Mystery Inc: The Darkest House | Scooby-Doo x IT | Horror Series
10 years ago, you and your best friends abandoned Coolsville and never looked back. Now, you must return to the House that holds your darkest secrets.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$15.00
/ Session
Details
1 player following this game
Weekly / Wednesday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 6–10 Sessions
1 / 5 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Freddy, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby. 10 years ago you were just kids at the height of your crime-solving career, and then you went to the Harlock House, an estate on the edge of town that changed your lives forever. Something happened there, something that broke you to the point that your mind won't even let you remember. Now, you must return. After the fallout of friendship and the hardships of the real-world, you must face your fears and the life you left behind. The house hungers... it wants you. The only way out is through, and the only way through is together. - - - If it wasn't obvious, this campaign will draw directly from the characters, setting, and lore of the classic Scooby-Doo cartoons. That being said, no real knowledge of that lore is needed, just a general sense of the five main characters and an open mind! The Darkest House is a simple game that takes you into a unique realm of horror. It’s uniquely optimized for a rich, powerful experience that’s immersive for the players in an incredibly haunting way. This game is designed to chill and frighten but along the way your character will have experiences that make you stronger, deeper, richer, and more powerfully bonded as a group. Expect strong themes of facing childhood traumas, the hardships of growing up, and dealing with the consequences of your mistakes. Helpful touchstones include DIE, The Haunting of Hill House, IT, Blue Prince, and of course, Scooby-Doo. This will be a short campaign lasting between 8 and 10 sessions. The gameplay will lean heavily on roleplay and exploration of the house. Mechanically it is very simple and easy to learn. We will be utilizing a few homebrew mechanics as well such as Flashbacks and Investigator Abilities. We will play using Alchemy VTT, which is free to join, easy to use, and beautifully haunting to play in. If you don't have Alchemy yet, no worries - I can help you get set up.
Game style
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Roleplay Heavy
Theater of the Mind
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(12)
1 year on StartPlaying
2 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Beginner Friendly
About me
Hi, I'm Justin! I am a long-time GM who loves collaborative storytelling and immersive roleplay. I'm a professional actor, improviser, and musician and can't help but blend my creative crafts together, resulting in a fun and engaging tabletop experience! Based in Kansas City, I am also the owner and operator of Tipsy Bard KC, an immersive pop-up experience that hosts a number of events such as TTRPG Epics, Murder Mysteries, and more. All are welcome at my table - regardless of experience or background. No gatekeeping allowed!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
All characters will be pre-generated due to the nature of the plot. You will play as one of the original Mystery Inc. gang all grown up. These characters will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Although each character will mechanically be pre-generated, there will be room for you to put your own spin on them once we get started. Our first session (Session Zero) will be an opportunity for us to develop a party dynamic, create relationship threads, and explore a shared history. If you have a strong idea for your character prior to Session Zero, I encourage you to reach out and we can discuss any elements that might be worth keeping secret at the top.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Hardware: It may be a deal breaker for some but for this campaign I'd prefer to use webcams so that we can better connect during tense character moments. With that in mind, you'll need a mic, webcam, headphones, and internet access. Software: We will be using Discord for voice and video calls, along with out-of-game communication. Additionally, we will use Alchemy RPG, for character sheets, digital dice, in-game handouts, and cinematic atmospheres. Both Discord and Alchemy are free to use with an account. Invites to both the Discord server and the Alchemy game will be sent once you've joined the game. Rules, Setting, & Character Creation will be explained in Session Zero. Should any other questions arise prior to that, please feel free to reach out!
What Justin brings to the table
As a GM, I let the players guide me. I bring a world full of potential and characters full of life. The rest I choose to let go of. I learned early in my TTRPG journey that the game is so much more fun for us all when I truly let go and lean in. This game in particular is going to be very influenced by your choices as a player. My decade of experience as an actor, improviser, and teacher has allowed me to follow my instincts and go with the most creative choice - which often leads to the most compelling stories. And you help with that more than you may think. The more you put into your character's choices, flaws, and desires; the juicier your arc will become throughout the campaign.
Homebrew rules
Homebrew rules include: - Flashback mechanic (original) - Investigator Abilities (original)
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Justin creates a safe table
Due to the nature of this horror game, there will be taking many avenues toward safety and comfortability for everyone at the table. These methods include (but are not limited to) Aftercare, Session Zero, Lines and Veils, and X-Cards. When you make your account on Alchemy RPG you will have the opportunity to add Lines and Veils for yourself (please do so!!) These will be shared with me automatically (and anonymously) when you join the game. Additionally, Alchemy provides a very handy X-Card button on the screen. When pressed, all players are immediately notified but no one is told who pressed it. This anonymous method encourages the use of X-Cards throughout the game. At the end of every session, we will take 5 minutes or more to unwind from the tension and discuss the session as a group before re-entering the real world. Finally, during our Session Zero, we will go over all content warnings, Lines & Veils, and how to use X-Cards as a group so that everyone is on the same page.
Content warnings
Safety tools used