Games like The Crushing Dark

Cover art by Ennie Award winner Johan Nohr (Mork Borg), edited by Ennie Award winner Fiona Geist (Dead Planet). Risograph-printed zine edition available at: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/rites-of-vengeance-pdf You have suffered a terrible tragedy and lost something irreplaceable. Now you have found a teacher who will teach you to harness the power of the demon to seek your revenge.  Wh… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Rites of Vengeance - A Solo Wretched & Alone Game.

You haven’t always had it easy, but now things are worse. A chance encounter on the street changed your life. It was like looking into a mirror. But surely, you would have known if you had a twin.  You only learned you were a clone 1 month ago. Now, alongside your siblings, you are being hunted by the corporation that created you. You thought you were being smart, you thought you were well hidden,… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Identity.

You’re a newly-hired security guard for a local franchise of the mostly defunct Dreddy’s Pizza Palace children’s entertainment chain. You used to come here all the time as a kid. Now as an adult, this place feels wrong... cursed. Ghosts of the past haunt you, the animatronics are stalking you, and reality is breaking around you. Still, you press on - rent is due soon and this is the only job you c… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to One Night at Dreddy's.

It's the late 80s or early 90s. The world is aswarm with masked killers. Every large enough stretch of territory seems to have at least one. A ghost story returned to grisly relevance. A grudge unfulfilled. A man with a deep basement and silent neighbors. Society has adjusted to this new age of terror. But you haven't. After surviving a brush with a killer, you've become a Final Girl. And Final… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Final Night.

Cake. Everyone likes it Not everyone can make it Can you make it? This Wretched Cake is a hack of The Wretched by Chris Bissette using the Wretched & Alone SRD. To play the game, you will need a deck of 52 cards with the jokers removed, ten tokens, a six-sided dice and a tumbling tower, though alternatives to the tower are suggested. In it, you have agreed to bake and decorate a cake, despite any … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to This Wretched Cake.

The scent of pine surrounds you. Hitchhiking seed pods have curled their gnarled hooks into the fabric of your clothes. Small nicks and scrapes from thorny bushes cover your hands. As your vision wavers back into clarity and adjusts to the low light of the setting sun, you pause. A bird calls to your left. Rustling leaves draw your attention to your right. Spinning around in a full circle reveals … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Xylophobia.

Vast Death Temple is a solo, GM-less journaling game using the Wretched & Alone formula originally created by Chirs Bissette with modifications I made at my own leisure. Requires: pencil, paper, at least one d6 (possibly more or use digital), one deck of playing cards, optionally a second deck of tarot or similar cards, 10 small totems and a tumbling tower (or a d20). This game was created for th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vast Death Temple.

You'll play as a young person in  the late Middle Ages. Every day you'll ride through battlefields, lonely forest paths, and amongst your people while evading threats, wounds, and dealing with strange visions. With some dice, a deck of cards, a journal, and this guide, players will explore themes of oppression, hope, and longing for a better world. Grab a beverage, lower the lights, maybe even lig… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Femmelier.

You are Orpheus. Overwhelmed with your sorrow over the loss of Eurydice, you have chosen to descend into the Underworld, praying that your song of grief and love can soften the hearts of  its King and Queen and that they will allow you to bring her back to the living world with you. You know that it will be dangerous - the Underworld is no place for the living - and you know that much will stand b… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Long Way Down.

Civilisation fell Many died You survived But for how long? This Wretched Bunker is a hack of The Wretched by Chris Bissette using the Wretched & Alone SRD for the Wretched Jam. To play the game, you will need a deck of 52 cards with the jokers removed, ten tokens, a six-sided dice and a tumbling tower, though alternatives to the tower are suggested. You are a survivor after a global apocalypse wip… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to This Wretched Bunker.

Sunken is a Solo Journaling RPG on the topics of isolation, loneliness, fear, & your will to overcome them. Set in a newly discovered caving system called Esa'ala in Papua new guinea, you are a cave diver exploring and mapping the deepest cave in the world. When a tropical storm hits, you lose all communication with the outside world. Can you survive until a rescue team comes? do you have the stre… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sunken: A Wretched & Alone Solo Game.

The Treacherous Realm is a solo journaling game about being lost.  You are a wanderer. Perhaps you are a seasoned traveller who has already had plenty of wild adventures, or maybe you have only just set out onto the Road. No matter your past, you have made a mistake. You walked through an enchanted gate, taking it for a mere curiosity. You took shelter in what you believed to be an abandoned manor… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Treacherous Realm.

You are a hero. Well, not yet, you’re not. But you can be, and if all goes well, you will be. You will come into your powers, live out your mundane life, face your nemesis, and fight crime in your city as your heroic alter-ego - all of these moments leading up to the decision of whether or not you will take the mask and dedicate your life to being a superhero. Every hero has an origin story. Thi… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Origin Story.

The expedition was going so well, but at 3,000 feet below the surface, when the ocean turns from blue to black, everything goes wrong. Something cracks. Water starts to fill at your feet. The crane at the surface jams. The radio line goes quiet. And now the two of you are alone, only a few layers of steel and a quartz window to keep you from death.  You have one hour of oxygen left. Conserve breat… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Into Blue Midnight.

Pick up physical copies at Indie Press Revolution.Tend the light. Fend off the dead. In all things, persist. You play a lighthouse keeper at the furthest reaches of civilization. Your tormentors are numerous: the crushing solitude, the chaotic weather, the penal colony nearby, and a legion of unquiet dead conspire to erode your sanity until one of them claims you.  You may well die. But you will n… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lighthouse at the End of the World.

Carved by the Garden: A single-session folk-horror solo RPG In the woods you’ll meet odd strangers, mysterious landmarks, and danger lurking in the shadows beneath the trees. Can you survive tests from the old gods or will the suspicious people you share the woods with sacrifice you instead? Carved by the Garden is a forthcoming solo journaling game inspired by folk horror stories like The Witch,… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Carved by the Garden.

MAYWEATHER is a “Descended from the Queen” game inspired by the music of Janelle Monáe and their alter-ego Cindi Mayweather. It takes thematic inspiration and borrows from album and song titles as well as lyrics as a base for card prompts. It does not aim to delve as deeply into the same topics as the music does, but takes inspiration where it is fitting and appropriate. 2719. Mayweather is an and… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to MAYWEATHER.

Welcome to an almost-eternal nightmare trek through a post-post-apocalyptic wasteland, pushed onwards in the face of near-certain death. It is a fantasy Western nightmare after the second end of the world, where your Revolver binds you to vile existence no matter how many times you fall, until you earn your Doom.It is loaded with one bullet and one ending. --- DREAD REVOLVER is a tabletop roleplay… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DREAD REVOLVER.

Based on the Wretched & Alone system, A Vast Expanse of Sky is a science-fantasy solo game in which you play a robotic servant known as a Guardian. You are the sole remaining inhabitant of the Cloud Keep, the ancestral seat of the Coldsworn family. Powered by magical crystals, the Keep floats high above its kingdom—and it’s up to you to repair it. You’ll explore the Keep, delve into your memories,… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Vast Expanse of Sky.

    You’re a young witcher, still fresh after your trials, for the first time leaving the place that trained you in the monster-hunting trade - your witchers’ school.     It’s your very first year on the Path and you have everything you would ever need to fulfill your duty - swords, potions, horse, knowledge, and dedication. Travel the Continent learning more about the world and yourself, and even… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Path.

Essence & Memories Pitchpyre: the Bloody Circle is a soulsborne roleplaying game Rooted in Trophy. You play as the Wretched who remain in the Cursed World after the sins of King Quayde led to the burning of the world's very heart. Your world is dying now, but it seems that you cannot. As time and space themselves begin to unravel, you and those like you are trapped in a slowly collapsing purgatory… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Pitchpyre: the Bloody Circle.

You have before you a solo journaling guide that will lead your attempts to win The Great and Secret Game, an underground alternate reality contest. You will try to learn the rules of the Great game and avoid getting killed by other players or removed by the shadowy Enforcers for breaking the rules you do not know, as reality itself seems to bend around you. If you win, you will have the ability t… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Great and Secret Game - a solo RPG.

Deep in the foothills of Mount Sozrin there exists an outpost of reclusive monks committed to contemplation of The Sisters. The Halls of Valencia is its name, for Valencia the Lady of Repose, patron saint of philosophy, scholars, and thoughtful contemplation, is their patron and the particular object of their devotion. THE HISTORY THEY KNOW: The Halls have a long history, with origins lost in the … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Halls of Valencia: A Trophy Gold Incursion.

Something is coming, something that may not be survivable, but you have no way to escape, not now. It is too late. The eyewall of the hurricane bears closer on the radar on the tiny screen in your hand, the wind slams into the side of your house, a tree branch thuds to the ground. Your chances of unscathed survival are thin - nothing stands between you and devastation but the mercy of the storm, w… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Disaster - A Wretched and Alone Game.

The Arctic Chase of the Cursed Creature is a solo journaling Wretched & Alone™ RPG game played with a deck of full deck of cards (52), a 6-sided die, and a few tokens. ---- Having read the novel is not absolutely necessary in order to enjoy this Wretched & Alone™ scenario, but it will improve your immersion and thus your experience greatly! I recommend listening to Kenneth Branagh’s audiobook ver… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Arctic
 Chase
 of the 
Cursed 
Creature.

In all the gulfs between life and death, there was no grander stage of joviality and terror than the Kingdom of Guignol. Here the ripe red passion of the Murdered danced with the gallows-born humor of the Condemned. All the while, the Neglected watched so they might taste the glee and shock their fruitless lives lacked. Oh, what a bloody, merry nation the King of Unrule ignored, for his crooked cr… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Troupe RPG.

You are an apprentice to the wizard, living in a grand tower, assisting the wizard's magic and learning the craft yourself. From the inside, the tower seems vast to the point of infinite, emphasized all the more by how much of it is forbidden. So many rooms are sealed by locks, sigils, and warnings. The wizard has always provided what you need, except for answers. Even so, the wizard is not you… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Wizard's Tower.

This game is about War, Pain, Fear, and Hate. You warred with the Colonists. You warred with yourselves. Then the Imperials came to your “aid”. Your cousins to the North fight under the banners of the North Valley Army and with the (allegedly) radical Valley Commandos. You and your family are residents of the Southern Capital, occupied by a coalition of the Army of the Republic of the Valley, the … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Before the Boats.

This is for games based on Wretched and Alone by Matt Sanders and Chris Bissette, using Speak the Sky's idea for an alternate method of playing that's a lot easier to come by than a Jenga tower: roll 100 6-sided dice, and keep only the dice that rolled a 2 or higher. Your dice pool gets smaller and smaller with each roll, ramping up the tension over the course of your story, capturing some of the … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Another Wretched & Alone Roller.

MONOLITHIC The MONOLITH EDITION is here.  The Monolith Edition features an entirely new layout, revised and edited text, and mechanical tweaks to the classic Extracausal experience.  The Monolith Edition adds new layers to the game and new tools to help spark more stories.  Aspects give depth and narrative impact to NPCs.Cores provide extra moods and aesthetics for locations, as well as prompting… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to EXTRACAUSAL.

Second Crossing, log 1. All other members of the [...] Unit are dead or unaccounted for. The Anomaly is alive somehow. [...] The Anomaly is falling apart, leaving nothing but a yawning void. [...] something out there stalking me. [...] I will be making regular logs, like this one. Hopefully they help someone else. This is [...] the last known member of the Second Crossing Unit, signing off. - Frag… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Anomaly.

160 years ago, a man completed a life-long project and published his first great map of his country. Today it is celebrated as a great achievement, but we don't know much about him as a person outside of legends. What was his journey like?In this GM-less game based on the Carta SRD game engine, you take the role of a cartographer and their team exploring a fictional country. It has been your lifel… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Land and the People.

You reside in The Archive, an unending and depthless structure spiralling deep into the dark and misty depths, devoid of life and presided over by a being known only to you as The Archivist. The Archive is made up of windowless rooms and halls that vary greatly in their height, size and danger. All these spaces house numerous shelves containing the collected knowledge of the world outside of The A… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to THE BREATHING.

CW: darkness, tight spaces, marine wildlife, peril, bodily harm, extreme solitude Thought space was full of horror? Try being trapped 70 metres underwater. On your own. In the dark. THOUSAND EMPTY LIGHT is a psychedelic-xerox adventure zine that brings solo play to Mothership RPG (1E). Written throughout as an in-game corporate document, the zine takes the core game’s rules and builds a procedure … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Thousand Empty Light.

GOBLINS IN SHADOW is a roleplaying game about goblin resistance and revolution in an age of elven oppression. It’s a world of clockwork and magic, of smoke and shadow. Players will take on the roles of a cell of goblin revolutionaries, working to undermine the elves and humans who have conquered their homeland and built an empire on its corpse. They’ll advance their goals by taking on scores, miss… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Goblins in Shadow (EARLY ACCESS).

The Hopes & Dreams SRD is a creation toolkit that helps you design a game where every mechanic serves the narrative in a quick, and efficient way. This goal focused system puts player characters against what they dread the most in every single roll. Based on Hopes & Dreams, you will find here everything from rules, to design guidelines, to help you make your own game Ignited by Hopes & Dreams.Read… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hopes & Dreams SRD.

In This Mortal Coil, you play a space traveler-turned-necromancer on a quest to achieve eternal life by constructing a magical device known as an anchor. You'll create undead thralls to do your bidding, gather energy to power your quest by harvesting living creatures, and master the forces of the Negaverse. Along the way, you’ll explore fantastic worlds, battle terrifying creatures, and negotiate … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to This Mortal Coil.

Life isn't kind to anyone in Doskvol, where lives are crushed under the gears of capital and corruption. But some people are decidedly more vulnerable and less able to fight back than others. Children are often not present in any given game of Blades in the Dark. We know they exist, as the setting wouldn’t be able to work without the pool of labor to be exploited by the capitalists replacing itsel… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to URCHINS - A Blades in the Dark Crew.

The Spiral is at War. Stars keep disappearing in the night sky. The earth is soaked with blood. No more room for graves. No more tears for the fallen. We will fight until they surrender. Because we will not.  Saints of War is a futuristic, sci-fi role-playing game about never-ending wars and the individuals that fight them. In a mix of sci-fi, alchemy, trans-humanistic philosophy and sacral m… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Saints Of War - Alpha version.

Explore an ocean of horror and memories in search of the cursed mirror in the abyss. Collect loot to upgrade your equipment, avoid malevolent entities and make sure you have enough rope to resurface safely. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Troubled Waters.

The people of Last Pine have been reporting petty crimes—items missing, businesses burst into, and refuse of food and medicine scattered in the wake of the burglaries. Local disorderly teen Ricky Burning, a part-time employee at the hardware store, is widely suspected for the break-ins, including a recent theft and vandalism at the lumberyard, but he has a different story: of objects floating, cre… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Shadow of your Former Self.

The Hour of Silk is upon you and a Scoundrel's work is never done. The Dusk's full of opportunities if you know what you're looking for. This collection of one-page scores for Blades in the Dark offers ten more ready-to-run scenarios with patrons, paydays, and problems aplenty. Suggested clocks are included, so all you need to run an explosive heist, a thrilling chase, or a tense exploration of th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Unofficial Blades in the Dark Score Collection #2: The Hour of Silk.

Hissing Darkness won Runner-Up in the 2020 Trophy Gold Incursion Contest hosted by The Gauntlet. Listen to this episode of the Trophy Podcast to hear about the winners! The Ship was launched at near light speed into the cold darkness of space in the hopes of finding a new home. But now, you are beyond the light of even the furthest stars.The Ship is a near-light speed, super-craft, ark-ship p… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hissing Darkness: A Trophy Gold Incursion.

You are a Sockgoblin! One of many loyal to the Great And All Powerful And Really Important Queen, living in the secret underground goblin city. Your Queen demands all sorts of items from the surface world; coffee, really big hats, the occasional hubcap. But what she craves most are Socks. Every year, the Queen demands a sock tithe, which is where you, little sockgoblin, come in! Every other Sockgo… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sockgoblins.

Rumors of a terrible sea monster have been floating around your seaside town. People disappearing, tides changing, total devastation… Gnashing teeth, unimaginable strength… Hardly anyone goes outside anymore. No one has actually seen this monster in all its entirety- But you can’t live in terror forever. Boarding the next available boat, you set off on what might be your last marine journey. With … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Off The Hook.

Fragments of WarAfter the war, thousands upon thousands of bipedal mechanized fighting vehicles (or “Bimechs”) were left scattered across the land. Many were brought back to the capital cities to be repaired or scrapped, but the majority of them were too damaged to be easily transported. With the war won, the victors simply left their mechanical refuse in the battlefields to rust and wither. Recla… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mectors.

This game is a single-player gmless journaling game about a Sith apprentice struggling with the temptation to return to the light side of the force. After being sent on a series of missions by your Sith master designed to purge the weakness from your heart, you discover a force bond with a Jedi apprentice who is intent on redeeming you instead... To play this game, you will roll dice and draw card… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to REDEMPTION ARC.

WELCOME TO THE LIMINAL SEA You don’t remember what happened. You know you had a life, but the memories are an unsolvable hazy mess. Nevertheless, you know who you are and where you are: the Liminal Sea, Ocean of Oceans, Place Below Places. The special area you are in is the Sea of Dreams. Here lies the sleeping visions and subconscious minds of all sentient beings, from the indescribable avat… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Liminal Sea: Dream.

The Game  You are the Last Magus, out of your tower, witnessing the world you once knew crumble, fall to pieces... The shadows grow long, and in these final days of this Age of Magic, you sense a familiar presence beckoning you from the shadows, calling you to rest. It is Death. It is patient. Your work is not yet done. This is the world that you loved for all your long life, filled with mar… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Last Magus.

The Cheer Captain has you wrapped around their little finger. They have won every title and competition. They have captured hearts and broken them. Now prom is just around the corner, and they are all but guaranteed to be crowned royalty.  Will you be ready? Will you be loyal? For the Prom Queen is a game of teen drama and high school politics, inspired by films like Mean Girls, Jawbreaker, Bring … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to For The Prom Queen.