Dread is an indie horror table top RPG which is perfect for one shots or introductory games. Designed for three to six players, Dread eschews the standard dice and instead uses a Jenga tower for risk taking and tension building. There is no set system, instead Dread can be used with any horror/thriller/tension-based setting, from gothic/eldritch to dark fantasy, mystery or science fiction. When players take a risky or challenging action they pull one or multiple blocks to test for success. If the tower falls, the character dies (though possibly not immediately). If the tower stays, more is revealed about the plot.As a gaming group we also found it easy to compensate for players with physical disabilities like muscle issues which might unfairly make the act of pulling a block risky by allowing players in need to choose an able-bodied player to act as their surrogate for pulls.
Amazingly this simple challenge style encourages a higher level of player entanglement. Players back from the table, hold their breath, or wince as they make their pulls. (And in our case, dogs are banned from the room during this game, lest they knock a table while trying to get comfortable at our feet.)
Character sheets are simple. The Storyteller creates three to six archetypal roles (the Jock, the Cheerleader, the Cop, the Paranormal Investigator, the Skeptic, etc.) and passes roles out with a short, loaded questionnaire designed to begin player investment. So a Jenga tower, three to six pieces of paper and matching people and you are good to go.
A four page reference pamphlet is available for free online, but Dread is also available in pdf or soft cover as well. It’s ease of play and adaptability make it a must have, and possibly the best, simplest starting point for anyone who wants to use gaming as a tool or activity, from libraries, to classrooms to even therapy groups. (Yes! RPGs are being used in therapy!)
After one session Dread became one of my gaming group’s favorite options for one shots (beating out the previous favorite of a Battle Royal.) We keep a binder of ideas for those sessions when someone can’t make it or time is short. And because of the nature of gaming, even running the same game with different people can lead to much different stories.
Highly recommended.