About this game

You are with a band of survivors who have held up on a cruise ship called The Flamingo after seeing the world go dark, your supplies are dwindling and no help is coming.

Rating: R – Meant for adults.

Content Warning: This scenario will contain themes of death, violence, blood, and gothic horror. There may be elements of body horror as well.

Safety: We’ll discuss lines and veils before the session begins

Suitable for new players: Yes

Pregenerated characters available: Players will create their characters at the table.

Ten Candles is a zero-prep tabletop storytelling game designed for one-shot 2-4 hour sessions of tragic horror. It is best played with one GM and 3-5 players, by the light of ten tea light candles which provide atmosphere and act as a countdown timer for the game. Ten Candles is described as a “tragic horror” game rather than survival horror for one main reason: in Ten Candles there are no survivors. In the final scene of the game, when only one candle remains, all of the characters will die. In this, Ten Candles is not a game about “winning” or beating the monsters. Instead, it is a game about what happens in the dark, and about those who try to survive within it. It is a game about being pushed to the brink of madness and despair, searching for hope in a hopeless world, and trying to do something meaningful with your final few hours left.

Ten days ago something, or someone, blotted out the sky. Now no stars can be seen, all communication with satellites has been lost, and the sun no longer lights up the sky. Five days after this anomaly occurred, They came. No one knows exactly who or what They are, but two very important things are clear.

They fear the light.

They’re coming for you.

You are part of a band of survivors who have held up on The Flamingo, a large oceanic cruise liner, waiting to hear that everything is alright. But nobody has contacted you in 5 days and your supplies are dwindling…