Games in The Dark

Starships, space stations, and dystopian planetary politics - join us as we embark on a new campaign using Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG from Tuesday Knight Games. In this episode, we meet our ragtag band of interplanetary wanderers as they come together for a job almost certainly too good to be true. Why do the elite colonists of Mars maintain political control over the Sol system? Can the degrading state of Earth be solved? Are the emerging space-born humans known as Void Walkers the future of the human race? Follow along as we navigate the stars and the horrifying realities of the near future on Games in the Dark.

Here we discuss the aftermath of Shadowdark's Episode 4, among other topics that are in no way related to the episode. Enjoy!

Bon and Zaf are settling in among the Hawk Bandits while Ire deals with an illness. The dwarven brothers accompany Kadim on a raid that will gauge the group's tactics and loyalties, but things don’t go to plan and lives are put in jeopardy. There’s no shortage of excitement as the bandits face incursions on their very doorstep as well.

In this After Dark discussion, we break down the chaos of Session 3 as the group finds themselves trapped in a cave during a brutal sandstorm. What starts as a moment to regroup quickly turns into a series of unexpected encounters that shift the tone of the entire session.

We talk through the decisions behind trusting a deal that clearly feels off, the tension of being stuck with nowhere to go, and how each character handled the pressure in their own way. Was it a smart gamble or the beginning of a disaster?

We also get into behind-the-scenes thoughts, player reactions, and where things might be heading next now that the group has willingly stepped straight into danger.

If you thought the session was tense, this is where we unpack why.

Our actual third episode was lost, so here’s the description from that session:

With Ire in tow, Zaf reunites with his brother Bon. With a sandstorm quickly approaching the trio digs into a crevice for shelter, and they discover a curious opening among the rocks. Entering cautiously, they begin to delve into a small shrine and navigate the defenses within. What better way to wait out a storm of sands than with a miniature dungeon crawl?

Leap of Faith:

This canonical third session picks up with our trio of crawlers hemmed into a cave due to a passing sand storm. While waiting out the storm, the group is visited by multiple surprise guests - some more welcome than others. Betting on an offer that is almost certainly too good to be true, the group reaches a bargain that will put them directly in the viper’s nest.

Welcome to Games in the Dark: After Dark, where we break down everything that just happened in Episode 2 of our Shadowdark campaign.

The arena fight did not go how anyone expected.

From chaotic decisions and brutal betrayals to that ending… yeah, we had to talk about it. We dive into player choices, what was going through our heads in the moment, and how things completely spiraled once the gauntlet began.

We also talk about character moments, the mechanics behind the madness, and what this means going forward in the campaign.

If you enjoy behind-the-scenes discussions, tabletop RPG chaos, and hearing how players react after everything goes wrong, this is for you.

Venturing deeper into Jimmy’s Hell, the quartet of local investigators navigate the maze of laurel while a mysterious beast stalks them from the undergrowth. Violence, fear, paranoia, and strange dealings abound in this third and final part of The Old Gods of Appalachia.

'Omega' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Welcome back to Games in the Dark as we continue our Shadowdark journey in Episode 2.

This week, the gauntlet returns, but this time the stakes are higher. Thrown into a brutal desert arena, a group of enslaved fighters are given a single chance at freedom: land the killing blow on a disgraced gladiator known as Ramir the Lion.

What follows is chaos, betrayal, and blood in the sand.

Alliances crumble as quickly as they form. Survival becomes a gamble. And one fighter rises above the rest, only to discover that freedom might not mean what it seems.

A prophecy is spoken.

A champion is crowned.

And something far darker begins to unfold.

Welcome to the arena.

Go beyond the gauntlet in this ShadowDark After Dark episode, where we break down everything that happened in the brutal Ras-Godai trial.This is the full spoiler-filled debrief of our Level 0 funnel episode, analyzing every decision, every death, and every mistake that led to survival or total annihilation. If you watched the main episode, this is where we unpack the chaos.We dive deep into:Why certain players survived the gauntletThe deadliest encounters and how they played outStrategy breakdowns and missed opportunitiesLessons learned for ShadowDark RPG playersBehind-the-scenes decisions and table talkIf you’re running ShadowDark or love OSR-style brutal gameplay, this breakdown will give you insight into how deadly funnels really play out and how to survive them.⚠️ Full spoilers for Episode 1 of Games In The Dark

The confrontation with Pollard Bayles reveals new mysteries, and a local joins our trio of investigators. As the group heads out of town, they’re faced with tangled webs of claustrophobia-inducing vegetation and unexpected obstacles. One of the group, it seems, is harboring a dark secret from the rest as they delve into the troubling wilderness.

'Omega' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au