It all comes down to the word "Definitive". All the while that I was reading this book I kept asking myself -
Is this game the definitive guide? Does it really define horror roleplaying?
I'm still in two minds over this. While
Spooky fails to define the full spectrum of horror gaming, it succeeds admirably in the area that it does focus - Horror movies.
The Good
Spooky is split into four parts - each looking at a different aspect of horror gaming. The first looks at being a player within a horror game. This section is brilliant as it helps GMs and Players develop a party of PCs that will actually guarantee a great game of Horror. By recognising the archetypes present within horror movies, players are gently guided into the various ways of playing within genre without becoming uber-munchkins. This section also caused me to gain a new respect for Hunter: the Reckoning (inadvertently) as it ended up showing that each of the creeds in Hunter fit into one of
the main archetypes. Very clever.
One of the highlights of this section was the chapter on how to play a horror game. This included lists of the "rules" of certain horror genres - very funny yet informative to read - as well as some great tips for players.
The second part of the book then turns its attention to the meat and bones of a horror game - the running of one. This is packed full of amazing and useful information about how to generate a campaign - even for a non-horror game! Once again, the focus is on cinematic/television style gaming. That is everything follows the standard format of a film or television show - with a three-act narrative format. (Not that the writer may have been aware of this, but it was fairly evident.)
Some of the best highlights of this section were:
-Preparation for a game: This covers everything from lighting to how to make a soundtrack to a roleplaying game. Obviously written by someone who has had a lot of experience in this area, it was fun to read and also very informative.
-How to Scare People: This alone is worth the cover charge. A well thought out essay as to the manner in which horrors deliver their scares. Including some examples, this was by far one of the best parts in the entire book, and a goldmine for any prospective Horror GM.
The third part looks at how to create a horror campaign - be it comedic, action, serious or camp. This section has some great tips on comedic and action horror as well as considerations about NPCs.
The final part covers what the author calls "the trappings of Horror." These are the basic elements that can be transposed into any setting or genre to create a horrific atmosphere. It also looks at how to run monsters, consider their motivations and symbolism. It also looks at magic and science with the best methods to use these to horrific effect.
Spooky's tone is a light one which made the entire book a pleasure to read. Not taking itself too seriously, it managed to cover its material in an effective and memorable manner.
The Bad
First of all - there simply isn't any attempt to move away from the movies. Horror is more than scaring people, and it has deeper roots than mere cinema style scares. While there are the odd token attempts at looking at the symbolic focus of horror - there is simply not enough. There is also a lack of real examples of how to tell a horror tale with a gaming group - the book assumes that most people are already experienced gamers.
Most of all though, there isn't an in depth treatement of the various methods in which the PCs can be led into a horror tale - nor any real look at how to form one. The actual chapter on building a horror campaign is severely limited to the slasher/monster flick school of horror. It is a mere three pages long, which is somewhat disappointing as this should have been the main portion of the book.
The layout of the book is another problem. Simple two-column is fine, but the sidebars are the same size and often interfere with the flow of the text. In a couple of instances this gets really annoying. The art is also a little unbalanced - moving swiftly from good to pre-schooler quality. Again, this lets the product down visually.
In Summary
Despite the complaints I have made, I couldn't help but like
Spooky. While it isn't the definitive guide it claims to be, it does have a bit of a monopoly on the market. Being a general guide with a focus of roleplaying it is basically indespensible. Reasonably priced and with an attractive cover, it isn't bad.
For Horror gaming with a cinematic flair, it is hard to beat. Covering every aspect of the game - players, GMs and NPCs - it excels in giving some very helpful and inspirational tips for any gamer. However while it has a lot of scope, it does lack a little in depth. I would have liked to have seen a lot more about how to actually formulate a horror adventure and also how to avoid a stereotypical structure. I gave a 4 for substance, because what is there is literal roleplaying gold. Unfortunately, what isn't there and the general layout means that style wise, it loses out.
If you want more depth I'd suggest: Writing Horror by the Horror Writers Association ISBN 0-89879-798-5
While it is aimed at writers, it does have a huge amount of information about what makes a good horror and can be easily translated into games.
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