, and so on) provide immediately legible abilities that telegraph genre roles without locking players into crunch. Resource pressure—limited light, dwindling improvised tools, and the clock—pushes decisions. When things go wrong (and they will), consequences escalate quickly, reinforcing a short, punchy play cycle ideal for one‑shots.
What Makes It Unique
Where many horror RPGs either sprawl into campaign engines or hinge on a single physical gimmick, Survive the Night threads the middle: all the focus on escalating dread and hard choices, none of the setup friction. It is tuned for tables that want to get from zero to peril in minutes. The book supports Narrators with scenario structure, pacing advice, and pre‑built characters so a convention slot or a last‑minute game night can still deliver a complete arc—rising tension, break‑point, chase to the exit—without rules lookups slowing the camera.
Target Audience and Player Experience
If you like teaching new players, running Halloween sessions, or spiking your regular campaign with a high‑stakes side story, this fits. The resolution model is transparent, so decisions feel consequential even when the dice swing; character sheets are readable at a glance; and the system foregrounds description over modifiers. Expect tight scenes, frequent cliffhangers, and an endgame that rewards clever retreats as much as heroics. It is not built for long campaigns, but it excels at exactly what it promises: one grim, memorable night.
