Fear of the Unknown is a zero prep horror mystery game designed for one-shots and inspired by horror movies, from slasher flicks to possession films to conspiracy thrillers

Solve mysteries, face perils, encounter horrors, and see how that changes you as a person.


Together, one Oracle and one or more other players will collaboratively create the small town setting and populate it with a diverse and contentious cast of characters. Each player creates their protagonist, and then the Oracle creates a horrifying mystery for them to solve. Every game has a real mystery to solve with a real secret to uncover, with zero prep required!

Fear of the Unknown introduces the Seeking the Unknown system, which focuses on leading questions that help you create a world, characters, and story with no preparation, and lasting changes to your character with every decision you make and every time you roll the dice. It also has advice for how to make your own Seeking the Unknown game.

To get a taste of what awaits you, check out the free quickstart rules, which contain everything you need to play, but without the GM tools. To change up your game even further, check out the first collection of themebooks, and the charity zine Killing for a Cause issue 1: Bloodsuckers, which is Pay What You Want and all the proceeds go to support the Against Malaria Foundation.


"This design is beautifully quirky and brilliant. Intensely clever." - Sean Patrick Fannon, author of The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible, Savage RIFTS, and Prowlers and Paragons

"A clever campfire tales type of game that returns imagination and group storybuilding back into the genre. Be prepared for sleepless nights!" - Brian Patrick O'Toole, screenwriter of Evilution and Basement Jack

"My new favorite RPG. The most fun I've had worldbuilding for a game, and the easiest, most satisfying way to run a mystery I've found." - Howard Frieze, superfan

"The mechanics work really quite well. I did enjoy that." - Scott Dorward, writer for Chaosium

"I want to briefly praise the GM tools in this game... there's some great resources in there... I think it makes it a really solid Powered by the Apocalypse game that has plenty of guidance for a Game Master." - Lexi, The Gaming Table

"I dreamt someone imprisoned me and a bunch of other people and made us play death games before forcing us to play this." - James Avery, superfan