How to you make a creepy atmosphere in your games?

[SamS]

How do you make a creepy, spooky game?

[Shimmin Beg]

Well, technically I don’t, we tend to take more of a "Carry on Cthulhu" approach, but I’m not one to miss pontificating when I get the chance.

Most people don’t have the option, but a room that’s significantly too big is a nice subtle one. Like, a café where you’re the only people and sat in the middle of the room. It’s an unusual sensation for most people and quite eerie, especially in a place that you’re used to being busy. For additional fun, rather than having dim lighting, have decent lighting at the table, but only at the table. A dimly lit room feels a bit like a restaurant; an island of light in the middle of a big, silent room full of shadows is pretty creepy. It intensifies the sense of being surrounded by things you can’t really see, and the contrast lends a sort of unreality to the bright section. Optimally, sit in the open, rather than (for example) in a booth or between those low walls restaurants like: it means your whole back is exposed, with nothing separating you from the darkness behind you. Also, big rooms tend to have creepy noises going on, in those nice dark sections.

This also helps with some of the downsides of dim lighting. Dim lighting is traditional, but it poses some practical problems like not being able to see. Working from a laptop may help the Keeper (and provide a little overspill light), but it may just get annoying. It’s also awkward if there is food and drink (more spillage). Personal issues can also some in: players may have eye problems and need good light, and many people get drowsy in dim light, which can be an issue in the slow-paced parts before much tension builds. Especially if it’s the Keeper.

(Disclaimer: For what it’s worth, with lighting and with any other trick, I’d suggest running it by your players in case they have an issue with it. I’m assuming we want to create a sense of suspense and mild discomfort, not actually freak people out or exacerbate mental health problems. During my last bout of depression, lighting was a big deal.)

Soundtracks are another common one, although I believe finding a really suitable soundtrack is difficult. If you have access to the board game A Touch of Evil, which is the only game I do play spookily, it has a CD with some tracks that certain players have asked me not to use because they’re too creepy – a good sign. You could also look for tracks that contain slight, creepy background sounds to blend unsettlingly into your environment, rather than music.

In general, I think the art of creepy is probably subtle wrongness rather than major stuff. Things that seem odd or a little unsettling because they’re unusual. One I haven’t seen mentioned before is incense, but I reckon tracking down a not-that-nice incense might be an interesting option.

There are also little tricks of making players feel like they’ve missed something, or that something significant but unknown has happened. Occasionally asking for a roll, and not telling them its significance. Or asking for their POW or CON and writing them down. Or making a roll yourself, and “hmm, interesting” noises at the result. Getting them to write an initial or two on their sheet without explaining why (answer: no reason). Paying unexpected attention to how much of the wine they’re drinking, or which part of the floor they walk on. And few gamers are not a little unsettled by being asked for a marching order.

If you’re doing chargen, try asking them all to note down at least one thing the character is discomforted by and one they’re afraid of, two people they genuinely care about, and two places they frequent. You don’t have to do anything with them, and you definitely don’t have to threaten them, but a) it helps define the character, and b) it raises the question of why you’re asking. In general, I think “this feels important and I don’t know why it’s important” is one of the more unsettling feelings you can have.

Oh, also, try to maintain a light, indifferent face when players are about to open the door on a pack of byakhees, and have a slow, portentous voice to use when describing a perfectly ordinary bedroom, imbuing every innocent object with sinister significance. Mention small details that don't matter much, because it niggles at the brain. It can be quite effective when it's hard for players to reliably link your attitude and tone with how dangerous or important something is. I use this a lot in just D&D games, and it rattles them even there.

[caddy1071]

Nice suggestions and write up, Shimmin! Thanks for the post! I wish I had a cavernous hall to Keep in because that's a great observation.

tty!
Cory

[SamS]

How could you get your players involved with creating the creepy atmosphere? If you can get them to help, you get "buy in" and then everyone is on the same train to Creepyville.

[Dr. Gerard]

Ya, we address this a bit in Episode 62. Its a big, important question. I like lighting, sound and then asking leading questions to get players contributing to mood instead of just responding to it. Jon said description. What has worked for you?

[fallingtower]

Helplessness and Futility.

I've been really focusing on making my players feel helpless, not all gunned up and cocksure. What is that one thing that a lot of Call of Cthulhu players would feel naked without....yup...da guns.

How, by marginalizing the usefulness of firearms as an effective tool for problem solving. Most CofC groups rely a lot on guns to solve a lot of their problems. Eliminate that.

You can have a lot of fun as a Keeper by coming up ways to 'grind' them slowly. Make them suffer from feelings of constant 'wrongness', visual and audio hallucinations (what is that noise in the walls? What happened to all my spoons? Waking up in a locked room, who turned on the lights while I was sleeping? Who just flushed the toilet, I'm the only one here? I think I saw a centipede in my tuna sandwich!), nausea, weird 'is that guy over there staring at me?' vibes, 'how come those kids are laughing at us?' and so on.

After they lose a few points of sanity and start slipping, little things like losing their car keys or getting helplessly lost, car trouble. You know how maddening all those can be.

Heck...even go after their guns if you have to. They can lose them, forget to load them, explode, turn into a tamale (I joked last game that one of them got a gun and a tamale they were eating from a LA roadstand mixed up).

Go for a Naked Lunch, Twin Peaks or Eraserhead vibe instead of a Dirty Harry/CSI/Generic Crime Drama Cthulhu one.

[Nvision]

I find adding scent to your description can have a very powerful effect on immersion. A musty, mouldering room has a unique presentation to the nose that is easy to recall, and sometimes just mentioning a location has an underlying smell of spoiled meat, a tang of iron, or reptilian musk can be enough to set players on edge with anticipation.

You can also isolate your players, even when in the same room. If the party splits up, take players aside and play in hushed tones, or pass notes while you narrate. This technique works wonders in scenarios where there is mistrust or contention between players, as it tends to deepen suspicion. I've had good luck with running Dockside Dogs this way.

[fallingtower]

I find adding scent to your description can have a very powerful effect on immersion. A musty, mouldering room has a unique presentation to the nose that is easy to recall, and sometimes just mentioning a location has an underlying smell of spoiled meat, a tang of iron, or reptilian musk can be enough to set players on edge with anticipation.

Sadly for some gamers the underlying smell of spoiled meat, the tang of iron and reptilian musk is just everyday normal gamer stank. I'm sure we all know at least one fellow like this.

[SamS]

[/quote]
Sadly for some gamers the underlying smell of spoiled meat, the tang of iron and reptilian musk is just everyday normal gamer stank. I'm sure we all know at least one fellow like this.[/quote]



There's the atmosphere I wish to avoid. Ha Ha

[Nvision]

Sadly for some gamers the underlying smell of spoiled meat, the tang of iron and reptilian musk is just everyday normal gamer stank. I'm sure we all know at least one fellow like this.

Ah, but it's still creepy and horrible, isn't it? :p