satanic mills
Satanic Mills: a horror game of alienated labor
excerpt- “An inhuman power hums in the shuttles and valves of a 19th century English factory town. An alien power that lies congealed in the cloth and steel manufactured there. A hostile power that twists bone, robs children of their youth, and turns neighbors against neighbors. It is more terrifying than any unholy spirit, slithering lifeform or doomsday device because this horror is real, grounded in social relations. It is alienation and it is generated anew each shift as men, women, and children toil at the machines.”
I wrote this game for a design contest to create a very short role-playing game on the theme of ‘technological horror.’ If you have ever tried most rpgs, this game will seem different. No dice, no winning strategies. It consists of a series of scenes in which the characters become more alienated. When I tried it with some friends, the trajectory of the characters’ lives were so hopeless that the game experience swung around 180 back to fun, if that makes any sense. We also identified some rules changes, which are included in this version. Try it if you have an hour or so. I welcome comments on the clarity of the rules and examples, what is engaging (or not) about the game itself, and any suggestions for improving it. If you have any questions about it, email me at markvalli at gmail.com
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