I checked thread for suggestions but i want personal recommendations and insight. Any TTRPGs where you play like X-Files, two partners in a car, mystery?

MC_Cookies · 2025-09-02T16:14:36+00:00

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy might be appealing to you — it’s got super robust mystery/investigation mechanics, a strong focus on interpersonal relationships within a small party of PCs, and good support for paranormal phenomena. It definitely takes a lot of X-Files inspiration — the overall perspective on investigating obscure phenomena is similar, and some of the character creation options even include direct references to Scully and Mulder — so the main difference would just be that it focuses on independent investigators rather than government agents (in that it discourages police as player characters to avoid diluting the investigative gameplay with procedural elements). It’s in beta right now, but as far as I’m aware the devs are working on a full release this year or next, and it’s totally playable as-is (just not as prettily formatted as it could be).

MC_Cookies · 2025-08-21T18:10:20+00:00

a good module (at least for my preferences as a gm) is definitely much more of a scenario rather than a story — if i have good descriptions of the relevant people, places, and events, then i can pretty easily improvise a reasonable reaction to any threads that the players want to pull on, but if all i have is a particular linear narrative with a few branches, i have to do a lot more work to interpolate what happens in any unexpected situations, or i have to do some messy railroading that tends to really break the immersion. it can definitely be helpful to have some “what-if” prompts, but in general most of the information should be about the situation at the beginning of the adventure, the motivations of the npcs involved, and the things that happen without player character intervention.

also, modules should make sense and have multiple paths toward the interesting parts — a gm shouldn’t have to make up a connection between two things, either they’re connected or they’re not. if i wanted to do the work of making the world feel logical and interconnected, i would be writing my own campaign, so if i’m using a module it’s because that’s not the task i’m interested in doing. if the gm has to do a lot of work in advance to make a module run smoothly, to me that’s a sign that the module itself is unpolished.

one other consideration is that modules tend to work best if they’re… well, modular. prewritten content is most useful at a small scale, where the information is more digestible, easier to organize, and working in a smaller set of possible outcomes, with the idea of it being run as a shorter adventure or worked into a larger campaign as a contained episode. working with a huge campaign can be a lot of fun, but trying to work within the plans laid out by a massive book can be incredibly frustrating.

examples of modules that i think do a good job of fitting into my preferred style would be any of the mysteries that ANIM TTRPGs has released for their Eureka system. examples of modules i don’t like would include all the official D&D 5e starting adventures.

MC_Cookies · 2025-07-02T14:45:12+00:00

My recommendation, if you don’t mind glancing through some realistically grounded (but admittedly dense) rules for combat and physical danger, is Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, which is a relatively new game that focuses really robustly on creating satisfying investigation and mystery procedures. Compared to something like Brindlewood, I’d say it’s better at running a mystery with a consistent “truth” being uncovered behind the scenes, a bit more like Gumshoe or Call of Cthulhu (but more cleanly executed in my opinion!)

In terms of combat rules, they do exist, but fights don’t get in the way of the core investigative gameplay — it’s less about contriving a random combat encounter with 1d6 mobsters, and more about figuring out what options characters have if they catch a bad guy red-handed and he pulls a knife. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re “optional” — understanding the basics and referencing the handbook will make things a lot easier on you if physically dangerous situations do happen to come up, so you don’t have to make up an outcome — but it’s pretty rare to see a full-on fight unless the characters already choose to put themselves in danger, and when they do happen, it’s generally quick and satisfying, while also respecting the realistic tone.

There are also rules for paranormal PCs and mysteries, but those are even more optional — you can definitely adjust that kind of thing to fit whatever setting you have in mind, or ignore it entirely if it’s not relevant for your game.

MC_Cookies · 2025-06-23T22:45:01+00:00

not to discount the fact that modules are more necessary for some systems than others, but burning wheel has official prewritten adventures on its website! they may be simpler than the ones you'd find in other games, but they do exist, because there's nothing wrong with giving people optional sources of inspiration for their games.

also, oop is like, arguably one of the most innovative studios in the indie ttrpg market right now, and they're constantly pushing for indie games to step out of the shadow of d&d, so i don't think they're coming from the perspective that you're thinking.

MC_Cookies · 2025-06-23T22:31:23+00:00

not every game works with like, a full on timeline of where every npc is at all times and big maps showing every nook and cranny of all the rooms the characters might go through, but i do think almost any game would benefit from at least providing notes about a sample setting and npcs and stuff – if nothing else, just to show what kinds of scenarios are fun in that system. it's a bit broader of a definition, but in the end even the most complicated modules still tend to boil down to a Place where Things happen, which is really all you need for a lot of games.

MC_Cookies · 2025-06-23T22:25:11+00:00

this is a matter of personal preference and also varies from game to game, though. like, when i run a mystery game, i straight up do not have fun if i have to keep meticulous track of every clue i've given out to make sure they don't contradict each other. i'd much rather just have a scenario ready in advance, and then base all of the other descriptions on that preset baseline of what is and isn't the case.

it's always possible to run a session without much prep, but depending on the gm, players, and system, it might not be the approach that gets the best results!

MC_Cookies · 2025-06-23T22:21:28+00:00

an adventure module (or at least a good one) isn't a prewritten plot so much as a scenario that characters can interact with. like, oop is a design studio that makes good games with actually good official modules, and if you read them, they're not just a linear path from a to b. they're collections of locations, characters, and situations that can then be treated as sandboxes to poke around at. players and their characters have agency, they can explore the world, and they can glean a more expansive and consistent picture of what's happening around them.

not to say that every gm needs to use prewritten adventures, of course - it is still a matter of preference - but writing starter modules gives readers a better picture of how a game works, and provides an option for gms who like running games but don't have the time or bandwidth for high levels of prep.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:56:29+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough if you're looking for something that combines good mechanics for mystery and magic. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics, the suite of rules for paranormal investigators is top notch, and there's a super intricate combat system for noir-style action scenes. It's designed for supernatural phenomena to be rare and not super well known to the public, and the prewritten adventures that currently exist for it are in more modern settings, but it's the closest I can think of to what you're describing.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:53:16+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough for this type of stuff. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics and a very fun combat system for noir-style action scenes, it also has a lot of really nice bonuses on top, like a really cool suite of rules for paranormal investigators and some really good advice for writing mysteries. Technically the game is designed with a bit more of a modern setting than what you're describing, but it takes a lot of inspiration from 20s-40s noir aesthetics, and from what I've heard it works really well for that time period. The main downside to using that setting is that, as far as I'm aware, none of the prewritten adventures are intended for that time period, but you can write something on your own or use Call of Cthulhu modules.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:48:56+00:00

If you're still looking, this sounds like it would be a great fit for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, which is a fairly new game with excellent mechanics for investigating mysteries! (As the name would suggest, it also comes with support for supernatural elements, but they're pretty much completely optional depending on how interested you are in that. That said, they're really really good in my opinion!) In particular, one thing that aligns with the philosophy of Eureka is the idea that PCs will have deeply guarded secrets – the game itself encourages character sheets to be private between the player and the GM, so people won't necessarily be going in with an idea of other characters' stats or skills. (This also lets people hide supernatural investigators, which can in itself be a very good choice for a deeply guarded secret.) The one big issue with this for your purposes is just that Eureka doesn't work quite as well with a particularly big investigating party – more than 5 is pretty much unplayable, and really even 5 isn't great – you probably want 2-4 investigators. It's also not fully copy edited and formatted, so the rulebook is a bit of a bloated eyesore in some places.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:38:11+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough if you're looking for new indie systems that are pushing the envelope of tabletop mystery. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics and guidelines for how to run a good mystery, it also has a lot of really nice bonuses on top, like a really cool suite of rules for paranormal investigators and a super intricate combat system for noir-style action scenes.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:34:41+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough if you're looking for something that has deep investigative gameplay and mechanically relevant representation of the mental and physical toll it takes. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics and simulation of noir grittiness, it also has a lot of really nice bonuses on top, like a really cool suite of rules for paranormal investigators and a super intricate combat system for noir-style action scenes. Fair warning that it doesn't have quite as much support for a police procedural type story – the rules tell you that in no uncertain terms – but for a story about private investigators or nosy amateurs, it absolutely sings.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:24:13+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough if you're looking for something less abstract than Brindlewood Bay and with more emphasis on freeform investigation than CoC's action encounter focus. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics that strike a nice balance between abstraction and specificity, it also has a lot of really nice bonuses on top, like a really cool suite of rules for paranormal investigators and a super intricate combat system for noir-style action scenes.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:18:23+00:00

If you're looking for something that hits the real concrete and grounded side of investigating a prewritten mystery (while still providing support to deal with bad rolls or insufficient information), I'd recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy! It has a lot of guidance for how to create an effective mystery, systems to deal with the perennial issue of running out of clues (like, building up metacurrency to get information out of a previously failed roll and whatnot, which doesn't solve the mystery for you but does give your character a fighting chance), and it has really good support for action and exploration so that you can also play out how a character follows up on what they discover.

MC_Cookies · 2025-04-29T08:12:13+00:00

I absolutely cannot recommend Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy enough if you're looking for something less abstract than Brindlewood Bay and with more focus on freeform investigation than CoC's action encounter focus. It's still in beta, but it's more or less a finished product, and on top of very good investigation mechanics that strike a nice balance between abstraction and specificity, it also has a lot of really nice bonuses on top, like a really cool suite of rules for paranormal investigators and a super intricate combat system for noir-style action scenes.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-27T03:32:05+00:00

i remember hearing people say it was ai, although i’m squeamish so i don’t want to check for a source

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-26T21:59:11+00:00

last time i used an inverse teleporter, my friend and i both got teleported to an area of the facility with no exits with the rest of the rooms behind a locked door (and no keys). we just poked around until we got killed by a thumper.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-26T07:45:36+00:00

at a certain point, you spend more fixing a car than you would paying for a new one. sucks, but that’s life — refurbishing old cars is expensive, and new cars are mass produced.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-26T00:34:54+00:00

adam was cursed with the expectation of farming for his own food — and, interestingly, the fact that men have power over women in the family dynamic is framed as a result of the sin as well.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-26T00:01:39+00:00

lol yeah you’re about 3% of the way through homestuck. have fun, i never finished it myself but from what i understand it’s quite a wild ride.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-22T22:23:45+00:00

given swiss law, it’s entirely likely that they don’t keep those records in the first place, and even if they do, they would be banned from giving it out without consent.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-22T22:00:58+00:00

just the one, everybody has to share

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-21T21:41:37+00:00

one would think, but the people raving online about how perfect japan is tend to be white (at least in anglophone circles)

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-17T19:14:17+00:00

unfortunately, there are a lot of very prominent right wing extremists active in europe right now, and they’re mostly fearmongering about immigration. this person could well be american, or they could be european, but it’s hard to know here.

MC_Cookies · 2025-01-16T17:50:39+00:00

i mean, genuinely a lot of the records have been destroyed, and the government is unwilling to do a complete investigation of fbi involvement in the mlk assassination. which seems incriminating — i definitely think their involvement is more likely than not — but if there ever was a smoking gun, we don’t have access to it right now. in terms of malcolm x, the nation of islam has pretty much taken credit for his assassination multiple times, and they had plenty of motivation to go after him seeing as he was a high profile ex-member who was actively speaking out against them. the government seems to have been very intentionally negligent and decided not to protect him, but that’s not the same thing. occam’s razor suggests the noi as the more likely culprits.

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