Eldritch Horror
Eldritch horror is the fear of the uncanny, the inexplicable, the unknowable, and the impossible. Sometimes known as cosmic horror, it deals with humans' fear of their own insignificance, and the limits of our understanding of a universe which is greater and older than we can possibly comprehend. Author H. P. Lovecraft is often credited as the originator of eldritch horror with his Cthulhu mythos, including novels and short stories about slumbering elder gods and supernatural forces so ancient, terrible, and powerful, that even knowing about them is a danger to human sanity, let alone looking upon them. If you heard "knowing about them is a danger to human sanity" and immediately wanted to learn more, eldritch horror tabletop roleplaying games might be for you! Games in this genre feature investigators who are driven to delve into mysteries beyond their ken. At the risk of their own fragile minds, they plumb the depths of supernatural mysteries and learn things no one was ever meant to know. These games often prominently feature decaying sanity and madness, ancient, monstrous entities that defy all natural law, and cults dedicated to the esoteric lore of the strange worlds from which these eldritch horrors originate. Perhaps you will solve the mystery at the heart of an eldritch horror RPG, but you will never be the same.
Popular Eldritch Horror RPGs
Brindlewood Bay
Brindlewood Bay is a tabletop roleplaying game that combines Murder, She Wrote with H.P. Lovecraft. In it, you play a group of elderly women, members of the local Murder Mavens Mystery Book Club, who help the authorities solve murder cases in a picturesque New England Town. Over the course of their investigations, they become aware of a dark occult conspiracy that connects the cases, and will eventually have to face that conspiracy in order to save their community. The game is low-prep and easy to play no matter your experience with tabletop roleplaying games.
Vaesen
In dark forests, beyond the mountains, by black lakes in hidden groves. At your doorstep. In the shadows, something stirs. Strange beings. Twisted creatures, lurking at the edge of vision. Watching. Waiting. Unseen by most, but not by you. You see them for what they really are. Vaesen. Welcome to the Mythic North – northern Europe of the nineteenth century, but not as we know it today. A land where the myths are real. A cold reach covered by vast forests, its few cities lonely beacons of industry and enlightenment – a new civilization dawning. But in the countryside, the old ways still hold sway. There, people know what lurks in the dark. They know to fear it.
Delta Green
Born of the U.S. government’s 1928 raid on the degenerate coastal town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, the covert agency known as Delta Green opposes the forces of darkness with honor but without glory. Delta Green agents fight to save humanity from unnatural horrors—often at a shattering personal cost. In Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game, the players are those agents. They fight to keep terrors from beyond space and time from infecting the world and claiming human lives and sanity. The Handler is the game moderator who creates and interprets their world, presents the unnatural horror that they investigate, and describes the awful aftermath of their sacrifices.
DIE: The Roleplaying Game
DIE RPG is a roleplaying game based on the comic of the same name by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans – and it too has been made by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans! In DIE, you play a group of authentically flawed and desperate real-world people (Personas) who are sucked into a cursed roleplaying game and take on the form of heroes, villains and power players (Paragons). Some of you might want to get back to the real world for whatever’s waiting for you there. Some of you might want to stay in a reality where you can finally get what you want out of life. You all have to agree whether you stay or go, and dead people can’t vote. It can get pretty bloody.
Frequently asked questions about Eldritch Horror
Blog links about Eldritch Horror
Where to Play Call of Cthulhu
Looking to solve eldritch mysteries and maybe go insane? Call of Cthulhu has what you need. Here's how to find a game.
8 Horror RPGS That Range From Eldritch To Supernatural To Sci-Fi
This list of scary games to play with your friends is a great way to get started on your first horror RPG!
Eldritch Horror Reviews and Actual Plays
Bookshops of Arkham | Call of Cthulhu
The official Call of Cthulhu RPG actual play from Chaosium, the game's publisher, explores the mythos of H. P. Lovecraft.
Grannies Vs. Cthulhu: Brindlewood Bay
Dicebreaker plays Brindlewood Bay, a game of old ladies solving (sometimes paranormal) murder mysteries, with the designer Jason Cordova.
Étude in Aether | Arkham Horror RPG
A star-studded cast of players experience Lovecraftian horror on Good Time Society's playthrough of the Arkham Horror RPG.