Empty Rooms: Architecture and Horror Panel
A perfect video to kick off #dungeon23 (with an annotated companion)
As I prepare to start my own #dungeon23 project (The Below) as well as work on the manuscript for The Bureau follow-up with Josh Domanski, I can’t help but continue to think about a panel I was on this year.
Over the summer I was able to be a part of a talk focusing on architecture, spaces, and its role in horror and dungeon design. Given that many are starting their #dungeon23 projects today I felt like it was worth a revisit.
This panel involved
Goblin Archives (writer of this very substack!) - LIMINAL HORROR
Sean McCoy (
& originator of #dungeon23) - MothershipStella Joy (
) - Rimbound TransmissionLogan Dean (Mega_corp) - The Company
Throughout the talk we discuss how spaces inform narrative and play, especially empty rooms. We start with dungeons and expand to all of the different spaces in ttrpgs that can act as a dungeon (regardless of the setting).
EMPTY ROOMS ANNOTATED GUIDE:
Throughout the talk we referenced countless books, games, shows, films, and other media. Sticking on brand I decided I had to create an annotated companion to the talk, gathering all the referenced bits and pieces that went in to informing our ideas around architecture in rpgs.
Pre-panel shooting the shit:
(0:00) Yoshi's Woolly World (2015) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshi%27s_Woolly_World
(0:17) Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario:_The_Origami_King
(0:23) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario:_The_Thousand-Year_Door
(0:44) Yoda (1980 -2017) is a goblin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario:_The_Thousand-Year_Door
(1:09) Yoda needs a professor x chair (this happens in the prequels…Luke is the chair now).
(3:20) Goblin Archives intro:
Liminal Horror: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/liminal-horror-pdf?_pos=1&_sid=0237194f0&_ss=r
The Mall: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/the-mall?_pos=1&_sid=c99daf330&_ss=r
The Bureau (co-written by Josh Domanski): https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/the-bureau?_pos=1&_sid=a25f54cab&_ss=r
(3:37) Stella Mothership pamphlet series
Rimbound Transmission: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/rimbound-transmission?_pos=1&_sid=d017b8d74&_ss=r
(3:51) Logan Dean:
The Company: https://mega-corp.itch.io/the-company
Extraction from Demon Fucked Cleveland in 1996: https://mega-corp.itch.io/efdfc1996
Resident Evil (1996-present): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil
Chernobyl (2019 miniseries) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_(miniseries)
(4:23) Mothership Discord Server: https://www.mothershiprpg.com/community
(4:32) Sean McCoy:
Mothership: https://www.mothershiprpg.com/
Two Rooms & A Boom: https://shop.tuesdayknightgames.com/products/two-rooms-and-a-boom-1?variant=39396726407257
Alan Gerding as Tuesday Night Games: https://shop.tuesdayknightgames.com/
(5:28) Sean: Moldvay’s Basic Dungeons & Dragons (1981) stocking procedure for a room in a dungeon (including empty rooms) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Basic_Set#1981_revision
(15:54) Horror as introduction to new players:
The Company: https://mega-corp.itch.io/the-company
The Bureau: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/the-bureau?_pos=1&_sid=a25f54cab&_ss=r
Mothership: https://www.mothershiprpg.com/
Call of Cthulhu (1981) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Cthulhu_(role-playing_game)
Delta Green (1997)( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Green
(17:15) The Lloyd Center (1960-present??? Portland, OR) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Center
(18:10) Gradient Descent (mothership megadungeon module) https://www.mothershiprpg.com/gradient-descent
(19:24) Hostile Architecture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile_architecture
(23:16) Outlet Mall Special Ops - YouTube by Connor O’Malley
(26:26) Minotaur & The Labyrinth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minotaur
(26:32) House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (2000) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Leaves
(27:33) SPCA Society for Prevention of Cruelty - robot to harass homeless in their parking lot https://boingboing.net/2017/12/14/bbq-sauce-countermeasure.html#:~:text=The%20San%20Francisco%20Society%20for,would%20prevent%20car%20break%2Dins.
(30:11) Chernobyl (2019 miniseries) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_(miniseries)l
(30:18) Gundam (1979) Colony Drop: https://evil.fandom.com/wiki/Colony_Drops#:~:text=Colony%20Drops%20were%20a%20military,intention%20of%20causing%20massive%20damage.
(31:17) The Office (tv series 2005-2013) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office_(American_TV_series)
(31:29) Apollo 13 (1995 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13_(film)
(31:40) Severance (2022 TV series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severance_(TV_series)
(31:46) Brutalist Architecture of Bertrand Goldberg (1913-1997) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Goldberg
(31:59) The Shining (1980 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)
(33:19) Art Institute of Chicago (1893-present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Institute_of_Chicago
(34:10) Eurydice (adventure on page 6-20 of The Company: Management Manual) https://mega-corp.itch.io/the-company
(34:40) Day of the Dead (1985 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead_(1985_film)
(40:30) Myst (1993 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst
(40:32) Riven (1997 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riven
(44:55) Opening up to Q&A
(51:55) Writing & Designing Non-Cthulhu Horror | Virtual Horror Con 2022 with Logan, Goblin, Evlyn Moreau Noora of Monkey’s Paw Games
(52:22) In The Mouth of Madness (1994 film) by John Carpenter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Mouth_of_Madness - lady at the inn
(52:46) Evlyn Moreau: the npc wants to befriend the characters and “at some point it leads to them befriending you and now they want you to murder someone”
(55:22) Antagonist who only uses honorifics - Regina Alexander from Rimbound Transmission 6: REDSCREEN by Stella Joy https://500poundsofnothing.itch.io/rb6-red-screen
(57:43) Sean, when talking about NPCs that have found a way to survive/thrive/exist in a way that is not normally acceptable
Sean was thinking about the androids making their way throughout the depths of Gradient Descent.
My thoughts drifted to the survivors on Moon Colony Bloodbath in Dead Planet (pg. 14-29)
(58:30) Haunted School/School Ghost Stories (1995 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Ghost_Stories
(58:59) Messiah of Evil (1973 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_of_Evil
(59:11) The Company: Conflict Resolution Guidelines pg 34-39 (Dollie Extraction from The Hall of Mirrors cruise ships) https://mega-corp.itch.io/the-company-conflict-resolution-guidelines
(59:34) J.G. Ballard (writer 1930-2009) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Ballard
(59:57) Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019 book) by Robert Mcfarlane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underland_(book)
(1:00:25) Catacombs of Paris (established 1810, approximately 2,000 acres)
(1:00:47) Aku-Aku: the Secret of Easter Island (1957 book) by Thor Heyerdah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aku-Aku
(1:01:13) Veins of the Earth (2017) by Patrick Stuart
(1:01:50) Indianapolis (1821) - the horror location Stella wants to explore - a city designed for conventions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis
(1:05:15) 05/12/2009 first post about the Backrooms (which popularized liminal spaces for dullards according to Stella) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Backrooms
(1:05:32) SCP-3008 (5/4/17) being trapped in an infinite ikea. https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008
(1:05:59) 2014’s NaissanceE (2014 game on steam) https://store.steampowered.com/app/265690/NaissanceE/
(1:07:26) Thule Station in The Thing (1982 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(1982_film)
(1:07:46) The hospital from The Void (2016 film) by Astron 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Void_(2016_film)
(1:08:06) Evil Dead 1 & 2 - bridge is up, cabin in the woods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evil_Dead
(1:08:36) Summer Camp = masks and michettes (Friday the 13th franchise & Fear Street 1978) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_Street_Part_Two:_1978 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(franchise)
(1:08:41) Metal Gear Solid 1 (1998 videogame) -Shadow Moses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_(1998_video_game)
(1:08:52) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) - Big Shell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_2:_Sons_of_Liberty
(1:09:00) Hideo Kojima (1963-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Kojima
(1:09:11) Fat Man - Metal Gear Solid 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metal_Gear_characters#Fatman
(1:09:18) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3:_Snake_Eater
(1:10:08) Psycho Mantis fight MGS1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metal_Gear_characters#Psycho_Mantis
(1:10:12) Vulcan Raven MGS1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metal_Gear_characters#Vulcan_Raven
(1:10:47) Death Stranding (2019 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Stranding
(12:12:34) Megadungeon fiction
(12:12:34) Blame! (1997-2003 manga) by Tsutomu Nihei https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blame!
(1:12:37) Piranesi (2020 book) by Suzanna Clark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranesi_(novel)
(1:12:57) Labyrinths (1962 short story collection) JOrge Luis Borges https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinths
(1:12:59) The Strange Library (1983 novella) by Haruki Murakami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strange_Library
(1:13:04) A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (1977 book) on architecture, urban design, and community livability. By Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pattern_Language
(1:13:49) Legend of Grimrock (videogame) http://www.grimrock.net/
(1:14:09) Amnesia Dark Descent (2010 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia:_The_Dark_Descent
(1:14:14) THe Kingdom (1994 miniseries) by Lars von Trier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingdom_(miniseries)
(1:14:20) Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital (2004 miniseries) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hospital
(1:14:27) 0_abyssalSomewhere (2018 videogame) https://nonoise.itch.io/abyssalsomewhere
(1:14:51) Petscop (2017 - 2020 youtube series) https://www.youtube.com/petscop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petscop
(1:15:52) My House Walkthrough (12:00 minute video)
(1:15:55) PT (2014 videogame playable teaser) by Hideo Kojima https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.T._(video_game)
(1:15:57) ANATOMY: Every house is haunted (2016 videogame) https://kittyhorrorshow.itch.io/anatomy
(1:16:13) Brian Evanson 2016 short story collectionCollapse of Horses (big inspiration for Mothership is the story “The Dust”) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Evenson
(1:16:36) Castlevania Symphony of the Night (1997 videogame) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlevania:_Symphony_of_the_Night
(1:17:10) Song for the unraveling of the World (2019 short story collection) by Brian Evenson https://coffeehousepress.org/products/song-for-the-unraveling-of-the-world
(1:17:16) The Fisherman (2016 book) by John Langan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fisherman_(novel)
(1:17:25) Laird Barron (writer 1970-present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laird_Barron
(1:17:15) Small press fiction...go buy now
Filthy Loot @FilthyLoot
Weird Punk @WeirdpunkBooks
https://www.weirdpunkbooks.com/
Word Horde @WordHorde
Apocalypse Party @apocpartypress
https://www.apocalypse-party.com/
(1:19:22) Thomas Ligotti (writer 1953-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ligotti
(1:20:48) The Black Tower (1987 short film) by John Smith
(1:21:27) Curse of Strahd (a 2016 module for D&D 5e) - Gadof Blinsky the toy maker
(1:23:21) Mother (videogame series known as EarthBound) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_(video_game_series)
(1:23:52) Electric Bastionland (2020 ttrpg) by Bastionland Press https://chrismcdee.itch.io/electric-bastionland
(1:26:01) “Your Heart’s Is a Big Tent” by Willie Carlile