There's one thing analog horror and tabletop RPGs have in common: they are forever linked with American pop culture. They also have tons of frightening urban legends surrounding them. Think of those tall tales from the 80s and 90s, the era of public access TV and pen-and-paper roleplay. From alleged "lost episodes" of iconic TV shows to the "satanic panic" around TTRPGs, it's a period ripe with spooky mysteries.
And this upcoming analog horror TTRPG is in the middle of that particular Venn diagram.
Public Access by The Gauntlet is a horror mystery tabletop roleplaying game set in Deep Lake, New Mexico. You play as young adults united by a strange sense of nostalgia for their rural hometown. Memories of a bizarre public access channel, TV Odyssey, wander in waking moments and haunt your dark dreams. Making matters worse is the town of Deep Lake itself, much changed from the mirage of childhood memory. With such a strong concept, Public Access might become of my personal best tabletop RPGs.
Deep Lake drips with lore and flavor. My favorites are the lost Odyssey Tapes, black-spined terrors in video form. Tapes such as "Visit Starlight Kingdom," an infomercial for an abandoned Christian theme park and "Affirmations 04," a self-help guide with the tiniest bit of unwanted liquids, are ripe with storytelling potential. Think D&D horror oneshots in VHS form (and a bit of Americana satire).
Speaking of storytelling, that's another feature of Public Access I adore. Even the Game Master (known as the Keeper) has no idea what the mystery truly is. The answer shapes itself along with the players, and makes for nigh-infinite replayability. If all of this sounds awesome to you, you can read more with this handy free preview.
The Gauntlet are seasoned with this style of comfy-yet-chilling mystery game, thanks to their previous project, Brindlewood Bay. The mechanical side of Public Access was inspired by Powered by the Apocalypse, a narrative-focused system barreling towards certain doom. As a big fan of that system, I can concur the use of its mechanics for an analog horror experience.
You can support Public Access on Kickstarter here.
Is there some weird TV show from your childhood you've been wanting to remember? The folks over at the Wargamer Discord might have answers (and failing that, good company).