Even though horror-style stuff isn't really my thing, this book was incredibly smooth, and managed to creep me out with the examples. Even better, it's priced to sell, and though you won't find huge loads of art, it would just get in the way anyways (and probably prevent people like me from reading through it). This is one of the few products that I feel is a mix of simple and complex, and still manages to benefit from the combination.
On one hand, it's incredibly simple, the rules are basic and sweeping, so everything is covered in minimal territory. There are few attributes and skills, and they are defined in a wide function. Only six-sided dice are used, and always in a group of three. The game has built in safeguards to scale the opponents to the players (assuming there is a true opponent, free-for-all fights in hostile environments are suggested as one method of running the game), and the exact outcome of events is often replaced with a minimal summary, so that the game can move quickly. The rules, which are about 100 pages, give or take, are capable of being read and understood in one sitting. The game relies less on a large amount of modifiers and fancy dice, but more on a storytelling basis. The major villain and scenario can be set up with three pages of formatted text, though obviously more can be used to flesh out settings further.
At the same time, there is a complexity added, with characters able to scavenge for weapons and objects of use. The game aims heavily to emulate movie physics, and has no qualms with applying rules separately to different characters (bad guys, for instance, cannot be killed by falling), providing a balance. Many contingencies exist, and many reasons behind rules are given. Advice for new game masters is given, so that they can create settings filled with suspense, mystery, and fear, while not burdening the game's play. Many standard horror tropes and cliches are included, often with mechanics to work with them, such as finding weapons in a pinch.
If you want a good light rule set, even for a non-horror setting, this game has one of the better rule sets for casual play I've ever seen, combined with a ton of additional stuff for more horror-oriented gameplay. Let the slasher-flicks begin!
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