Note: If you have never heard of Jenga before, this 1980’s video includes a rap that describes the gameplay in a brisk and catchy thirty seconds.
I love the horror RPG Dread. It won a Gold ENnie in 2006 for Innovation, and it still feels fresh today even though its award-winning innovation was stolen from another game!
The key resolution mechanic in Dread has players pulling blocks from a Jenga tower to accomplish actions they would otherwise roll for in your “dice” RPGs. If the tower tumbles, the player dies. And If that sounds simple, it’s because it is, and therein lies the genius. Pulling blocks in Dread starts pretty easy, but as the game goes on, the tension quickly escalates.
In Shadowdark, a constant source of tension is the torch timer. At my home games, I run my torch timers for 60 - 1d12 minutes (con games are 30 + 1d6 to get people a bit more of a taste). This is a great system when my phone alarm goes off and bad stuff happens.
What the torch timer is missing though is the feeling of building tension. Because we feel the passage of time naturally (circadian rhythm maybe?), players sort of know the torch is about to go out.
When you’re playing a game of Jenga, at some point you realize that the next pull might be the pull, the one that knocks the tower down. Sometimes it is the next pull. Sometimes it’s the one after that. Sometimes it’s 20 pulls a half hour later. Dread really shines during that wide gap between thinking you’re close and the tower actually falling. Each pull the tension gets turned up. The higher the tower goes, the higher the tension builds.
Tension cranks up even more during each pull. It’s not uncommon for my groups at the table to cheer after an especially difficult pull. We want to cheer because we just NEED to release that tension before it starts building again. This is the building tension that doesn’t come with using a torch timer.
However, you CAN add this tension to a game of Shadowdark! Just grab your nearest Jenga tower and follow these rules:
- When a light source is lit, the GM reveals the tower and removes blocks roughly evenly from throughout the tower. These are set aside
For one hour timers, pull 3d6 blocks
For timers less than an hour, pull 8d6 blocks
If the tower tumbles on the GM in this phase, just try again and don’t be a derp on the new try
At the beginning of each player’s turn, the player pulls 1 block and places it atop the tower
- When the light is put in danger, the GM calls on players to pull additional blocks
1 Pull - The torch is passed between characters, a stiff breeze kicks up, the light source is otherwise mishandled
1d4 Pulls - The torch is dropped or similar
3d6 pulls - The flame is very nearly snuffed (or maybe it is!)
When the tower is toppled, the torch goes out!
- If a player tries relighting a torch in the dark, instead of a check, the GM sets up the tower as before and the player closes their eyes
- The sightless player pulls and places atop the tower a number of blocks equal to 1d4 plus the inverse of their character’s dexterity modifier (minimum 1). E.g., The player rolls a 4. If their modifier is +2, they pull twice. If their modifier is -2, they pull six times.
If the player is successful, the torch is lit and gameplay carries on
If the sightless player fails this attempt, not only does the torch NOT light, but a random encounter is triggered, too!
Of course, these numbers can all be tweaked to your liking. If you want players to pull twice a turn, or make them pull DEX mod - 2d4 pulls to light in the dark, be my guest!
No matter the tweaks you make, if you use this at your table, please let me know how it goes!
As for Dread, if you haven’t tried it, you can check out the quickstart guide here, or the full book (in PDF or print) which includes rules for building scenarios and the like.
If you need a Jenga tower, spend an extra seven dollars to get the name brand version. I know it’s owned by Hasbro, but according to the game’s creator, Leslie Scott, some blocks are shaved to slightly different sizes to make some harder and some easier to pull out. Plus, most off-brands I’ve seen have 48 instead of 54 blocks.
And since Christmas is almost here, why not get someone a Jenga set of their own along with copies of Dread and Shadowdark?
Until our next adventure, stay inspired and keep those dice rolling!
Michael Putlack
Night Noon Games
