Sleepaway is a horror indie role-playing game by Jay Dragon about teenage counselors at a summer camp trying to protect misfit campers from a monster called the Lindworm that takes on the form of its victims.[1][2] It has themes of trauma, LGBTQ community support, and non-binary gender exploration.[3][4] Sleepaway was inspired by slasher films[5] and the Belonging Outside Belonging game system by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum.[6][7]
 | |
| Designers | Jay Dragon |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Possum Creek Games |
| Publication | 2019 |
| Genres | tabletop role-playing game, horror |
| Systems | Belonging Outside Belonging |
Sleepaway was published by Possum Creek Games in 2019 after raising $14,407 on Kickstarter.[8] It won a Spotlight Award at the 2020 ENNIE Awards[9] and was nominated for Indie Game Developer Network awards for "Game of the Year" and "Most Innovative."[10]
Gameplay
editSleepaway is a rules-light storytelling game that does not use dice like traditional tabletop role-playing games.[5] Instead, it uses a deck of cards with narrative prompts, a token system, weak and strong moves, and a series of rituals. The story is arranged in a three-act structure.[1][2]
Character creation is based on emotional archetypes and jobs at the summer camp.[11]
Themes
editOne main theme of Sleepaway is how queer communities help each other deal with trauma.[12] In the setting, the summer camp is supposed to be "a refuge for marginalized and alienated youths."[13] The camp counselor player characters also went to this camp as children and experienced horrors in the woods just outside, which motivates them to protect their campers from enduring the same trauma.[14]
Another theme is a creative approach to gender identity and expression. Instead of choosing a typical gender like male or female, players create custom genders for their characters by combining two words from a table, an adjective and a noun.[3] This results in "gender options such as 'a rusted blade' and 'freight train'", encouraging players to think about characterization in new ways.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b Dornbrock, Devin (2023-03-28). "10 Best Horror TTRPGs". High Ground Gaming. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b Norman, Dalton (2022-10-08). "10 Best And Scariest TTRPGs Perfect For Halloween". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b Mello-Klein, Cody; University, Northeastern. "Queer tabletop roleplaying games provide valuable lessons that even 'Dungeons & Dragons' can learn from". phys.org. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b Viney, Alex (2021-11-03). "Playing only trans characters in tabletop RPGs helped me understand myself". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ a b Meehan, Alex (2020-08-05). "Wanderhome is a relaxing animal RPG inspired by Redwall, Studio Ghibli and the Moomins". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Kobek, Patricio (2020-10-08). "Brennan Lee Mulligan From Dimension 20 Wants You To Play These Indie Tabletop Games Right Now". TheGamer. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ "From Wanderhome RPG to Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast on Indiegogo, We Talk to Jay Dragon of Possum Creek Games". Tabletop Gaming. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Elderkin, Beth (2019-06-11). "Pennywise Floats, UK Games Expo Kicks Out a Bad GM, and More Tabletop News". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ "2020 Nominees and Winners – ENNIE Awards". Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ "Indie Groundbreakers Awards". Indie Game Developer Network. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Kobek, Patricio (2020-10-08). "Brennan Lee Mulligan From Dimension 20 Wants You To Play These Indie Tabletop Games Right Now". TheGamer. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Sridharan, Keerthi (2022-09-12). "Tabletop designers are making players cry, and working to keep them safe". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Lowthian, Declan (2022-02-08). "Top 10 TTRPGs For Horror Fans". CBR. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
- ^ Krum, Rebekah (2023-06-20). "10 Best TTRPGS To Play Outdoors". CBR. Retrieved 2024-10-11.