Desperation

Two games of survival horror, often without the survival. Desperation is two small roleplaying games, built on the same dark tone and mechanics, that are truly pick-up-and-play experiences for you and your friends. These dark, lyrical games, Dead House and The Isabel, are steeped in actual history and tell the stories of people pushed far past their limits.

Desperation asks you to assume an unusual point of view—instead of deciding what people say and do, you decide who says and does the things that must happen. The sense of dread is palpable with each card reveal, because in these games, the things that must happen are a gradually escalating kaleidoscope of unimaginable horror. If you like card-based roleplaying games like The Quiet Year and For the Queen but have a dark and unmerciful heart, you’ll love Desperation.