Empty Rooms | Architecture and Horror Panel Sunday at 10am Ef Con 22
A few weekends ago I was able to get together with a few other designers and talk about architecutre in horror and how it comes into play in our game design and facilitation. It was for Exalted Funeral Con 2022 and I'm super proud of it.
Empty Rooms | Architecture and Horror Panel Sunday at 10am Ef Con 22 - YouTube
If you are interested in horror, architecture, or just seeing designers chat, I really recommend it. It's an hour and a half long and features:
Stelly Joy (Rimbound Transmission)
Logan Dean (The Company & Extraction From Demon-Fucked Cleveland 1996)
Sean McCoy (Mothership)
Goblin Archives (Liminal Horror)
I made a massive annotated twitter thread that includes everything referenced in the talk (with visuals and links!)
https://twitter.com/goblin_archives/status/1552092873243250688?s=20&t=hcu0ur2MEfcdxJH4R-X1pw
If you don't do the twitters... here's a massive list of it all:
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLyGVJAT02A&ab_channel=ConnerO%27Malley
(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
(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 (will post in August to Gehenna Gaming - YouTube) 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) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWXnt2Z2D1E&ab_channel=nana825763
(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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw6exAfUWMI&ab_channel=GrayFlowers
(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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GciSS_c2yxs&ab_channel=ASongCatcher
If you made it this far:
I'm currently gearing up to start the Liminal Horror Jam in September, write more appendices, and start writing my first entry into the Field Guide to Doom: Bayocean.