The Haunting House: a Twisted Strategy Board Game for 2 to 6 players is just one of several products offered from Twilight Creations, Inc. The object of this game, to get to the exit, sounds easy enough. Trap doors and sneaky opponents stand in your way from winning the game.

Plenty of articles deal with setting the mood for a horror RPG. As a result, I’m not going to tackle that topic. Instead, I’d like to talk about plot devices that, when in operation at a level of generality above specific mood elements, set the stage for creating a truly horrific RPG.

When asked about the difference between writing and editing within the industry in this interview, Michelle Lyons stated:

Editing for a game is… nitpicky. When you’re writing, you have to get ideas down and make sure the core creative push behind the work is solid. You want to get the mechanical end right as well, but you have to make sure the creative foundation is solid. As an editor, you have to make sure the rest of the construction is to code, basically. You have to make sure rules are stated clearly (and mesh with the rest of the system), you have to make sure that presentation is consistent, you have to make sure all the numbers add up, and on top of that, you have to make sure that the text is solid in style and execution, accessible to the reader, and preferably not something the author won’t recognize or wince at when he or she looks at the final book.

From learning about Michelle’s first experiences in the gaming industry, to reading about her thoughts on where the industry is headed, read this in-depth interview for writer, editor, and game designer Michelle Lyons.

How did you get into gaming? Totally accidentally. Some jocks and preps and I were wandering the halls of our high school, looking for less popular kids to oppress. We found some nerds in the hallway, squatting on the floor and playing D&D. We kicked their asses, and they left their books behind when they […]

In this interview Toren tells us about his work as an artist on several RPGs and gives us the scoop on his band, Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.

From artists and authors to RPG line developers, Flames Rising specializes in bringing you interviews with professionals from all aspects of the fiction, gaming industry and beyond. Our mission has been to interview both creative professionals that are top names within the entire entertainment industry, as well as and up-and-coming people to watch for as they embark on their horror-ific career. We invite you to read these interviews to learn more about these talented folk, and are happy to entertain suggestions for new people to interview.

Our Interviews are listed in chronological order, with the most recent Interviews at the top (click on the “Read more…” link just below this paragraph). For an alternative means of navigation, feel free to take advantage of the search box on the left or use the Tag Cloud to find what you’re hunting for.

On the surface it’s pretty interesting. Thirteen novels, each exploring one of the clans in detail. A few plotlines streaming from book to book, some great characters – hell this could have been something really special. Heck, the Dark Ages clan novel series is everything this series should have been. Each novel features an in-depth exploration into a different clan, along with well-written characters. And while there are plots that go from book to book and connect the series, each book stands on its own.

Give me the brain, my pants are on fire! Your pants burning up is just one of the many reasons why you, a fast-food zombie worker, need a brain. Sadly enough, there is only one brain for you and your three to eight friends to share. The “brain”, represented by a six-sided die, can get tossed around faster than yesterday’s side salad.

The plot of this game revolves around a pretty little English schoolgirl named Alyssa. During a stay at boarding school she receives an unsettling message from her mother, which prompts her to run home only to discover a creepy old man and a challenging destiny. Alyssa soon finds herself traveling through different decades in time to solve various mysteries, confront deranged serial killers, and eventually discover the truth behind her family’s unique history.

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Available at Noble Knight Games

The Orion Corporation had only good intentions. However, when it sent the relays into the wastelands to explore and record the hostile territories, unspeakable horrors were uncovered and legendary secrets revealed…

Legends: the Orion Project is a supplement fiction to Obsidian: Age of Judgment. It introduces several new characters, as well as showing ways to have characters be multiple Ethos. Further then character information, they also have several new Daemon types, abilities, and convocations, new Mystic Rituals, and Kultist Convokations and weapons. The story itself is the first of a promised series of supplements about the Orion Corporation and of Callarius Montague, a Spiritual Essence Kultist.

Available at Lulu.com Conspiracy of Shadows Written by Keith Senkowski How far are you willing to go to learn the truth? Combining elements of horror and fantasy, Conspiracy of Shadows is a game with a lot of possibility. It delves deep into a medieval world full of intrigue, corruption and mystery. This medieval world is […]

Starring: Fountain Yount, William Sanderson, Kurt Hargan, Marco St. John, Rachel Mellendorf, Rick Dial and Tom Savini. Directed/Written by: Barret J. Leigh and Thom Maurer,. Based on original short story by: H.P. Lovecraft., Music Composed by: Kaveh Cohen. Columbia Picture, 2004, 84 min. Rated R., Reviewed by Jeff Jacobs

As an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” is riveting horror film, filled with a deep, dark emphasis of mystery. The film emphasizes on early 20th century psychiatric research, combined with inexplicable evidence of the occult.

Talon tells us about his work on Ravenloft and Scarred Lands for Sword & Sorcery Studios in this interview. We also talk shop about art and professionalism in the industry.

Waking up Screaming is an anthology of tales written by H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft today is considered to be the father of modern horror. Before picking up the work, I read some accounts of his background through the Flames Rising links. Entranced with the trappings of a colonial life, Lovecraft lived in the early 1900s casting out all things modern. He frequently wore older styles of clothing, and made his home in Providence. Upon his death, his work was posthumously published by two of his friends. Lovecraft enjoyed some success during his lifetime, however, it wasn’t until World War II that his work gained in popularity.

Chaos Bleeds is a story based on the second Buffy computer game, written by Christopher Golden and Thomas J. Sniegoski. Buffy fans will recognize the telltale attributes of the Buffy universe in this book, written by James A. Moore.

Hands down, this book is the best gaming fiction I’ve read in a long time. Moore brilliantly use third person narration to accurately depict the Chaos Bleeds’ team of Xander, Willow, Spike, Anya, Faith and Buffy. While the combat was hard to follow due to the fast pace of the book, the material reads well. So well in fact, that you quickly lose yourself in the story.

This is one of the prettiest and best written game books I’ve ever had the pleasure to come across. The book is full-color, and chock full of pictures and quotes from the series. What truly makes the book stand out is the writing style. CJ Carella and his crew have written something that looks less like a rulebook, and more like a transcript of someone talking about the TV show, and how a game system for Buffy would work if he could just design one. The book is almost as funny and irreverent as the show it draws from, making this book an easy read.

The structure of the book is surprising, in that the prose is heavily footnoted. Told from a vampiric scholar’s point of view, the research for the book is both entertaining and curious. One can almost feel Aristotle’s frustration as he cross-references words from crumbling parchments. One can also hear the voices of the ancients, as they live again through prophetic parables and historic prose. The footnotes are written in character and contain curious references to other characters in the game. This adds to the potential for the book to be used as a prop or a mood-setting item.

To play within the Zone, players must first understand the design of the setting. Inside the Zone does a great job of describing its highly efficient structure. But the book does more than describe its physical setting. Layers of religions, Kults and politics intertwine with one another throughout the book. It is almost as if you are a god watching the inner workings of Zone society. The book is a must-read for anyone who wishes to play in the Zone.

Are you a fan of “teen-slasher” movies such as Scream or Nightmare on Elm Street? Or are you more partial to flicks with psycho doll killers or strange trees hunting you at a cabin in the woods? Looking for a quick game with little to no rules and ridiculously fun? Enough with the questions and let’s get to the meat of the topic: Squeam 3.

Review by Jeff Jacobs

So in my opinion “Dark Ages: Tremere” is a brilliant book full of surprises with only a handful of boring pages. A great way to approach the Tremere. Absolutely recommendable, maybe the best of the Dark Ages Clan Novels.