What Is It That Lies Beyond The Immenseness of the Dark?

“The game's atmosphere really clicked to me when I thought of it like Bloody Mary, conjuring the horror that will lead to your downfall. When starting the game, the Horror and the atmosphere is very broad, and for good reason -- it gives a lot of room for the players to draw from their location and experiences. I think that's a big selling point for the game -- it's flexible and lightweight. It adapts to a lot of scenarios. It's quick to learn and play. It encourages people to get together, explore, and play.”
- Mya Shishido, playtester

An innovative storytelling cooperative experience

What Is It That Lies Beyond The Immenseness of the Dark? is a collaborative storytelling card game for 2 or more players in which you use cards and a coin to create a Horror inhabiting the area you are playing in in the real world. A serial killer, swarm of monsters, master manipulator, or eldritch creature, as well as its myth or urban legend, will come to life in 30 mins - 1.5 hours.

Location-based

The game encourages the players to find a mysterious or eerie place to play in, such as the nearby park with the dead tree struck by lightning, the spooky abandoned manor everyone in town talks about, or near the endless sea in the coastline. The location you play in influences your choices during the creation of the Horror as you take inspiration from your surroundings when answering the prompts that shape the entity. 

Designed with Portability in Mind

Since this game is intended to be played outside, it relies on just the deck of cards and two other things everyone usually has at hand: a coin and a cellphone. This allows the players to easily bring the game to exotic locations, rooftop parties with friends, a campfire, your own attic, or anywhere you can think of.

Easy to play

The game is played by repeating 5 steps until the game ends:

1. Chanting. All players chant together, “What is it that lies beyond the immenseness of the dark?”. Try to coordinate as much as you possibly can.
2. The player with the deck reveals the top card.
3. Flip a coin and choose your question. Flip the coin and read aloud the question on the card that corresponds to the coin result. Answer it yourself or brainstorm a response with the other players. The player with the deck has final say.
4. Discard the card
5. Pass the deck and coin to the next player 

Solo Play

The game was designed to be played in a group, but after talking with several people and trying it out myself, I've come to find that one can definitely play it solo, getting fantastic results out of it. Excellent if you are looking to create imaginative new monsters for other TTRPGs you are running, or if you are writing horror stories.

Available in Spanish!

As a native Spanish speaker, I want my game to reach as many people as possible. For this very reason, I decided to create a second version of the game 100% translated.

“If you have ever wanted to create your own monsters or urban legends, this game will be for you.”

- Santa, from Roleplaying as Smart People