7 Haunting Horror TTRPGs for Newbies

Most folks assume that a typical TTRPG session plays out over several hours and involves a lot of dice rolling and mathematics. Well, Dread is far different—it can be played in a single short sitting, and instead of dice, utilizes a Jenga tower for action resolution.

Designed by Epidiah Ravachol and Nathaniel Barmore, Dread’s unique mechanisms heighten the tension and narrative stakes, making it perfect for games of melancholic horror where not every character will make it to the end.

The game’s rulebook comes with a few sample adventures, ranging from survival horror to sci-fi.

H.P. Lovecraft’s all-encompassing cosmic horror universe, alternatively known as Cthulhu Mythos, also inspired a role-playing game, first published by Chaosium in 1981, and currently in its seventh edition.

Call of Cthulhu (CoC) uses a percentile dice system to determine success or failure—and it’s not uncommon for characters to die a gruesome death or end up insane by the conclusion of the campaign.

Set during the Jazz Age, Call of Cthulhu encourages characters to be resourceful and investigative, often playing as ordinary detectives facing off against extraordinary horrors.

The game also has a solo variant, in case you’re looking to dip your toes into the genre.

If you’re keen on a more atmospheric experience, you can try Ten Candles, which literally uses 10 votive candles to mark the time.

With relatively simple rules, this TTRPG offers a collaborative storytelling experience where the characters all know they’re going to die, but nevertheless stick around long enough to tell a story about their final moments.

The game deals with heavy themes, and its overtly tragic tone might help players come to terms with their own grief and mortality.

The game concludes when all the candles go out and the world is enveloped in darkness. 

Those who’ve grown up watching the Alien movies shouldn’t miss out on the chance to step into enigmatic exo-planets and infested spaceships while always on the run from a xenomorph or two.

This TTRPG not only comes with a lavishly illustrated rulebook that recreates the cinematic experience, but also exquisite miniatures and crew lapel pins.

Thus, if you’re in the mood for an immersive sci-fi horror campaign where the scales are disbalanced and the players have to rely on their wits and quick thinking to survive, Alien is definitely worth the investment.

While older TTRPGs are played with pen, paper, and dice, contemporary game designers are coming up with more innovative ways to play these games. This Discord Has Ghosts In It, as I'm sure you could have guessed, literally plays out in a discord server that doubles as a haunted house.

In this game, players take on the roles of investigators (who can only speak) or ghosts (who can only type) while exploring the labyrinthine rooms of the house.

Designed by Adam Vass and Will Jobst, this game can accommodate up to 12 players, can be played virtually, and is perfect for those who have little experience with the medium.

Those of you who’ve spent a lot of time on the internet might have stumbled upon the SCP, a collaborative writing phenomenon about a secret organization dedicated to the storage and classification of supernatural objects and other anomalies.

This TTRPG allows players and GMs to play a more active role in this fictional universe, exploring all its mysterious phenomena in great detail.

Whether you play as a researcher, an expert, or even as an enigmatic SCP, this game offers eerie encounters with the paranormal in a thrilling and memorable fashion.

Finally, if your idea of horror involves battling fearsome monsters, as seen on shows like X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural, thenyou’ll have plenty of fun with Monster of the Week, developed by Michael Sands and published by Evil Hat Productions.

Players take on the role of “hunters” as they solve puzzles and battle enemies, with a lesser focus on rules and more on the storytelling.