Thread by @FWesSchneider

Still thinking about the shitwit at @amandahamon, @HBS_Kiva, & @jaymgates's Horror in Gaming panel who suggested that the "Integrity of the"—*fucking*—"Game" trump concerns about consent.

They rightly shut THAT NONSENSE down.

"The Integrity of the Game." What ridiculousness is that?

And I'm saying that as someone who, like the professionals above, relies on games to eat.

Games are frickin' games—and I'm absolutely there among the chorus singing that games can be art, can be powerful and moving experiences, can have huge impacts on our lives.

But the idea that the "integrity of the game" take precedence over people feeling safe, over exposing and reliving horrible experiences, over *having fun* (specifically, the sort they sat down at the table for), that's a concept that needs to shuffle right back to the sewer.

I am not the least bit sorry to tell you that your home RPG is NEVER going to win a Grim-Dark Oscar.

Scary RPGs can be scary. Scary RPGs can touch on all sorts of dark, messed-up experiences. But EVERYONE at the table needs to understand what they're getting into and be there for that.

It's a Game Master's responsibility to let their players know what sort of game experience they'll be presenting. Using film ratings presents an easy (yet imperfect) shorthand for this.

And many of us never venture out of PG-13 and R territory—Hammer Horror stuff.

It's those Game Masters who mistakenly tout that TRUE Horror games should be free to explore whatever id-drippings the GM pleases, those are the people and games that have the potential to do real damage.

Horror does not mean whatever messed-up scenario you nightmare out. It does not mean going to lengths to purposefully unsettle, even traumatize, players. No legitimate form of horror media seeks to harm.

Even your local haunted corn maze has an exit route.

If you're going to feature hard R+ content in your game, plan to look your players in the eye and tell them "This game will include themes of X, Y, and Z. Cool?"

If you're not willing to face players' reactions before the game, you shouldn't expect them to enjoy it mid-game.

And then, even if they are cool with whatever you're featuring—whatever it might be—you still have to leave your players a way out.

The X Card is a fine tool for this: docs.google.com/document/d/1SB…

Tabletop games aren't video games, they're not movies—the player can't just press "off." Players are in a group with who-knows-what dynamics. If things go south, not everyone's going to be able to pull the social ripcord to step away or shut things down for everyone.

Group dynamics and social needs are complicated—humans will go to great lengths to be part of the group/fun. Painful experiences and past traumas will never be something we can fully express and have understood by others (or would want to).

Even if you check in beforehand, nobody's going to tell you their deepest darkest fears, especially not for a game.

A player might say, "Oh, I don't like spiders," but they're never going to tell you about that night in '76 that they still wake up sweating about.

Horror roleplaying can be fantastically fun. Running off to your heroic or bloody fate can be a blast.

But, if there's any "integrity of the game" it's that the game needs to be fun for EVERYONE playing.

As soon as it's not, the Game Master has failed—they've undermined it. It's not a game anymore. Maybe it becomes just a gross story, but worse, it has the potential to embarrass, to ruin relationships, and to otherwise do real harm.

Many will never venture into this territory in RPGs, so this might seem like common sense. Too often it's not.

So, a reminder: Whether you're sitting down with a stranger or someone you've gamed with for decades, never assume you 100% know what crosses a person's boundaries.

Be sure your players have an idea of where your horror story's going, that the group has a shared and respected language for ripcord pulling (X-card, leaving the table, calling a break), and that players know they won't be interrogated for their calls.

But sidestepping all that to preserve the "Integrity of the Game?" That's bullshit—a complete fiction told to suggest that faux-art takes precedence over people's feelings, experiences, and safety.

Burn that shit with fire.

People are more important that games. And if you're not gaming with people you care about—or are at least positively inclined toward—you've missed the point of the cultural venture.

In short: Horror games can be fantastic, but don't delude yourself into thinking that anyone's at your table to experience your naked id or relive the worst parts of their lives... FOR FUN.

Many thanks to @amandahamon, @HBS_Kiva, & @jaymgates for covering all this and running what sounded like a next-level talk on horror gaming. (Make sure you're following these spooky souls!)

I'm sorry I missed it, but if it was recorded, I'll be sure to share it here soon!