Osprey Hopes You Find Those Dark Places Stuffed In Your Stocking

 

Renowned military history publisher Osprey has selected Jonathan Hicks's recently published Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying as one of its Seven Stocking Stuffers From Osprey Games this year. 

The list describes the new game as:

"... a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game about the darker side of space exploration and the people who travel the stars in claustrophobic, dangerous conditions. Starships, stations, and outposts aren't havens of safety with clean, brightly lit corridors - they're potential deathtraps, funded by budget-conscious corporate interests and running on stale, recycled air and water. The stars may be the future of humanity, but they are also home to horrors and terror the human mind cannot comprehend."

Jonathan Hicks Takes A Look At His Forthcoming RPG: Those Dark Places

Author Jonathan Hicks Runs An Online Game of Those Dark Places

As the release of Osprey's latest roleplaying game, Those Dark Places, draws ever closer, creator Jonathan Hicks runs an online one-shot for members of Garblag Games.

Osprey Games' Official Announcement For Release Of Those Dark Places

Osprey Games released the following press release today:

Osprey Games is delighted to announce that in November 2020 we will be publishing Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying by Jonathan Hicks, with illustrations by Nathan Anderson.

Inspired by the aesthetic of iconic science-fiction thrillers such as Ridley Scott’s Alien and the Dead Space video games, this highly thematic RPG thrusts players into deep space; a grim, dark, claustrophobic setting that constantly hints at danger.

A sleek ruleset keeps players focused on the story as they venture into shadowy corners of space that no-one has ever explored and face the unknown.

“I've written various articles, reviews, and interviews for the RPG industry for more than a decade, so of course I jumped at the chance to write a full game about my favourite genre,” commented author Jonathan Hicks, “I've always leaned towards rules-light systems so that the story takes precedence and the atmosphere is allowed to flourish. With Those Dark Places I hope gaming groups can take the simple rules and the evocative setting, run with it, and create their own stories of horrors in the stars... whether real or imagined. With Nathan Anderson's wonderful artwork and Osprey Games' excellent production values, I'm excited to see this come alive!”

Senior Games Developer, Filip Falk Hartelius, added that “Those Dark Places is a game dripping with atmosphere, capturing the frailty of human existence amidst the uncaring vastness of spaces. Whether you are deep in the political intrigues of a dystopian future or facing terrifying cosmic horror, Those Dark Places is constantly gripping, tense, and transporting.”

Those Dark Places is a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game about the darker side of space exploration and the people who travel the stars in claustrophobic, dangerous conditions. Starships, stations, and outposts aren't havens of safety with clean, brightly lit corridors – they're potential deathtraps, funded by budget-conscious corporate interests and running on stale, recycled air and water. The stars may be the future of humanity, but they are also home to horrors and terror the human mind cannot comprehend.

More Thoughts On Those Dark Places

This week, author Jonathan Hicks shared some more thoughts on his upcoming Those Dark Places RPG, and the influence of Outland and Alien on its aesthetic.

Jonathan Hicks Pods His Love Of Alien

In this week's episode (episode four) of The Farsight Podcast, author Jonathan Hicks discusses his love for Alien, how its aesthetic has influenced his gaming as well as his upcoming Those Dark Places (and his appreciation of Free League's Alien RPG).

You can find the podcast episode here via Anchor or through your podcatcher of choice.

More Information On Forthcoming "Industrial Sci-Fi", Those Dark Places

This week author Jonathan Hicks shared some pre-release thoughts on his upcoming "industrial science fiction" RPG, Those Dark Places, on his blog.

Before  going on to introduce the simple rules engine that drives the game, he set the scene as follows:

"It's my first fully finished RPG game and it's a dark scifi setting, and while it's inspired by movies such as Alien, Dark Star and Outland it takes inspiration more from the aesthetic rather than the content; so, no aliens or monsters or cosmic entities, they only exist in the minds of those who can't handle the pressures of working in deep space.

Or perhaps they don't."

He refers to his central d6 rules mechanic as the "ODDS System - One Die Determines Success", adding that it is not actually referred to as that in the book.

To find out more about the game, which is due for release in November, check out Jonathan's blog, , Farsight Blogger

Those Dark Places

Space is a hell of a thing but you need to be sure that this is what you want. Like, what you really want.

The idea of space exploration to further the frontiers of mankind is noble, but let's not kid ourselves - it's really all about furthering the profit margins.

There's money to be made and out there is the place to make it, but you hear all kinds of stories: equipment malfunctions, strange discoveries, crewmembers going insane...

You'll be out there in the reaches, alone, for months or years, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water, with nothing but a few feet of metal and shielding between you and certain death.

Are you sure this is what you want?

- Crew Orientation Briefing

Those Dark Places is a new "industrial science fiction roleplaying" game, coming from Osprey this November and written by a big fan of the Aliens franchise who happens to share a surname with one of its main protagonists: Jonathan Hicks.

Due for release on November 26 in the UK, the game is described as "a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game about the darker side of space exploration and the people who travel the stars in claustrophobic, dangerous conditions".

The atmospheric description goes on:

"Starships, stations, and outposts aren't havens of safety with clean, brightly lit corridors - they're potential deathtraps, funded by budget-conscious corporate interests and running on stale, recycled air and water. The stars may be the future of humanity, but they are also home to horrors and terror the human mind cannot comprehend."

Author Jonathan Hicks blogs at Farsight Blogger and has recently launched his own podcast.

You can find some of his other gaming material here at DriveThruRPG.

As you may have guessed I've already pre-ordered my copy of Those Dark Places from Amazon.