The Darkest House is an online-only RPG from the studio behind Numenera

Play and run a horror roleplaying game entirely online with The Darkest House, an upcoming RPG from the publisher responsible for Numenera, Monte Cook Games.

The Darkest House is an RPG featuring its own gameplay system and online app. The game’s story will focus on a long-abandoned property whose owner has remained secluded inside its walls for many years. Both players and the game master can access The Darkest House via an app that contains everything they need to experience the RPG, including the many different rooms hidden within the haunted building.

Monte Cook Games told Dicebreaker that The Darkest House can be run as part of an existing campaign or as a separate one-shot, with the horror RPG system compatible with characters and stories from any other roleplaying game. Featured in the game’s app are tools to enable players to import their characters, which they can then use alongside The Darkest House’s own character sheets. To perform actions in the game, players roll two six-sided dice and add a relevant rating to their result, with ratings acting as attributes; the player passes if they beat the required amount.

However, the player also rolls a die representing the house whenever they attempt an action. Should the house die roll higher than any one of the player’s dice, then the house acts - which is almost always bad for the players. The house in question has its own sinister wants and desires, particularly when it comes to player characters’ memories, and will threaten the players by spawning monsters and wielding other terrible powers. Players will have to try and escape the house by navigating through its different rooms and uncovering its mysteries.

The games master will have access to the app’s map elements, which provide descriptions of each room and their various points of interest, including potential images and handouts they’ll be able to share with the players. Creature stats will also be available on the app, with the players and GM needing to roll outside of the app for combat and actions.

Apart from publishing The Darkest House and Numenera, Monte Cook is also known for releasing fantasy roleplaying games such as Ptolus, a title centered around an enormous city filled with secrets, and Godforsaken. Both can be played using the studio’s Cypher RPG System.

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The Kickstarter campaign for The Darkest House will launch on March 16th, with backers able to obtain access to the online app - alongside the necessary PDF documents - that will enable them and their party of players to experience the RPG.

When the Kickstarter campaign ends, access to the app will be made available via DriveThruRPG and the Monte Cook Games website.