our

haunt
Rae
Nedjad i
 Possum Creek Games Inc.
PO Box 149
Saugerties, NY, 12477
www.possumcreekgames.com
Copyright © 2019 Rae Nedjadi.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book
or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information,
contact the publisher.
For information about special discounts available for bulk
purchases, sales promotions, fundraising and educational needs,
contact Possum Creek Games Inc. at 1-518-291-9686 or
[email protected]
Illustration by Habil Firdaus.
Book Design by Ruby Lavin.
Edited by Dominique Dickey & Andrea Rick.
Titles in Frunchy Serif, Body in Paciencia.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
First printing edition 2022.
ISBN: 978-1-954097-17-9 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-954097-18-6 (PDF)
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior express permission of the publisher. This
publisher grants express permission to anyone reproducing or
copying this publication for personal use, through secure means
in order to facilitate gameplay.
For information on creating game materials and stories within
the world of Our Haunt, check out the Our Haunt Third Party
License at www.possumcreekgames.com.
 TABLE OF
CONTENTS

How To Play.............................................................7
We Can’t Remember How We Died................................... 9
What Is Our Haunt? .......................................................... 11
How Do We Play?............................................................... 13
The Guide.............................................................................16
No Dice, No Masters.............................................................17
What You Need To Play.........................................................17
A Note On Themes................................................................19
Safety First..........................................................................20
Play To Find Out...................................................................23
Creating Characters.......................................................... 24
Creating The Haunt.......................................................... 30
Playing Out A Scene..........................................................37
Room Moves........................................................................ 43
Playing Your Main Character........................................... 47
Your Ghostly Abilities............................................................53
Your Moves.......................................................................... 54
The Language of Tokens.........................................................66
Our Memories................................................................... 68
An Example of Play.......................................................... 76
Flow of Play........................................................................ 87
Playbooks.............................................................. 89
The Betrayed......................................................................90
The Cat...............................................................................94
The Doll.............................................................................98
The Loved.........................................................................102
The Faceless..................................................................... 106
The Returned.................................................................... 110
Rooms................................................................... 115
The Attic........................................................................... 116
The Study..........................................................................120
The Garden.......................................................................124
The Parlor.........................................................................128
The Basement................................................................... 132
The Lost Room................................................................. 136
Memories............................................................. 140
Regaining A Memory..........................................................142
Creating New Memories..................................................... 144
Special Thanks..................................................... 148
HOW TO
PLAY
8

OUR HAUNT
 9

WE CAN’T
REMEMBER
HOW WE
DIED
This old mansion is falling apart, its old creaking boards
hiding secrets eaten away by time. Through broken
windows and doors that slowly swing open on their own,
we’ve discovered a dreamy purgatory of shadows and
weakened nightmares.
We’ve found a way for our fading hands to reach each
other, past the heavy veils of death and unlife, and we won’t
let each other go. We’ve claimed this Haunt as our own, and
not even the Living that walk through our halls and inspect
our rooms can take that away from us.
What little is left of our memories hangs suspended
in the dusty air, shattered and beautiful, whispering and
haunting. A warm kiss, the rain on a sad smile, eyes in the
dark, a knife catching the last of the light.

How To Play
10

Our Haunt asks us if we wish to travel down the twisted

maze of our broken memories, or if we will build new ones
with the family we’ve found.
Not everything in our Haunt is safe. Something
ancient and hallowed breathes under the peeling wallpa-
per. Something empty and angry claws away at the ceiling.
Something desperate and cold wails at just the edge of hear-
ing, aching to be heard.
Perhaps there are things far worse than death.
But for now, this is all we are, and all we have.
A broken down mansion, a few shattered memories, a
whispered song, the promise of a family, and the watchful
eyes of something sinister.
Welcome home.

OUR HAUNT
 11

WHAT
IS OUR
HAUNT?

Our Haunt is a tabletop roleplaying game that helps you tell

stories that can be spooky, hopeful, horrifying, or comfort-
ing. It can be one of those things, or it can be a heady mix of
everything. I promise you that this old mansion can house
as much story as you can muster, as much as your imagina-
tion wishes to invite.
In Our Haunt you tell your story through two ways: by
playing the role of one of the ghosts of this strange and
spooky found family, or by describing what sweet and
creepy things happen in a room of the mansion that
belongs to you.
If you’ve ever sat around telling stories with friends, Our
Haunt has a very similar feeling. But instead of telling many
stories, you take turns telling one story. It’s a story that
moves back and forth between all of you, where it becomes

How To Play
12

a little wild, taking on a new life entirely on its own You can
come back to the old mansion and these ghosts as often as
you like, continuing the story for as long as it is interesting
and fun.

Our Haunt is A Story

A story of a found family. You only have each other, here in
the twilight between life and death. You decide how entan-
gled your lives may have been before you died, and how
much closer you’ll become in the afterlife. Found families
don’t always get along, but in the end you’re there for each
other because you choose to be.
A story of memories. You choose if you’ll help each oth-
er regain your memories from when you were alive, or if
you’ll create new memories together in this old mansion.
Our Haunt asks: how will your memories guide your actions?
How much will you change, or not change, depending on
what memories are resurfaced or created?
A story that’s as scary or sweet as we want it to be. You
make several choices in the game, and decide what the
rooms of this old mansion will be like. Some choices are
scarier than others, but the core of Our Haunt is connec-
tion and relationships. Because of that, the game encour-
ages you to find the bittersweet in this dreamy purgatory
you share.

OUR HAUNT
 13

HOW DO
WE PLAY?

Play starts when you gather with friends or would-be

friends and take a look at the game. When you’re ready to
start play, read aloud the main premise of the game (Page
9.) Clearly state the main themes of Our Haunt, which are
exploring personal horror, discovering memories, and
creating family.
Next, as a group, discuss what themes or ideas everyone
would like to see in the game, and what shouldn’t come up
in the game. When everyone takes the time and care to
draw boundaries, it makes it easier to collaborate and tell
a good story together. You can find out more about Safety
Tools on page 20.
From here everyone takes a look at the Playbooks. These
are the kind of ghosts who could live in the mansion, and
each Playbook has little seeds of stories you can tell. For

How To Play
14

example, The Cat could very well simply be a cat, a ghost

of a cat, or a ghost that forgot it was human and decided
to take on a cat-like shape. The Betrayed is an angry ghost,
one who must learn to hone the edge of their rage or be cut
by it.
Each Playbook offers you a guide on how you can play
the character, but what your character will be like depends
on the choices you make, how you interpret these choices,
and what’s a fun story you want to tell.
Everyone chooses their Playbook. Each Playbook is
unique: only one player can be The Doll, only one play-
er can be The Returned. From there make your choic-
es across the Playbook, and describe who you’re playing.
Connections between characters will emerge, and a story
will begin to take shape.
In Our Haunt, the setting is just as important as the
characters you’ll play. There are several Rooms for you to
choose from. Think about your character and which Room
they’ll feel most at home in. For example, you could feel
that The Cat likes high places and wants to stay in the
Attic. Or maybe they’re a more creepy cat, and they spend
their time in the Basement.
It’s a good idea to take a look at the Rooms and what kind
of activities each one encourages, and make an intuitive
choice from there. When you choose your Room, remem-
ber that each one is unique. There’s only one Parlor, and
only one Secret Room.

OUR HAUNT
 15

When players are ready to jump into the story, we decide

where in the Haunt a scene is taking place. Maybe the
Loved will spend time with the Cat in The Attic, or it’s
time for everyone to gather in the Basement for a really
spooky time.
Wherever the scene is taking place, the player who
claimed the Room Playbook will be the guide for that
scene. For example, if the scene is in the Attic, the play-
er holding the Attic Playbook helps guide the scene. The
player will play both their main character while also speak-
ing for the Room.
Everyone else chooses to play their main character,
or maybe one of the supporting characters. But everyone
helps bring the scene to life by describing details, asking
questions, and roleplaying characters.
Both main characters and Rooms have guidelines on
how to play them, including something called Moves (Page
54.) The story is guided by these Moves, and relationships
deepen in turn. The Haunt comes alive as we explore the
themes and moods of each Room. The main characters
spend time together, hide from the Living, will scare or
be scared, and explore the liminal space between life and
death together.
Each time you sit down to play a game, it is called a ses-
sion. A session lasts for about 2–4 hours. At the end of the
session each player decides if someone will unlock a mem-
ory (Our Memories, Page 68.)

How To Play
16

After that, you’ll all decide when you’ll next return to

the Haunt, if you like. The years may pass, and the Living
will come and go, but the Haunt and its ghosts will remain
for as long as you wish them to.

The Guide
When you first start playing the game, it helps to have a
guide. If you’re reading this book and thinking about play-
ing with your friends, you’ll probably be the guide.
As a guide you will:
» Gather supplies
» Teach others how to play the game
» Guide everyone through the first few steps
» Support the first scene and guide the first session

After the first session, people will get the hang of how
to play. They may still ask you questions from time to time,
but by the third session you’ll find you have to do very little
as a guide.

OUR HAUNT
 17

No Dice, No Masters
Our Haunt was created by using the structure of Belonging
Outside Belonging, a style of play developed by Avery Alder
and Benjamin Rosenbaum. This structure is also called
“No Dice, No Masters.” Many tabletop roleplaying games
use dice to randomize outcomes and a Game Master who
guides the story, but in games like this one, everyone takes
turns guiding the story. Everyone shares in the role of the
Game Master. It’s a joyful act of collaboration. Players lean
into prompts, draw inspiration from the game text and
each other, create new supporting characters on the fly and
bring them to life, and so on! The story comes together in
unexpected ways, and we play to find out what happens next.

What You Need To Play

When you read through this game, you may have an idea
of which of your friends may want to play a game like this
one. Or you might try to find other people who want to tell
stories together. You may have to pitch the game to peo-
ple, letting them take a look at the Playkit to see if they’re
interested. The Playkit is a printer friendly version of the

How To Play
18

Playbooks, has an introduction to the game, and some guid-

ance on how to play out a scene.
To play you’ll need around 3–6 players (including the
guide), and about 2–4 hours of time. A table in a condu-
cive space that’s quiet works best so everyone can hear each
other and take notes.
To play Our Haunt in person you will need…
» This book
» A printed copy of the Playkit
» Pencils or pens
» A notebook for any story notes
» A central pile of tokens (around 5 per player)

To play Our Haunt online, keep in mind…

Instead of the Playkit, you’ll need a copy of the Character
Keeper. A Character Keeper is an online document that
contains everyone’s Playbooks and other important details,
you can find the one for this game online.
Aim to play for shorter sessions. Online sessions are
usually best at 2–3 hours at most, with a 5–10 minute break
at the top of every hour so people can take regular breaks
from staring at a screen.

OUR HAUNT
 19

A Note On Themes
Our Haunt focuses on the story of ghosts, and death is a sub-
ject that deserves care and openness. The game also invites
us to play intimately with horror, and define it on our own
terms. Content in this game will delve into supernatural
horror, violence, memory loss, reference to trauma, and the
nature of grief.
This is also a game about relationships and connec-
tions. Content in this game will touch upon intimacy and
romance, though these options do not have to be chosen
in play and you are encouraged to celebrate aromantic and
asexual relationships.
You are encouraged to make this game your own and
focus only on content and stories that you can enjoy.
However, if you do not want to explore any of these
themes, this game may not be best for your or your group.
While the overall tone and themes of Our Haunt is one of
warmth and family, it is at its heart a ghost story.
Removing these elements will hinder many thematic
and mechanical aspects of this game. Our Haunt
was created to be a comforting but also a thrilling or
spooky experience.
That being said, it is okay to not play this game, and
choose another game to play instead.

How To Play
20

Safety First
The goal is to have fun playing as old ghosts in the old
mansion while everyone takes care of each other. The prac-
tices of setting boundaries and taking care of each other are
called using safety tools.
Safety tools are the guidelines of communication and
checking in with each other, a means of care and honesty.
When you use safety tools you make it easier for everyone
to feel cared for.
Safety tools can be a way of avoiding making each
other painfully uncomfortable or hurting each
other. Safety tools also help navigate a moment when
someone does get hurt or when someone has difficulty
expressing themself.
The safety tool that comes with Our Haunt is called Yes,
Maybe, and No. I encourage you to use whatever safety tools
best serve your group.
At the start of the first game, once everyone has set-
tled in and you’ve explained the core themes of the game,
answer the following questions as a group. Record your
answers in a way that everyone can access later whenever
you play. When you answer the questions, you do not need
to provide a reason unless you want to do so.

OUR HAUNT
 21

What themes, stories, and ideas are

we excited to explore in this game? This
YES can sound like, “I’ d love to try to have
a party and worry about the Living not
noticing us, something fun and a lit-
tle scary at the same time!” or “I’ d
like to have my character explore their growing tender queer feel-
ings.” Sometimes it can help to bring in specific touchstones, like
a book, TV show, or film. You can also ask for specific narrative
arcs for your character, so everyone can help support that story.

What themes, stories, and ideas do we

want to see less of? Whatever you record
MAYBE here can be fine in small doses, and you
want to have it happen “off-screen” (and
not be the subject of a scene), or details
are kept to a minimum. This can sound
like, “I know we all died and are ghosts but I don’t want the terminal
illness to be anything we focus on, though hinting at it with no details
is okay with me.”

What themes, stories, and ideas will we

NO NOT see at all in the game? Whatever
is recorded here will not come up at all as
we play the game. In case one of us for-
gets or makes a mistake, we can refer to
this list to check in and remove the content
from the game. This can sound like, “Let’s not have demonic posses-
sion in the game,” or “I’m okay with reformed villains, but I’m not
okay with giving them a free pass and easy forgiveness. If a charac-
ter like that shows up, their path to redemption will have to be a long
and dedicated one, and only those they wronged can have a say in it."

How To Play
22

As you play the game, you may find new topics to list in
any of these areas. It’s always a good idea to pause the game
when it’s appropriate and let everyone know when you’re
adding something to the list.
Sometimes it’s okay to wait to introduce a new Yes topic,
but if a new No topic comes up, please immediately pause
and check in with everyone. When this happens, write
down the new No topic. You do not have to explain what it
is unless other players need a little context to remove the
content from the game.
This can sound like, “It turns out I’m not okay with
spiders, even just vaguely spidery ghosts. I’m putting that
under our No topics.” Then another player may say, “Got it.
Instead of spidery ghosts we can have centipede like ones?
Or just no insect-like ghosts in general? We can make
them wolf-like instead.”
Sometimes though, for whatever reason, it can be hard
to speak up in the moment. Or it can take a while to realize
you’re not okay with something. If that happens, reach out
to the group at a time when you feel safe. You may also want
to approach someone in the group that you trust and have
them speak to the rest of the group on your behalf. You are
encouraged to communicate in any way that is best for you
and your needs.

OUR HAUNT
 23

Play To Find Out

This game is best played when we approach each moment
with curiosity, kindness, and openness. We play to find out
what will happen, and we collaborate to create a story we can
all enjoy. To help facilitate this approach, here are some tips:
» Trust Your Intuition. When you have a lot of choices to
make in the moment, go with your gut instinct. This isn’t the
kind of game where you can make mistakes. Take your time in
learning how to play the game, and enjoy the moment.
» Ask Questions With Genuine Curiosity And
Kindness. This can sound like, “Do you think our characters
share a memory? Would that be interesting for you to explore?”
Or “I’m interested in my character learning about love, would
you be comfortable with my character falling in love with yours?”
» Answer With Honesty. This can sound like, “I’m not sure
about our characters sharing a memory, could you give me time
to think about it?” Or “My character is polyamorous. I’m really
excited about the prospect of our characters falling in love, what
do you think?”
» Remember That You Can Change Your Mind. This
can sound like, “I know I went with a really tragic death for my
character, but I think I want to step away from that for this ses-
sion. I’ll think about it and maybe I’ll change something, or may-
be we’ll just explore it another time.”
» Ask For Help When You Need It. This can sound like, “I
want to use my ghostly abilities here to get out of this predicament,
but I’m drawing a blank. Do you have any ideas?”

How To Play
24

CREATING
CHARACTERS

Your first step into your Haunt will be to see it through

the eyes of those who have died and woken up to this gray
purgatory. There are six Playbooks for you to choose from:
The Betrayed is full of anger and has a broken heart that
yearns for revenge. But they can learn how to use that anger as
a weapon to protect others (Page 90.)
The Cat is a hunter and the Haunt is their stalking ground.
But they must learn to show their affection to others (Page
94.)
The Doll is in a body they didn’t choose for themself, and
the body is a fragile and suffocating thing. But they are pow-
erful in ways that would surprise most (Page 98.)
The Loved looks the most Alive, and knows how to wrap
others around their fingers. But falling in love isn’t as easy as
it seems (Page 102.)

OUR HAUNT
 25

The Faceless doesn’t have very much of themself left. But

that emptiness makes it easier for them to truly understand
others (Page 107.)
The Returned knew heaven, or knew a version of it. But to
be haunted by heaven is truly a wretched thing (Page 110.)
Each main character has been touched by death in a
unique way. Some Playbooks are more scary and sad than oth-
ers, like The Betrayed or The Doll. Others are more subtle or
strange, like The Cat or The Faceless. Each main character has
their strengths and their vulnerabilities, and a theme to build
a personality around. But overall, each Playbook offers you
guiding options that are open to your creative interpretation.
Later, you’ll choose a part of the Haunt that each main
character feels most at home in. These Rooms make the
Haunt a home, a space where both the cozy and creepy can
exist at the same time. We’ll talk about that later on page 30.
Everyone should take turns reading out loud the Playbook
descriptions. These few sentences briefly describe the prem-
ise and themes of each Playbook.
In the Playkit you can find the descriptions in the left-
hand column; in the Character Keeper and in this book it’s
the description right under the Playbook name.
Once everyone has read out loud the descriptions, every-
one should pick one Playbook that interests them the most.
Sometimes it helps if people pick two Playbooks, in case
more than one person wants the same Playbook. Once every-
one has chosen their Playbooks, put away any that weren’t

How To Play
26

chosen. No two players can choose to play the same Playbook,

since each one has their own unique ghost story to tell.
To create a main character, go down the middle of the
sheet and make choices. You’ll be asked to describe the name,
look, what you remember, what you yearn for, and the bonds
of your character. When you make a choice, mark it on your
sheet. You can always change something or make something
up, in the spirit of your Playbook, if you like.
What you remember and what you yearn for are two
important choices. What you remember creates fragments of
your past, the memories that you may want to recover. What
you yearn for drives your character forward, where their hope
will lead them.
When you create a main character, everyone is encouraged
to talk about their choices or think out loud. They can offer
details, ask questions, and consider options out loud. You’ll
notice that there are some terms or names that are waiting
for you to define them.
These are evocative ideas that are waiting for you to define
them for yourself, your character, and the Haunt. Who is the
Great Ghost Cat King? Who are their subjects and what is
the nature of their kingdom? Who is the Doll Maker, and
what kind of dolls do they make? You don’t need to have
all the answers to these questions when you make a charac-
ter, but you’re encouraged to explore the answers as you play
the game.
Everyone chooses two bonds. Bonds are people who are
important to the main character. These people will become

OUR HAUNT
 27

supporting characters, and help fill the Haunt with emotion-

al connections. When you choose these bonds, you may have
an idea in mind of who they are and what they look like. If you
do, take note or sketch out some details. If nothing comes to
mind, that’s fine too—inspiration will strike while you play.
By this point everyone should introduce their characters.
Provide as much detail as you like, answer any questions oth-
ers may have, and make sure to point out what your Lure is so
they can remember to play into it (Your Lure, Page 48.)
At the very bottom of the column is a relationship ques-
tion that you answer to focus on one of the other main char-
acters. Choose from one of the two questions you have.
For example, The Loved will ask another character, “What
do you know about love that I don’t? Why can’t you teach
me?” This is an opportunity to build a past, no matter how
brief, between your character and another.
By this point you’ll have all your main characters and
some supporting characters. With this you’ll have a complete
cast which the stories of the Haunt will revolve around.
Remember to take note of character names, pronouns,
and what their Lure is. If you’re playing in person, you can
take something like an index card and fold it into a tent, and
write down these details for everyone to see. If you’re playing
online, have this information available somewhere, such as
in the Character Keeper.

How To Play
28

Rika went over The Playbooks and was

drawn to The Returned. They circle their choices
on the printed sheet.

RIKA I love The Returned and the idea of be-

ing someone who went to heaven… or maybe I’m even a
fallen angel! Let’s see, I’ll choose a name from a broken
song, I can’t remember the whole song, not even the
full words. So all I can piece together are a few syllables,
so my name is Rinoa. I have large glasses that cover half
of my face, bare feet that never touch the ground, and
leaves and flowers in complex braids.
DEAN I love a ghost with glasses!
RIKA Yeah! The glasses are so round and huge,
that you can’t even really see my eyes. And there are
wisps of smoke that come off the edges of my frames.
So next I chose What I Remember. Hmmmmm I want
a combination of a nice memory and something a lit-
tle sad or even scary… how about laughing in the sun-
light and stalking someone from the shadows.
FLORENCE Are you the one laughing? Who was
stalking you from the shadows do you think?
RIKA You know… I mean these memories are
only glimpses right, so we don’t have the full context
or anything, but I think someone else was laughing.
Someone with light brown hair and dark eyes. The
glasses I’m wearing now belong to them. And I’m the

OUR HAUNT
 29

one doing the stalking! We can’t make out who it is, but
I’m following someone and hiding in the dark.
DEAN That’s both sad and creepy, I love it.
RIKA Okay, so what I yearn for. I’m really
drawn to find a demon and break a promise. I don’t
know if it’s a literal demon, but I do think that this
was the person I was stalking from the shadows. I know
they’re somewhere here in the Haunt, and I have to find
them! I don’t know what breaking the promise means
though, we can discover that later.
Okay, and next are two bonds. I already have a demon
I’m tracking down, so let’s balance it out with a silent
angel in the attic. I ask them questions about heaven all
the time, but they never answer me, of course. Not in a
way I understand, at least. My second Bond is a psychic
who dreams prophecies. I feel like they’re connected to
the demon and that broken promise somehow.
So that’s Rinoa! I still have to answer what connects us,
but should we finish making all our characters so I can
decide who to ask?
FLORENCE That’s a good idea. Dean, do you want to
talk about The Doll and who they are?

How To Play
30

CREATING
THE HAUNT

Your second step into the Haunt will be to create the Rooms
that your ghosts spend time in. There are six Rooms for you
to choose from:
The Attic holds the forgotten and the discarded, waiting
for someone to discover them and make them new again
(Page 116.)
The Study holds stories and truth, waiting for someone
to find their wisdom again (Page 120.)
The Garden holds wildness and rot, waiting for someone
to grow something beautiful again (Page 124.)
The Parlor holds glamor and beauty, waiting for some-
one to laugh and entertain again (Page 128.)
The Basement holds mystery and horror, waiting for
someone to scream again (Page 132.)
The Lost Room holds puzzles and secrets, waiting for
someone to lose themselves again (Page 136.)

OUR HAUNT
 31

When choosing a Room, think about what would reflect

an aspect of your ghost that you’re interested in exploring.
A Cat that likes to hang out in the Attic is very different
from a Cat that haunts a Garden. The Betrayed may feel at
home in a place as sinister as the Basement, but perhaps
you’d like to explore a different kind of creepy in the Parlor.
To create a Room, go down the middle of the sheet and
make choices. You’ll be asked to describe the aesthetic and
unsolvable problems of your Room.
The aesthetic helps you and the other players when you
describe what the Room looks like during a scene, or when
you think of what parts of the setting the characters can
interact with.
The unsolvable problem is something that persists
from session to session and won’t ever truly go away. This
is to remind players that Our Haunt isn’t necessarily a game
about solving problems, it’s a game of living together as a
found family.
Like your character choices, these options are open to
your interpretation, and you’re free to change them as
you like or make something up that matches the spirit of
the Room.
Because everyone will be interacting with the Room
during a scene, you can choose to create the Room in a col-
laborative way. Make the initial choice, and then leave the
rest of the choices for the other players to make.

How To Play
32

Dean has just finished introducing Delilah, The

Doll. Everyone took turns answering what con-
nects us, and now it’s time to create the rooms of
The Haunt. Rika decides to create The Attic on
their own, but Dean wants to collaborate with ev-
eryone to create The Garden. Dean reads out loud
the options for The Aesthetics, so everyone has a
chance to consider what they’re interested in.

DEAN I love “Skeleton hands that hold aloft

the most delicate flowers.” What kind of flowers canthey
be?
FLORENCE This is your Garden, so you can have
them be anything you like.
DEAN I really love orchids. I think they’re all
kinds, big purple and pink ones, small brown and yel-
low ones. They crawl around the bones and look almost
fragile, and there’s this ethereal shimmer about them.
Okay, how about you Florence?
FATIMA Ooooh, “Rotting bird houses that are oc-
cupied by something otherworldly,” but I can’t think of
what the otherworldly thing is. Does anyone have ideas?
RIKA Do you want something creepy or some-
thing cute?
FATIMA How about something in between?
RIKA Sure! Let’s say… they’re little fae creatures,
but they look like those old movies with the stop motion

OUR HAUNT
 33

characters made out of clay and sparkles? And they have

very sharp teeth under their pretty smiles.
DEAN Oh that’s good. I’ll say they have orchids
growing out of them, to match the skeletal hands. Rika,
do you want to pick the third aesthetic?
RIKA Actually, I have an idea for an unsolvable
problem if that’s okay?
DEAN Sure, that sounds great.
CHARLES Okay, what do you think of “Something
ancient and hungry lives at the bottom of the old well”?
I think we suspect it’s the fae queen, but he’s in this
wretched state, desperate to feed on magic.
DEAN Oh that’s so cool! Like the fae are on the
lookout for the queen, to bring him magic to feed on.
Which could mean using our ghostly abilities around
the fae could be dangerous!
FLORENCE Right, we could become a meal fit for a
queen! Ghostly bones and magic and all.
RIKA Yeah, I like that! Dean, did you want to
pick another aesthetic?
DEAN Yeah, actually. I like how all of this is com-
ing together. I’ll pick “Delicate mushrooms of different
colors hiding a secret.” There are these beautiful pastel
colored mushrooms everywhere, and the secret they’re
hiding is that they’re all feeding on what remains of the
fae bride, who once loved the fae queen.
FLORENCE That’s so sad and creepy, I’m adding
“meet the fae bride” to my YES list.

How To Play
34

THE FLOW
OF PLAY

Every session of Our Haunt follows the same general struc-

ture. By answering the following questions, you get a pret-
ty good idea of what the session may be about, prepare for
each scene, and wrap up the session once you’re ready to
stop playing.
You may change your mind while you play, and that’s
fine. A guide is a guide for as long as it is helpful, and it is
not meant to set anything in stone, after all.
At the start of the session, ask:
» Who wants to focus on the story of their character or
their Room in the Haunt?
» Which supporting characters do we want to see in this
session?
» Is there a specific scene we want to see in today’s session?

OUR HAUNT
 35

The answers to these questions can sound like, “This

is our first time playing, so maybe it makes sense to have
our first scene in the Attic. We can watch the Living
from the window and establish who they are, or discover
cool things that are hidden away?”
Or, “I have a Bond I haven’t been able to interact with
much so far, would anyone be interested in roleplay-
ing the Living tarot reader who comforts me with the
cards?”
At the start of the scene, ask:
» Who is in the scene? (Choose 1–3 main characters)
» Where is the scene taking place? (Choose 1 Room)
» Who else is in the scene? (Choose one or more sup-
porting characters, and decide who will roleplay
them)
» What is this scene about, maybe?

The answers to these questions can sound like, “We

haven’t had a chance to see much of our Doll, I’d love it
if they were one of the main characters for this scene.”
Or, “We hung out in the Basement last week, and it felt
like we were building up towards revealing The Thing In
The Walls! We can reveal that in this next scene, if folks
were up for that kind of intense horror today?”

How To Play
36

At the end of the session, ask:

» Who wants to give any number of their tokens to some-
one else? What does that look like in story terms?
» Is anyone regaining a memory? Which one is it?
» Is anyone creating a new memory? What is it about?
» What did we like about today’s session? What didn’t we
like so much?

The answers to these questions can sound like, “I’d love

to see The Faceless do some cool things in the next session,
so I’ll give you five of the tokens I picked up today. What
this looks like in story terms is that I hang out with you in
a pillow fort in the Parlor, and I teach you all my playing
card tricks.”
Or, “We’ve spent enough tokens to have someone regain
a memory today, which one of us wants to reveal some-
thing from when they were alive? Maybe The Returned, if
you’re keen?”
Regaining and creating memories is pretty special in
Our Haunt; you can go to page 142 if you want to learn more
about what that means.

OUR HAUNT
 37

PLAYING
OUT A
SCENE

When you have a general idea for who is in the scene, where
it’s taking place, and what the scene could be about, you’re
ready to play out a scene. The player who picked the Room
Playbook will help guide a scene that takes place in that
Room. This means that they:
» Use evocative description to set up and sustain the scene.
» Ask questions like, “What do we see of your character?” Or
“Why are you hanging out alone in the Lost Room before
anyone else shows up?”
» Roleplay supporting characters, or ask others to roleplay
them,
» Introduce truths and events through questions or statements
like, “Some of the Living have wandered into the Garden, do
you hide from them or will you do something else?”
» Use a Room Move, when it feels right.

How To Play
38

Our Haunt is a collaborative game, and everyone is wel-

come to make suggestions, ask questions, or offer narrative
truths. But whoever holds the Room playbook is the gentle
arbiter of the scene.
Everyone has a different way of being a guide. Some
guides like to be a storyteller by the fire, all big gestures and
funny voices. Others speak little and ask questions. There
are many ways to be a guide, and as you play you’ll discover
what kind of guide you are.

Evocative Descriptions
In general it helps if a scene is supported by emerging
details that evoke and inspire. Who are the people in the
faded photographs, and why do they move from one frame
to another? Who are the Living who peer through the win-
dows and see past the ghosts? What does the warm sunlight
feel like on ghostly skin? What is a supporting character
hoping for at this moment, and how do they show it?
Evocative descriptions can be short, and you can say
very little to draw in the other players and make the scene
and Room feel real. You can refer to the aesthetics of your
Room if you need help or inspiration.

OUR HAUNT
 39

Ask Questions
As the guide, asking questions is a great way to remind
everyone that this story and game is a shared experi-
ence. It also helps players spotlight certain aspects of their
main character.
Questions can be vague and open-ended (“What does
your character usually do in the Study?”), or they can be
specific and tied to the moment (“The broken mirror that
shows us what we looked like when we were alive is shining
in the dark, and it catches your eye. What do you see in the
mirror and why is it not what you expect?”)
The kind of questions that come to you easily and that
your players are comfortable answering may take some
practice. It’s important to go with your intuition! Be ready
to affirm the answer you receive, and then take it as inspi-
ration to have the scene respond in kind. The answers you
receive should push the story in a direction that everyone
is happy about.

How To Play
40

Supporting Characters
While Our Haunt will tell a story that flows around the
main characters, supporting characters help make the
Haunt feel vibrant and real. Many supporting characters
will be the bonds players choose when they create their
main characters. Many more supporting characters will be
spontaneously created.
Supporting characters are also a good way to provide a
narrative mirror, a reflection that helps define the main
characters. How does the Loved interact with the Living
writer that doesn’t know they’re dead? How is it different
from how the Loved interacts with the spirit who resides
among decaying flowers?
As the guide, you can decide if you want to roleplay all
of the supporting characters, most of them, some of them,
or none of them. Other players are encouraged to volun-
teer and play a supporting character during a scene. In
general, avoid having a single player narrate both sides of
a conversation.
When you roleplay a supporting character, you can nar-
rate in first person or third. Bring them to life through
their appearance, mannerisms, actions, and words. This
can sound like, “The silent angel in the attic looks forlorn-
ly out the window, placing a glowing hand on the glass.
When they do, their flesh turns even more translucent,

OUR HAUNT
 41

and their skin takes on the qualities of the glass. Fragile,

about to break. They turn to you, and the tears they shed
form cracks along their face. You can’t shake off the feel-
ing that they’re looking for words of comfort. What do you
do?” You can narrate as much or as little as you like, and you
are encouraged to end each narration with an opening for
another character to answer.
Roleplaying a supporting character may also sound like,
“My dark hair falls all around me, moving like it’s under-
water. The halo above my head glows softly in the dusty air
of the attic, pulsing gently like a heartbeat. I’m agitated,
placing a hand on the window pane, my blindfolded eyes
looking for something out in the horizon. When I touch
the glass something weird happens, my whole body slow-
ly turns translucent and fragile. I take a deep breath and
cracks start forming around my body. The tears fall down
my face, creating bigger cracks. I look at you, and you can
hear my heart breaking. There’s so much I want to say, but I
can’t. Will you help me?”

Truths and Events

A story game works best if you tell a story, and a sto-
ry can be told only when we tell it. It’s fine to ask ques-
tions if we need insight or inspiration, and it’s fine to offer

How To Play
42

suggestions and take measure of what the other players are

interested in.
But the story flows forward when you introduce bold
truths and instigate events that invite a reaction.
This can sound like, “The music box opens of its own
accord, and the tinny sounds fill the air and draw you in.
The half soul within the music box stirs, and you hear the
softest sobs on the very edge of your hearing. But the music
box begins to shudder and shake, moving towards the edge
of the desk. The paintings on the wall move in sync, and
some of them crash onto the floor, as the music box inches
closer to the edge. It looks like the soul is trying to break
free, and surely the Living can hear what’s going on in the
room. What do you do?”
In this example the guide introduced a supporting char-
acter, the building power it acquired, and the threat of the
Living coming to investigate! By being bold, you can move
the story forward in interesting ways.
That being said, a truth or event doesn’t always have to
lead to trouble or something worrying. Our Haunt can be a
game of sweetness, intimacy, and comfort.
This can sound like, “When you float into the room you
hear the music box softly click open. As the tinny sounds
of a lullaby fill the room, you hear the echo of a yawn.
‘Hello, Delilah? That’s you, isn’t it? I just had the strang-
est dream, we were dancing in the moonlight. What do you
think it means?’ As they say that you see wisps of their half

OUR HAUNT
 43

soul stretch and catch the fading light in the room. You
can barely make their eyes, and the softest smile on their
face. ‘Maybe we should dance! You can teach me!’ What do
you do?”
In this example the guide introduced a supporting char-
acter, a sense of history between them and the main char-
acter, and an invitation for what happens next. You’re still
being bold, and the story is moving forward in interesting
ways. The stakes are lower, and a moment of connection
and comfort is created.

Room Moves
When it feels like the right moment, you can use a Room
Move. While your main character will also have their
Moves (Page 54) Room Moves work a little differently.
Room Moves are questions you can ask as the guide, to help
shape the scene. Room Moves support the theme of each
Room in the Haunt.
Room Moves all begin with “Ask someone.” Direct a
move towards a specific main character, and ask them to
make the Move. As you develop your style as a guide you’ll
discover how you can best use Room Moves, but here are
two ways that can help you get started: Directing a Room
Move through plain speech, and framing a Room Move as
a prompt.

How To Play
44

Direct the Room Move in Plain Speech

Read the Move as it is and direct it towards a specific main
character. This method is simpler and straightforward.
This can sound like, “Fable, as the Garden I ask you:
will you bury a secret in the soil? You see a finger bone
crooking at you, inviting you to leave something in the
soft soil. What kind of secret do you have that you want to
part with?”

Frame the Room Move as a Prompt

Interpret the move by generously describing the scene
or an event, and direct it towards a specific main charac-
ter. This method feels more like you’re telling a story and
inviting the other player to tell the story with you. It’s still
a good idea to announce the name of the Room Move.
This can sound like, “Rinoa, as the other ghosts are
gathered around ghostly floating tea cups, you hear the rat-
tling of Mx. Bones as they form under the dirt and leaves.
A sigh shivers through their cracked bones, and they
slowly crawl out of the soil. ‘Rinoa my dear, I smell a secret
about you. Something juicy, something sweet, something
a little sad. You can share with Mx. Bones, can’t you? Bury
it in the ground with me and keep me company?’ As the
Garden I’ll ask you: will you bury a secret in the soil?”
Another important aspect of the last example is that
before this moment, Rika, who is playing Rinoa, did

OUR HAUNT
 45

not establish that their character had a secret. This is

the guide offering an opportunity for Rika to create one
in the moment, a revelation to guide the narrative in
interesting directions.

Room Moves Grant Tokens

When a main character accepts a Room Move, they follow
the prompt and tell the next part of the story through role-
play, narration, or any combination of the two.
When a player accepts a Room Move, they’re free to
offer to make suggestions, clarify, or build upon the Room
Move. This can sound like, “Mx. Bones' eyes fall on my
nervous hands, and they see me holding onto a locket. If
I were still alive my knuckles would be pale from gripping
so tightly, but instead my aura is coming apart slightly to
show my feelings.”
To gain the token from the Room Move, the player
must do something that embodies the Room Move. This
can sound like, “I turn to the skeleton and say, ‘Mx. Bones,
this is just for safekeeping okay? Just for a little while. And
you can’t look inside the locket, you have to promise me!
Promise with whatever you have left of your pinky bone!’
I bend over and bury the locket in the soil. I think about
opening it, to look at what’s left of the burned photograph
inside, but I change my mind.”
A player can also choose to not accept the Room Move,

How To Play
46

and not accept the Token. If a player does this, it’s best to
be clear and say you’re not accepting the Move. This can
sound like, “I look down at the locket and look up at Mx.
Bones. I let go of the locket and it vanishes, and I inch away.
I deny the secret and quickly change the subject, talking to
Mx. Bones about the weather, as if that sort of thing mat-
ters to folks like us. I won’t accept the Move.”
Sometimes, a player may decide to accept or ask for
a Room Move as a supporting character. Usually only
main characters can earn tokens, but Room Moves are
an exception.
When a supporting character earns a token from a
Room Move, the player gives that token to the player the
Room belongs to.
For example, the loyal and silly ghost dog who is bonded
to The Cat is in The Attic. When they sing loudly enough
for the Living to hear us, the ghost dog earns a token. The
player roleplaying the dog takes the token, but hands it to
The Returned, because The Attic belongs to them.

OUR HAUNT
 47

PLAYING
YOUR MAIN
CHARACTER

Our Haunt is a story that flows around and centers on

its main characters. Your Playbook is made up of the follow-
ing elements:
» Lure, an invitation for other main characters to engage with
you and bring out the themes of your main character.
» Choices that inspire and invoke. When you make your char-
acter you choose their name, look, what they remember, what
they yearn for, and their bonds. All of this helps you create both
a starting point and a foundation for your main character.
» Tips that guide play.
» Ghostly Abilities, which are the cool spooky things your ghost
can do.
» Moves, divided into Strong Moves, Neutral Moves, and
Vulnerable Moves. These Moves engage with the core mechanic
of the game, tokens.

How To Play
48

It’s important to remember that your main character

Playbook will take some time to master. The first time you
play, you’re not expected to know the Moves, remember all
the Lures, or bring into every single scene every choice you
made during character creation.
Think of your Playbook as a palette for you to draw
inspiration from, something you can refer to in play. The
more sessions you play, the easier it will be to draw upon the
different colors of the palette.

Your Lure
Your main character has a unique Lure. This is an invi-
tation for other main characters to interact with you and
highlight the main themes of your Playbook.
Each Lure has two options. The first is something some-
one can ask of you, and the second is something someone
can tell you.
For example, The Doll’s Lure is, “When someone asks
me to sing a song OR tells me a white lie, they gain a token.”
When another main character does either of these things,
it allows The Doll to act childlike or to be treated like a
child. The Doll’s themes are childhood and body dysphoria.
How The Doll responds will give them a chance to touch on
these themes.

OUR HAUNT
 49

When a player follows the prompt of your Lure, they

gain a token. That token is taken from the center of the
table, the source. It is not taken from you personally.
Supporting characters don’t have Lures, and they don’t
gain tokens from interacting with a main character’s Lure.

How To Play
50

FLORENCE (FABLE) When you float into the

room you see the talkative skull floating in the air.
She’s gossiping about Lady Snowblood!
When I realize you’ve entered the Parlor, I throw on my
large hat and fuzzy blanket so you can at least tell where
I am. I remember to grin, since my mouth and many
teeth are the only things left of me.
“Delilah, did you walk all the way here by yourself
with your little legs? Whatever could be so import-
ant?” I ask you.
DEAN (DELILAH) I hurry over to you,
and you hear the porcelain of my limbs cracking and
threatening to give way. But I wave my small arms up
and down, obviously excited. In my scratchy voice I
whisper as loud as I can, “Fable! Fable! I found a new
name! A name for me!”
FLORENCE (FABLE) Oh that’s so lovely my
dear! What do I call you now?
DEAN (DELILAH) You can still call me
Delilah, I just want to collect more names. Unless that’s
not okay. Is that not okay?
FLORENCE (FABLE) My love, you can have as
many names as you like, and I will use any of them in
any way you like.
DEAN (DELILAH) “I’m so happy you said
that Fable, so so so happy! My new name is Finnegan
the Fierce! What do you think? I want to be Finnegan
the Fierce for… the whole day at least!” And I’m activat-
ing your Lure, I’m telling you one of my true names.

OUR HAUNT
 51

FLORENCE (FABLE) I had a feeling that’s what

you were doing, cool! Go ahead and take a token from
our pile over here at the center of the table. When you
tell me one of your true names I say, “Finnegan the
Fierce! A fine true name, a name made of fire and truth,
two things I love about you. Finnegan the Fierce, I do be-
lieve we need a song to commemorate such a discovery!”
So I’m going to activate your Lure too, I’m asking you
to sing a song. I’ll grab a token too.

How To Play
52

Your Choices
When you first make choices for your Playbook, you may
not know how all these evocative bits fit together. At the
start of every game, it’s a good idea to go over your Playbook
and pay special attention to the choices you made.
Maybe you can bring in what you remember in
this session, or focus on one of your bonds. Maybe you
want to tweak one of the aspects of your look, or change
your pronouns.
The choices you make offer a general inspiration for
who your character once was, how death has affected them,
and where their hope may guide them. Refer to them once
in a while in play.

Playbook Tips
Each Playbook comes with its own unique Tips, three in
total. If you’re at a loss for what to do, the Tips will help you
from moment to moment.
The first Tip tells you what to seek out or gives gener-
al guidance on how to apply most of your Moves. The
Betrayed is violent but seeks justice, The Returned protects
what is beautiful.

OUR HAUNT
 53

The second Tip offers the mystery surrounding your

death or what happened to you before you came to the
Haunt. But the Tip also reminds you that you can leave
behind the past if you like. Ask yourself if you want
answers, or if you want to move on; how you feel about that
may be different each time!
The third Tip reminds you to play into your vulnerabili-
ties. Found family can only be built on openness and when
we offer each other help. Interpreting this Tip will make it
easier to invite intimacy and closeness.

Your Ghostly Abilities

As a ghost, the rules of the Living no longer apply to you.
Here in the Haunt, you have strange new supernatural pow-
ers that you can use to help or hinder others as you see fit!
This is essentially how you haunt this old mansion and
make it your own.
Each Playbook has its own special set of four ghost-
ly abilities. You can interpret these abilities in any way
you like.
For example, The Cat can telepathically reach out to
other cats. In the moment, you can decide if this means
reaching out to the Living cats who reside in the Haunt, or
a group of ghost cats that emerge from the dusty paintings

How To Play
54

nearby. You could deliver a message, receive advice, or even

command the cats to do something specific.
The Faceless can listen to the truth of an object or a
room. This could look like The Faceless standing inside a
room and time coming undone, replaying a moment in
the past. Or The Faceless could touch a rocking chair and
hear the voices of those who were nearby, and declare what
truth they hear. This truth could offer a solution the ghosts
are looking for, or it could create new problems the others
have to deal with.
Whatever feels right for the story and cool in the
moment is the best way to use your ghostly ability.
When you use your ghostly ability, you decide if you’re
doing so as a Vulnerable Move (Page 55) or a Strong Move
(Page 60.)

Your Moves
​​
Your Playbook Moves serve as the clearest guideline for
your main character’s actions. They are a defined space that
invites your interpretation and creativity.
To make a Move, choose one from your Playbook and
follow the prompt. How you choose to interpret the prompt
and how it guides the actions of your main character is

OUR HAUNT
 55

entirely up to you. When you choose a Move to bring into

play, you don’t need to announce what the Move is exactly.
But it helps to do so sometimes, since everyone will under-
stand you’re activating one of your Moves.
There are three kinds of Playbook Moves: Strong Moves,
Neutral Moves, and Vulnerable Moves.

Vulnerable Moves
When you make a Vulnerable Move, you gain a token.
These Moves help create significant moments of tension,
suspense, and intimacy, or cause problems that make the
shared story more exciting.
Every Playbook has two unique Vulnerable Moves that
show a weakness, introduce a complication, or encourage
intimacy and vulnerability.
For example, The Doll can lose control of their body,
while The Betrayed can experience an incoherent flashback
of pain. Both of these Moves introduce specific themes
that are unique to each Playbook.
Every Playbook has three similar Vulnerable Moves:
1.) Use your ghostly abilities to great consequence.
A character can use their ghostly abilities at any time,
but if you choose to do so as part of a Vulnerable Move,
you earn a token. When you do, describe which ghost-
ly ability you use. Maybe things go well at first, before an
unintended consequence happens! Or maybe it all goes

How To Play
56

poorly from the start. Have fun with it! A complication from
ghostly shenanigans is a fun way for the story to take an
exciting turn.
It’s important to remember that even when you use
your ghostly ability to great consequence, you still use the
ghostly ability as you originally intended. A consequence
doesn’t undermine that intention.
For example, The Loved has the ghostly ability, heal
the brokenhearted and soul-shattered. When a player uses
this ghostly ability to great consequence, the consequence
cannot be that The Loved cannot heal the brokenheart-
ed and soul-shattered, or that the ghostly ability doesn’t
work. Whatever consequences arise, they do so after the
healing happens.
In the same example, the consequence could be that
when The Loved heals someone else, maybe their own
memories shift and a sad memory surfaces. Or they heal
someone, but a scary ghost is drawn to the healing energies
and The Loved is now in their clutches! You can also use a
ghostly ability as a Strong Move (Page 60.)
2.) Reach out and…
Because we are a found family, we build trust and con-
nection through reaching out to each other. Each Playbook
has their own unique way of reaching out, and it harmo-
nizes with the rest of the themes of the Playbook. For ex-
ample, The Returned can Reach out and offer forgiveness,

OUR HAUNT
 57

while The Betrayed can Reach out and hold another’s pain
as your own.
3.) Ask: Can you tell me about one of your
memories?
Memories are an important aspect of the afterlife in the
Haunt. When you ask another main character to tell you of
their memories, they refer to their Playbook under What I
Remember (Creating Characters, Page 24.)
They can also choose to talk about one of the unlocked
memories they have, if any. These unlocked memories are
the fragments they have of when they were Alive, or one of
the newer ones they created here in the Haunt (Regaining
and Creating Memories, Page 142.)
You can ask this question of supporting characters.
Whoever is playing the supporting character will decide in
the moment what kind of memory to describe.

How To Play
58

DEAN (DELILAH) Okay, we fed The Thing

In The Walls our emotions and memories and it won’t
go away. I think it’s time to take matters into my own
hands. As small and fragile as those hands may be.
I don’t have any tokens though so… I’m going to use a
ghostly ability to great consequence. I’m going to pos-
sess and control any doll in the area. We’re in the Parlor,
I think several of the curios are broken dolls. I reach
out with both of my small hands and my whole body
starts to shudder and shake, crack and break. As that
happens to me the broken dolls start moving on their
own, jerkily coming back together, their eyes glowing
an eerie purple.
I open my mouth to speak, but what everyone hears
is the voices of all the dolls in the room. Like several
creepy children whispering all at the same time, “Get
out! Get out! You’ve been fed and you’ve been cared for,
Thing In The Walls! Get out! Get out! Return to whence
you came! Get out! Get out!”
Florence, as the guide of the scene, what’s the conse-
quence? Let me go ahead and pick up that token.
FLORENCE (FABLE) First we’ll say how what
you were trying to do works, right? Because you used
your ghostly ability. The dark sludge that was com-
ing through the wallpaper stops dripping down to the
floor, and instead everything moves in reverse. The
sludge disappears into the walls, with a terrible sigh.
But as for your consequence… I think all the dolls start
filling with that sludge, it comes out of their eyes and
mouths. The Thing In The Walls speaks through the

OUR HAUNT
 59

dolls before it leaves, “M-m-more… so… h-h-hungry…

more, I will return for m-m-more…” It’s a deep and ter-
rible voice, and the dolls all shatter.
You feel your own body break apart! The consequence is
that you’ll have to find a new body, I’m afraid. All you
have left is your head.
DEAN (DELILAH) Ooof yeah, that sounds
about right, and I love that consequence. So, who wants
to help me find a new body?

How To Play
60

Neutral Moves
You can make a Neutral Move at any time, and do not
spend or earn tokens from them. Each Playbook has three
Neutral Moves.
Your Neutral Moves are what comes easily to your char-
acter, what feels natural or right for them to do. The Cat’s
neutral moves are very cat-like, The Betrayed has an easier
time being a little more scary than the other ghosts.
Neutral Moves are always a fine set of Moves to acti-
vate and build your roleplay and actions around. But if
you’re constantly using them and have a hard time using
a Vulnerable Move or Strong Move, ask other players for
suggestions or pick up a new Playbook that works better
with the kind of story you want to tell.

Strong Moves
To make a Strong Move, you must spend two tokens. You
earn these tokens through Vulnerable Moves, activating
another main character’s Lure, or accepting a Room Move.
Strong Moves are significant moments in the story
when your main character has a chance to shine, step into
the spotlight, and transform the situation. A Strong Move
can and should change the fiction in significant ways, creat-
ing a new bold path for the story you’re telling at the table.
Every Playbook has a Strong Move that allows you to
use a ghostly ability. The Doll can use their ghostly abilities

OUR HAUNT
 61

with uncanny grace, The Returned can use their ghostly

ability with a blessed touch. That extra bit of description
reminds you to connect to the core aspect of your Playbook.
The Doll has an unworldly way of moving, The Returned
has the touch of heaven about them.
You can also use a ghostly ability as a Vulnerable Move
(Page 55.)
Each Playbook also has four unique Strong Moves that
resonate deeply with the themes of the Playbook. The
Betrayed can use their rage like a sharp and precise knife,
The Beloved can fall in love. What this means and how it
supports or changes the story is up to you.
One of the unique Strong Moves is a question your
character can ask another. To ask the question, spend two
tokens as normal. When you ask this question, the answer
should give you an opportunity, an advantage, or a moment
to shine in the story. When you ask your question, decide
who answers. Let the player answer the question. You can
accept their answer, build upon it, or change a part of it
until you’re both happy with it.
For example, The Betrayed asks "What do I destroy
with ease?" The Beloved asks "Why do you love me most?"
The answer can sound like "You destroy the mirror easily,
shattering The Trickster inside and scaring them off" or
"I, the Trickster, love you most because you remind me of
who I loved most when I was Alive. Ashamed of what I’ve
become, I leave and return to the afterlife."

How To Play
62

When you activate a Strong Move, it’s an invitation for

the other players to support this moment. When you see
someone else activate a Strong Move, think about how you
can make this moment extra special and awesome!

What if I want to do something that isn’t

described in the Moves?
As you narrate and roleplay your main character, you may
feel like the Moves you have don’t quite cover what it is you
want to do.
First, it’s important to remember that you can interpret
the Moves broadly, and part of the fun of playing the game
is mastering how to apply different Moves in the moment.
This will become easier to do the more you play your char-
acter and grow familiar with their Moves.
That being said, if you the Moves really don’t apply, they
are not meant to restrict you. The Playbook is a guide, not
a harsh list of rules you must follow. Do what feels right
to you in the moment. Later you can return to the Moves,
gaining and spending tokens as you like.

OUR HAUNT
 63

RIKA (RINOA) While the two of you

loudly sing of FIRE and TRUTH and the essential na-
ture to be a FINNEGAN, I float into the parlor. You
see me cross my arms, making a big show of how silly I
think this all is, and I float towards the top of the room
to hang out in the chandelier with the broken angel.
We both watch you and turn up our noses.
FLORENCE (FABLE) Are you using one of your
Vulnerable Moves? That definitely sounds like you’re
judging us harshly and abandoning us!
RIKA (RINOA) You know what, I think
I am. Even my braids curve upwards even more, to
mimic the upturned nose. I turn to the angel and say,
“Good company is just ever so hard to find. But you’ll
entertain me instead, won’t you?” I’m going to pick up
a token for doing a Vulnerable Move. I’m being real-
ly snobbish here, even though it’s super obvious that
I missed you both and wanted to hang. I just felt really
left out.
DEAN (FINNEGAN) Hmmmm I’m not sure
how Finnegan would respond to that. I’m going to take
a second to look at my Neutral Moves for some ideas.
Oh! I have one, Sing softly to yourself. When you say
that Rinoa I get all shy and clam up, and I fall down
to the ground and look like a lifeless doll again. But I
gently sing to myself, a broken lullaby to soothe myself
as I struggle with my embarrassment.
FLORENCE (FABLE) Rinoa you talked about
feeling left out, right? I don’t think Fable and Finnegan
immediately realize that, but I have an idea for a

How To Play
64

Strong Move I could do. I could use a ghostly ability

with subtle clarity and touch a being and see into their
heart. But does that sound like something fun, or do
you want Rinoa to remain judgey and apart from us a
little longer?
RIKA (RINOA) That would be really
sweet and perfect actually! What does it look like when
you use your ghostly ability, Fable?
FLORENCE (FABLE) Okay, I’ll spend the two
tokens to use a ghostly ability with subtle clarity. My
fuzzy blanket falls away from my shoulders and my
large hat drifts downwards as I float towards you. There’s
a rush of whispers all around me, that fill up the entire
room. For a moment you see all these scribbles of ink
along the fancy wallpaper, and you realize it’s my name,
Fable, written over and over again. But the scribbles
unwrite and rewrite themselves, and instead the name
Rinoa covers all of the walls. I suddenly appear in front
of you, all teeth and grin, but my voice is gentle. You
feel my warm touch on your shoulder.
The scribbles rewrite themselves again, and all over
the walls the ink spells out “Why did they leave me
out? Why didn’t Finnegan wait for me so we could
sing together?”
What do you think? Should the scribbles spell out
something else instead?
RIKA (RINOA) I love it! That’s wonder-
ful. When I see the ink spell out my feelings my glasses
catch the light in an odd way, and you see through the
lenses. My eyes are full of tears, and I throw my arms

OUR HAUNT
 65

around you. I start crying great big tears. I’m sure it

looks like I’m not hugging anything, but I can feel your
warmth in my arms.
FLORENCE (FABLE) “Now Rinoa, it’s never
too late to join in a song. But I’m sorry we left you out, I
should have asked if you wanted to join us in the festiv-
ities, as impromptu as they were.”
RIKA (RINOA) I think this is a good time
to use one of my Vulnerable Moves, I reach out and offer
forgiveness. I really want this to be special, since Rinoa
is usually so stuck up!
I lay a hand on your invisible cheek, close to that float-
ing grin and all those teeth you have. I say, “I accept
your apology, Fable. And I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t
have made Finnegan feel bad. Can you help me make
it up to them?”

How To Play
66

The Language of Tokens

When you first start playing Our Haunt, everyone starts
with zero tokens.
You can always save whatever tokens you earn in between
sessions. At the end of the session, take note of how many
unspent tokens you have left. When you play the next ses-
sion, start with that many tokens.
If you have a hard time keeping track of your tokens, it’s
okay to ask the other players for help in keeping track of
them for you.
Tokens create a visible and tangible flow for the story
you tell together. They create moments of importance, a
time when you all pause to take notice.
» When a player gains a token through a Room Move,
there’s a moment where both a main character and a
Room come into rhythm. It means, “Together, we are
the Haunt.”
» When a player gains a token through a Vulnerable
Move, it means they’re introducing a complication:
“I’m revealing a vulnerable part of my heart.”
» When a player spends their tokens for a Strong Move,
it means, “I want to shine a little, and step into the spot-
light for a little while. Can you watch me?”
» When a player gains a token through a Lure, it means,
“I want to see your character shine in this moment.”

OUR HAUNT
 67

» When a player gives a token to another player, it means,

“I’m excited to see what you do with this.”
» When the players spend enough tokens for a ghost to re-
gain or create a memory, it means, “I want to see you
confront the past or create a new present with me.”
» The language of tokens helps you create your own unique
language, the language of your unique story.

How To Play
68

OUR
MEMORIES

When you create your main character to haunt this old

mansion, you decide what fragmented and faded memories
they still have.
There are two more ways the main characters unlock
new memories: they either regain a memory from when
they were Alive, or they create a new memory as the ghost-
ly family they are now.
When a main character unlocks a new memory, the
player writes it down on their Playbook and decides how
this memory will affect their character.
But how do you take on a new memory? At the end
of every session, every player declares how many of their
tokens they’ll spend on regaining a memory or creating a
new memory. You can find these two separate tracks on the
Memory Sheet (Page 142.)

OUR HAUNT
 69

When a player spends tokens towards regaining a mem-

ory, they describe a moment of closeness with at least one
other main character in the Haunt.
When a player spends tokens towards creating a mem-
ory, they describe a moment of happiness with at least one
other character.
You might be wondering why there are two separate
tracks to unlocking a memory. This is meant to represent
what’s more important to your group of characters and
their story. Do they want to recover fragments of their past,
or do they want to connect more fully to the present? The
answer to that question can change over time, and change
again. Our Haunt wants you to reflect on this question at
the end of every session.
Whether you’re regaining a memory or creating a new
one, everyone needs to collectively spend fifteen (15)
tokens to unlock a new memory. The tokens don’t need to
be spent all in one go, simply mark the number of tokens
you spend each time to keep track of your progress. Time
moves slowly in the Haunt and it can take a long while
before a memory surfaces.
When you spend the number of tokens required to
unlock the new memory, every player briefly discusses
which main character should regain or create a memory.
This is a collective decision that reflects how you feel about
each other as a player and the characters you’re all playing.

How To Play
70

Once you have decided which main character unlocks

a memory, the player of that main character looks at the
list of memories and which specific one is unlocked. Once
they choose which one, they mark it on the Memory
Sheet. Each memory is unique and can’t be chosen by
another player.
If the main character is regaining a memory, the mem-
ories are fragmented and often sad and haunting. This rep-
resents how the past is becoming a little bit clearer to the
main character. A player is encouraged to use the descrip-
tion as inspiration and build upon the fragment, making
it as detailed as they like. But it’s cool if the memory you
describe still has an edge of mystery to it, so you can bring
that mystery into the story the next time you play.
If the main character is creating a new memory, the
memory is a bright and shining one that represents your
new life with your new family in the Haunt. This means
the present is becoming more real and welcoming to your
ghost, and they’re building a new life (such as it is) with
the ghosts around them.
Creating a new memory should feel like a glimpse of
what happens to the ghosts and the other denizens of the
Haunt in between sessions of play. A player is encouraged
to use the description as a prompt and answer the question
to create a full and living memory—a memory that you’ll
be able to look back at fondly.

OUR HAUNT
 71

When you create a new memory choose who else is

involved in the memory, and together you all take turns
describing it.
If you want to unlock more memories, spend fifteen
(15) more tokens for each new memory.
If you can spend the required tokens for it, you can
unlock as many memories as you like at the end of a session.
It’s likely that you can both regain a memory and create a
new memory in the same session. If that happens, follow
the same steps. As a group, decide who regains a memory
and who creates a memory. They then take turns describing
the unlocked memories.

How To Play
72

It’s the end of the session and everyone is about to

spend tokens towards unlocking a memory.

DEAN So we’ve spent eight tokens towards

regaining a memory, and we’ve spent twelve tokens
towards creating a new memory. I think we can try
unlocking a new memory, if we all have enough tokens
to spend.
RIKA Yeah, my character was super vulnerable
this session, so I have a lot of tokens. In fact, I can spend
all seven tokens so someone can regain a memory.
FLORENCE That’s a lot of tokens! So it says here
you should describe how you spend time with at least
one of us in a moment of closeness after you spend
those tokens.
RIKA Let’s see. We had a lot of fun with the
Dread Sword Queen today in the parlor, didn’t we? I
think all three of us gather around the Sword Queen
as he tells these tall tales of when he was alive and the
people he defeated in duels! I beg the Sword Queen to
give us sword-fighting lessons.
DEAN That’s fun! Okay, I don’t have that many
tokens, I’ll spend one towards creating a new memo-
ry. So I have to describe a moment of happiness. I like
the idea of spending time with someone drawing on
the walls a new version of myself in a different body! A
body that would better suit Finnegan the Fierce! Rinoa,
I want to share this happy moment with you.

OUR HAUNT
 73

FLORENCE Perfect, I have two tokens so I’ll spend

that on creating a new memory too. It means we also
get to unlock that! I want to build on what you just de-
scribed Dean, I think some of your drawings come to
life and you realize it’s me, re-scribbling some of your
art just a smidge and adding bright colors.
RIKA Wow, that means we get to unlock two
memories today! So, who should regain a memory and
who should create a new one?
FLORENCE Rinoa was so vulnerable today like you
said, Rika. I think they should unlock a memory.
DEAN I agree! Rika, why don’t you choose if
Rinoa regains or creates a memory?
RIKA Hmmm, Rinoa went through a lot of
sad stuff today, I think it’d be nice if they got to create
a new memory. I’ll choose from the list, but give me
a little time to think about it. In the meantime, who
regains a memory?
FLORENCE Delilah hasn’t unlocked a new memo-
ry yet, so I think they should. Besides, I wonder if the
new true name of Finnegan shifted a memory and
helped them remember something from when they
were Alive?
DEAN Oh that’s a great idea, let’s do that. I
already know which one I’ll choose, I’ve been think-
ing about this for a while. I’ll regain the following
memory: City lights through the rain, the crush of
broken glass, “Were the stars always this beautiful?”

How To Play
74

The rain is coming down hard, and you can hear it

slamming down hard on the roof. You can barely make
out that it’s a loft, one of those big ones that used to be
a warehouse, all brick and steel. There’s a party going
on, the colorful lights flash across several bodies, and
I’m moving through the crowd. I’m looking for some-
one, but I can’t remember who. I’m overwhelmed by
the party and make my way to one of the big windows.
Someone’s standing there, their back turned towards
me. Their voice is so familiar, and I hear them say,
“Were the stars always this beautiful?”
Before I can respond, I notice the glass in front of
them is broken, and their hands are covered in blood.
They’re about to turn to look at me, and I hear someone
from the crowd calling my name, a name that almost
sounds like Finnegan, but it’s not that it’s— And then
the memory ends.
RIKA Woah that’s really intense!
FLORENCE Yeah I really like that! Rika, did you
choose which memory you’re going to create?
RIKA I chose this one: We played in the kitch-
en, pretending to eat and clean up afterwards. What did
we celebrate? I know what we pretended to eat, we made
an imaginary angel food cake! A really tall one, made
of dozens and dozens of tiers, all the way up to the ceil-
ing. But I’m not sure what we celebrated. Since we take
turns when we create a memory, what do you think we
were celebrating?
FLORENCE How about a Death Day? We don’t

OUR HAUNT
 75

remember much from when we were Alive, but we re-

member when we showed up in the Haunt, right? How
about we chose the day we arrived to be our Death Day?
And we all came on different days! We could celebrate
Rinoa’s Death Day!
RIKA That’s so sweet! We have party hats and
presents, and bones and insects, and we play games in
the parlor and have tea in the garden. Yeah, I like that!
I’ll write that down in my Playbook.

How To Play
76

AN
EXAMPLE
OF PLAY

In this section you’ll find a long example of what play could

look like during a session of Our Haunt. When you read
through the example, take note of the following and keep
them in mind when you play the game:
» How do the players collaborate to tell a story?
» How do the players check in with each other?
» When do the players narrate what happens next, and
when do they activate one of their Moves? How would
the story change if they activated a different Move
instead?

OUR HAUNT
 77

Florence, Dean, and Rika have been playing Our

Haunt for three sessions now. It’s their fourth
session, and they’re comfortable drawing
inspiration from their Playbooks, seeing the options
as a palette to guide the story. The players have
gotten the hang of play and are confident in
discovering the story together.
They played out two scenes and took a break. After
making sure everyone is comfortable and ready to
play, they start playing their third scene.
They’ve agreed beforehand that when the third
scene ends, they’ll wrap up the session.

FLORENCE (FABLE) Before we do this

last scene, I’ll check our notes from the beginning of
the session, when we talked about what we wanted to
do today. So, we wanted to focus on the Faceless and
the Parlor today, and we got to spend time dueling the
Dread Sword Queen and the Living tarot reader came
by and did readings for us, which was nice!
But we haven’t spent time with the silent angel in the
Attic, who is one of Rinoa’s bonds. How about our last
scene for today’s session focusing on Rinoa and the si-
lent angel?
RIKA (RINOA) I’d really like that!
I actually didn’t play Rinoa a lot because all the differ-
ent supporting characters felt more fun today. I’d love
this session to end with a cozy moment with the angel.

How To Play
78

DEAN (DELILAH) Sounds great, so

let’s go over the start of the scene questions. Who is
in this scene? Okay we have Rinoa and the silent an-
gel. Anyone else? Delilah had a lot of scenes today so
I think I’ll pick up a supporting character instead. I’ll
play the silent angel.
FLORENCE (FABLE) I think Fable will
be here. I’ve been chilling with the angel, putting mu-
sic on the gramophone for them. So next question,
Where is the scene taking place? I mean, I know the
Bond says “the silent angel in the Attic” but they don’t
have to be stuck there right? We also have the Garden,
or we can go back to the Parlor.
RIKA (RINOA) Actually I’d love
to hang out in the Attic, I chose that Room to be mine
because of the Bond with the angel. I also like the idea
that they can’t actually leave the attic, it feels a little
mysterious and sad.
DEAN (THE SILENT ANGEL) Are you sure,
Rika? It’s your Room and you’ll be guiding the scene.
If you don’t want to play both Rinoa and The Attic we
can set the scene somewhere else. I’m also happy to
jump in and play all the other supporting characters
that show up.
RIKA (RINOA) I think I can han-
dle playing both Rinoa and The Attic at the same time,
compared to when we first started playing. But thanks
for the offer, Dean—I’ll take you up on that. In case any
other supporting characters show up, you can play as
them after I introduce them.

OUR HAUNT
 79

FLORENCE (FABLE) The next question

is Who else is in the scene? Rika this is your scene, what
do you think?
RIKA (RINOA) We had soooooo
many supporting characters show up this session, I
think for now I’m okay with it just being Fable, Rinoa,
and the angel. We’ll see who wanders into the Attic! We
have all these people in the photographs in the Attic
after all, and they can get kind of chatty.
DEAN (THE SILENT ANGEL) Let’s not forget
that old chest full of eyes and teeth that eats secrets.
We named him Bob and I don’t think he liked that. He
may show up to cause mischief! Last question is: What
is the scene about, maybe? Rinoa, are there any Room
Moves you want to use today, like one of those that only
happen once per session?
RIKA (RINOA) Oooh yeah there’s
one I haven’t gotten to try yet, Breathe stolen life into
the odds and ends abandoned in the Attic. We can go
through the rest of that Move when it’s time. Okay,
since we answered all the questions, I’ll go ahead and
start the scene.
The old gramophone is playing music. The vinyl
has been worn down and damaged over the years, so
the sound is a little strange, like it’s coming from
underwater.
You can see the dust motes in the air sparkling like
stars in the fading light, and the sun is setting in the
distance. The people in the photographs move from
time to time, traveling from one photo to another, and

How To Play
80

behind the white sheets the paintings gossip to each

other in hushed tones.
Rinoa slowly fades into the room, they travel through
the stained glass window and for a moment their form
is all crystalline colors, before they fade back into the
muted colors they usually are.
Fable and the silent angel, what do we see of you?
DEAN (THE SILENT ANGEL) Florence, you said
earlier that Fable and the angel have been hanging
out, chilling, listening to music, right? I think that’s
what we’re doing now. My long black hair falls like wa-
ter down my back, all the way to the floor. The sash at
my waist floats like the blindfold I’m wearing, and the
eyes drawn on the blindfold blink open and close slow-
ly. I’m not smiling, but I radiate contentment. Rinoa,
when you come in I raise a hand to acknowledge you,
and silently ask you to come closer.
How about you, Fable?
FLORENCE (FABLE) I think for some
reason I’m so startled when Rinoa comes in, we had
that little misunderstanding earlier when I was sing-
ing with Delilah. I think a part of me feels guilty that I
was hanging out with the silent angel without you. I’m
going to activate a Neutral Move, lose your form and
become an object, for now.
I turn into an exact copy of the gramophone, you can’t
even tell the difference between me and the real one
at first. But the music coming out of me harmoniz-
es at a different note with the music, filling the attic
with sound.

OUR HAUNT
 81

RIKA (RINOA) I think this is an-

other chance for Rinoa to show off a little bit. I float
towards the two of you, upside down and pigtails point-
ing towards the floor. I push my glasses up my nose
and say, “You know, in heaven, there’s no sound and
no music. Everyone just communicates to each other
telepathically, and the light moves like music instead.
That’s Tell a truth about heaven,or lie about it. It’s one
of my Neutral Moves.
And uh, I’m definitely lying about it, I just want to
make you feel a little silly.
FLORENCE (FABLE) Oooh this is a
good opportunity for me to activate a Vulnerable Move.
The horn of the gramophone moves like a mouth, and
my haunting voice comes through. I ask you, “Can you
tell me about one of your memories? What was it like
in heaven?” I’ll grab a token for that.
RIKA (RINOA) I’m caught off
guard a little, and it shows. I think there’s a moment
when I think about lying, but I stop myself. I float down
to the ground and sit next to the gramophone. One
of the memories I have is laughing in the sunlight, I
think I’ll build on that. In my mind I can see them,
reaching out a hand to me, the sunlight is glinting off
their glasses, we’re laughing together. I say, “I honest-
ly don’t know if it was really heaven. But it was warm,
and it was so easy to laugh.” I sigh a little bit. “Laughing
when you’re dead isn’t quite the same, is it?”
I think this is a good time to activate one of the Room
Moves. Rinoa floats over to the silent angel and offers

How To Play
82

a hand. The music swells all around us, and it’s almost
like everything else fades out of view. It’s just the three
of us, shining here in the Attic.
Dean, as the Attic I’m asking the silent angel, will you
dance, sing, make enough noise for the Living to hear
us? I nod towards the gramophone and smile at you.
DEAN (THE SILENT ANGEL) I take your hand,
and the blindfold falls away as I stand up. I’m much tall-
er than you, and as we dance we float upwards, near the
roof. I open my eyes and light pours out, and I fill the
room with the warmest sunlight. Silently, I’m telling
you that what you remember is heaven, that heaven is
wherever we make it.
As we dance we move around the Attic and bump into
the paintings, the furniture, and I knock over an en-
tire shelf! It’s a lot of noise, definitely enough for the
Living to hear us. I’ll grab a token, but since I’m play-
ing a supporting character and this is the Attic, I’ll give
the token to you Rika.
RIKA (RINOA) I love that! The
music grows louder and louder, and sure enough we
hear footsteps as one of the Living comes up the stairs.
“Hello? Is anyone there? I can hear music!” You rec-
ognize his voice, it’s one of the fathers who live down-
stairs, it’s Arjun. So his husband, Raf, might be com-
ing up soon too. What do either of you do?
FLORENCE (FABLE) Oooh this is a
chance for me to use a ghostly ability, I have take on
the form of any being you see. I’m going to say that
in one of the old photographs there’s a lovely old lady,

OUR HAUNT
 83

and I know from haunting the other Rooms that she’s

Arjun’s grandmother.
I look at the photo, and from under the large hat a
face starts coming into focus. It’s a perfect copy of the
grandmother’s face.
RIKA (RINOA) Nice! Are you go-
ing to spend the two tokens to use your ghostly ability
with subtle clarity, or are you going to pick up a token
by using your ghostly ability to great consequence?
FLORENCE (FABLE) Let’s pick up a to-
ken! I barely remember to set aside the fuzzy blanket
and hat before I walk to the Attic door. I open it before
Arjun reaches it, and put on a wide smile that I’ve seen
in the photographs. I’m not sure what her voice is sup-
posed to sound like, so I just smile silently.
What consequence happens, Rika?
RIKA (RINOA) Oh, I have an
idea! Arjun looks up at you, and he’s so shocked that he
almost falls down the stairs. He starts stammering, but
he can’t form a complete word.
Before you can react you see a ghost pop out from the
side of the wall above Arjun’s head, and you recognize
the grandmother! She winks at you and starts laugh-
ing. “Oh poor Arjun, I must have been dead for about
five years now! He cried so much at my funeral. The
sweetheart.”
So yes you copied the grandmother perfectly, and now
you even know what her voice sounds like. But she died
and Arjun is freaking out, that’s your consequence.

How To Play
84

FLORENCE (FABLE) Oh no! That’s

such a great consequence, Rika. My eyes widen a lit-
tle bit, but I open my mouth and perfectly mimic the
grandmother’s voice. I say, “This is a dream! You ate
too much rice for lunch and you’ve fallen asleep on the
couch.”
DEAN (ARJUN) Let me go ahead
and play Arjun and the grandmother, since I promised
I’d play any supporting characters. Arjun blinks rapid-
ly, and then his shoulders slump down in relief. “Right,
a dream! That makes sense, lunch was really delicious
today.”
FLORENCE (FABLE) “Exactly so! Now,
I’ve… come here to… give you a… message. Yes, that’s it,
a message!”
DEAN (ARJUN) “Oh! Is this a
message from the grave or just a regular message from
my subconscious?”
FLORENCE (FABLE) “Uh, both!”
DEAN (ARJUN) “Wow, that’s pret-
ty efficient for my brain.”
RIKA (RINOA) Okay, I think this
is the perfect time to activate the once per session Move
of the Attic! Let me read it out: Breathe stolen life into
the odds and ends abandoned in the Attic. Describe the
haunting spectacle on display. Ask someone: What is
the Attic trying to tell you that only you understand? If
they answer, they gain a token.
The “stolen life” here is you taking on the grandmother’s

OUR HAUNT
 85

form, the Attic responds. The real grandmother floats

into the room, phasing through the walls. As she
moves through the gramophone the song changes, and
it’s a song she used to play a lot for the children when
they were young.
She turns to look at you Fable, and you can see her
smile is a little more sad now. What is the Attic trying
to tell you, Fable, that only you can understand?
FLORENCE (FABLE) I think… I think
she’s trying to tell me that she wants Arjun to remem-
ber the better memories from when he was a child. She
wants him to be a little less serious, to enjoy the time
he has with his children. To dance, like he loved to, as a
child.
RIKA (RINOA) That’s so lovely,
go ahead and pick up a token for answering the ques-
tion. All of the photographs change for a moment as
the haunting grows in power, and they’re all images of
Arjun’s childhood. He wanted to grow up to be a danc-
er, a star on the stage. The grandmother looks at you
Fable and says, “He always shined the most when he
danced. I loved many things about Arjun, but I loved
him dancing the most.”
FLORENCE (FABLE) I turn to Arjun
and I repeat that… I tell him how much I loved to
see him dance. I ask him to dance with his chil-
dren and husband, not for me, but for him. For his
own happiness.
DEAN (ARJUN) Arjun is so overwhelmed
by the music, by seeing you, by the photos in the room

How To Play
86

changing. But he remembers that this is supposedly

just a dream, and he calms down. He nods and smiles,
tears streaming down his face.
FLORENCE (FABLE) If it’s okay Rika, I think
I’ll gently lead him down the stairs and back to the
couch, so he can “wake up” when he’s ready?
RIKA (RINOA) Yeah, I think that’s a love-
ly place to end the scene. We’re back in the Attic. The
grandmother, the silent angel, Rinoa, and Fable are all
dancing to the music. We see Arjun falling asleep on
the couch, a smile on his face. The music slowly fades,
and as it does we ghosts fade away too.
And then there’s just the Attic, quiet and empty. The
dust motes hang in the air, and the sun sets. The Attic
darkens into the colorless shade of twilight.
DEAN That was a beautiful
scene, thank you for guiding that Rika. Shall we an-
swer the end of game questions?

Both Rika and Florence agree, and the

three bring the session to a close.

OUR HAUNT
 87

FLOW OF
PLAY

At the start of the game, ask:

» Who of us wants to focus on the story of their character or their
Room of our Haunt?
» Who of us wants to voice supporting characters?
At the start of each scene, ask:
» Who is in this scene? (Choose 2–3 main characters.)
» Where is this scene taking place? (Choose 1 Room of the
Haunt.) They will become the guide of the scene.
» Who else is in this scene? (At least one of us will assist the guide
and play some supporting characters who may be present.)
» What is the scene about, maybe?
At the end of the game, ask:
» Does anyone want to trade tokens before we end our session?
What does that look like in story terms?
» Are we spending tokens to recover memories or create new ones?
» What did we like about today’s session? What didn’t we like
so much?

How To Play
PLAYBOOKS
90
THE BETRAYED

» Deliver your cruel and violent form of justice.

» Find and destroy who wronged you, or leave that mystery behind.
OUR»HAUNT
Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
 91

There is so much pain, a cycle of torture you can’t break away

from. The anger is hot, blinding, the only thing that keeps you
from falling into despair. You can’t remember who wronged
you, but they did, and they got away with it. For now.
Your wrath is a fire. Will it consume you, leaving ashes? Or
is there another way? Will you protect those around you in
the Haunt, or will they be tools in your quest for revenge?

LURE

When someone asks me to hurt another or tells me why

they’re angry, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A short and sharp name » A name taken from a

» An old and forgotten name broken heart
» A name someone forced me » A name that I will have to
to bear bury in my pain one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Knotted hair with trinkets » A voice like crushed metal

woven into it » A form twisted and hardened
» Damp skin, cracked by pain
and bruised » A long shadow that shows who
» Feral movements that betray I used to be
my anger » Something else that shows I
» Blackened blood and died violently
unhealed wounds

Playbooks
92

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» Flashes of a difficult death » A kiss for protection and luck

» Screaming under water » Red lipstick left where it
» A curse whispered from shouldn’t be
bloodied lips » A dying wish whispered into
» Hands around the neck an ear

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To find who did this and make » To make the Living pay dearly
them suffer » To replace a family I can’t
» To make sure no one else is remember
betrayed like me ever again » To empower those who have
» To find peace in the Haunt been betrayed like me
» To burn up and destroy myself

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A Living child who I » A photo album of voices who

must protect speak to me
» A ghost filled with more » A runaway who sees who I used
spite than me to be
» A mirror that shows the real me » A raven who speaks only to me

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» How can you help me seek revenge? Why don’t I involve you?
» Why aren’t you afraid of me?

OUR HAUNT
 93

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use a ghostly ability with righteous anger
T » Protect someone or something important
R
O » Use your rage like a sharp and precise knife
N » Avenge someone else
G
» Ask: What do I destroy with ease?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Fill the room with shadows and soft sounds
T » Scratch your nails on a surface, leaving blood behind
R
A » Embody your white hot rage, for a moment
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use a ghostly ability with great consequence
N » Break someone or something important to you
E
R » Experience an incoherent flashback of pain
A » Reach out and hold another’s pain as your own
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Fling objects at a target » Pour your pain and fear into
» Twist yourself into horrifying, another being
menacing shapes » Become what someone fears
and use it maliciously

Playbooks
94
THE CAT

» Seek out other animals and learn what you can from them.
» Find out if you were ever human, or leave that mystery behind.
OUR»HAUNT
Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
 95

You find yourself in this dreadfully dirty place, among these

strange human ghosts. You’re pretty sure cats are supposed to skip
this strange in-between purgatory humans like for themselves
and yet… and yet, you have vague memories of humanity.
Were you human once? Or is there something else going on?
Whatever the case, it’s not like you can let these poor humans
fend for themselves. You’ll have to take care of them, of course.

LURE

When someone asks me for my feline perspective or tells

me why I’m cute, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A sweet and cute name » A name taken from a

» A silly but serious name broken memory
» A name someone gave me to » A name that I’ll have to accept
keep forever one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» A sleek and carefully » A shadow that doesn’t quite

groomed coat follow me
» Eyes of different colors » A beautiful singing voice no
» A collar with someone else’s one appreciates
name on it » Something else that clearly
» A softly ringing bell that forgets shows my effortless perfection
to ring sometimes
» A scar from a glorious battle

Playbooks
96

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» A warm bed with someone who » An unopened present

loved me » Being taken care of while sick
» Someone calling me by a » A strangled scream in the dark
different name » The taste of blood
» The winding streets of home

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To find my way back home » To right a great wrong

» To prove I am invaluable » To prove I was once human
» To be the best ghost cat around » To meet the Great Ghost Cat
» To find the perfect servant King

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A loyal and silly ghost dog » The nice old man who can’t
» A young Living cat who sees leave the photograph on the wall
me as their mentor » The cat made of bones that
» A Living child who doesn’t everyone can hear but only I
know I’m a ghost can see
» A group of ghost cats who
depend on me

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» How do I bother you? Why do you secretly like it?

» Why must I prove myself to you? Why do I let you down?

OUR HAUNT
 97

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use your ghostly abilities with perfect finesse
T » Ensnare someone with your unblinking gaze
R
O » Distract or mislead someone
N » Find a secret passage and describe where it leads
G
» Ask: Why do you want to follow my commands?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Stare, and reveal nothing
T » Observe silently from a high perch
R
A » Avoid speaking by licking yourself clean
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use your ghostly abilities with great consequence
N » Overstep your bounds
E
R » Show your open desire for affection
A » Reach out and show how much you care
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Telepathically reach out to » Turn into dusky smoke
other cats and disappear
» Sense predators and prey in » Become a shadow and stalk
the area your prey

Playbooks
98
THE DOLL

» Manipulate with your apparent innocence and naivete.

» Find how you were put into this body, or leave that mystery behind.
OUR» Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
HAUNT
 99

You wake up feeling constricted, suffocated. The world around you

is suddenly so large, wide, overwhelming. But your body is not your
own, and your small voice is strange and terrifying. You’ve woken
up in the body of a doll, and don’t remember how you got here.
Did you come into this body willingly? Or did someone force
you into this strange vessel? Your best chance at leaving this
prison is by working with the other ghosts of your Haunt.

LURE

When someone asks me to sing a song or tells me a white

lie, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A beautiful and old name » A name taken from a

» A half-remembered name broken promise
» A name I took from » A name that I’ll have to give to
the undeserving someone else one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Porcelain falling from my face » Long tangled hair that others

» Missing limbs and extra eyes lovingly comb
» Clothing ill-suited » A scratchy and whispering
and unflattering voice I don’t like
» Slow blinking eyes that I » Something else that shows I am
cannot control a work in progress
» Secrets written on skin by a
shaking hand

Playbooks
100

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» Bullying someone vulnerable » A mirror showing a dark

» Breaking down in front of reflection behind me
someone uncaring » A breaking bone and a long sigh
» Being protected » A rusty blade I can’t let go of
» A ring that belonged to
someone else

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To make my small » To meet the Doll Maker

form stronger » To make my body more
» To prove I didn’t deserve pleasing to me
this punishment » To find a human body
» To find someone who will take to control
care of me forever » To create an army of Dolls

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A Living dollmaker who visits me » A music box containing half a soul

» Another ghost in an » A fragment of a ghost that
unmoving doll steals secrets
» A Living psychic who seeks my » A doll made of many other
wisdom dolls, trapped and despairing

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» What shameful secret do we share? Why can’t we tell anyone?

» Why do you think I’m a liar? Why do you still like me?

OUR HAUNT
 101

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use a ghostly ability with uncanny grace
T » Tell a lie that someone wants to believe
R
O » Change your body in a spooky manner
N » Find another body, ready to be your vessel
G
» Ask: Why do I appear innocent and harmless?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Break and lose a part of yourself
T » Sing softly to yourself
R
A » Be very, very still
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use a ghostly ability with great consequence
N » Lose control of your body
E
R » Share a secret that’s not yours to share
A » Reach out and take care of another
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Possess and control any doll in » Sing a song that creates fear,
the area calm, or anger
» Assume the form of a » Convince a being to care
small child for you

Playbooks
102
THE LOVED

» Seek out vulnerable and true connections.

» Find out if you were ever truly loved, or leave that mystery behind.
» Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
OUR HAUNT
 103

The last thing you remember is love. Pure, raw, pained, perfect
love. Filling your heart to bursting, breaking it mercilessly.
Out of all the ghosts, you look and sound the most human.
You almost pass for the Living, if not for the shadow of
sadness in your eyes, the lingering cold in your touch.
But is someone out there looking for you? Will you make
your way back to them and say goodbye? Or find love in the
arms of another? Will you teach the Haunt what it means to
love, or you build walls around what’s left of their hearts?

LURE

When someone asks for my love or tells me why I’m beauti-

ful, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A pretty and sad name » A name taken from a

» A long and complicated name broken dream
» A name given to me with » A name that I’ll have to change
undeserved love one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Large eyes full of hope I » Soft scars across pink skin

don’t have » Poetry inked into the skin
» Intricate and delicate clothing » A locket I stole from someone else
from another time » A gentle and fleeting smile
» A song only I can hear that » Something else that takes the
guides my steps breath away

Playbooks
104

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» A whispered promise of forever » Hot tears in the rain

» Flowers braided like a prayer » A hollow laugh that follows me
into hair in the dark
» A moment of stolen passion » A burning photograph in
» Breaking hearts because I could my hands

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To find my previous lover and » To leave a trail of broken hearts

say goodbye » To seek revenge against my
» To teach those around me to former lovers
believe in love » To fall in love for the last time
» To find comfort and distraction » To find the bones of my beloved
in this purgatory and burn them to ash

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A Living writer who doesn’t » A ghost who knows more about

know I’m dead me than they should
» A teenage ghost who sees me as » A Living painter who thinks
their family I’m their muse
» A spirit who lives among » A Living criminal on the verge
decaying flowers of death, who I take care of

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» Why do you love me? Why don’t I believe in your love?

» What do you know about love that I don’t? Why can’t you teach me?

OUR HAUNT
 105

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use a ghostly ability with loving care
T » Hold a vulnerable being to a promise
R
O » See clearly who or what a being desires most
N » Fall in love
G
» Ask: Why do you love me most?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Smile, and mean it
T » Smile, to hide the pain
R
A » Tell someone what makes them beautiful
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use a ghostly ability with great consequence
N » Put someone else’s needs ahead of your own
E
R » Break someone else’s heart and enjoy it
A » Reach out and create a moment of intimacy
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Make yourself irresistible » Heal the brokenhearted and
» Draw the dark and twisted to soul-shattered
your beauty » Be what another character
needs most in this moment

Playbooks
106
THE FACELESS

» Seek out those who don’t understand themselves, and show them truth.
» Find out if you were ever truly alive, or leave that mystery behind.
OUR»HAUNT
Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
 107

There’s barely anything left of you. You are the softest shadow,
the trick of the light, movement in the corner of someone’s
eye. But you feel deeply. You are connected to everyone’s silent
thoughts, desires, fears, and give them voice and substance.
Will you discover and reclaim your true face? Can you help the
ghosts of the Haunt connect to what they truly desire? Or will you
distance and protect yourself, demanding a price from them?

LURE

When someone asks me to see their true face or tells me one

of their true names, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A name that is a sound » A name from a broken mirror

» A name of an object I found » A name that I will have to earn
» A fragment of a name one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» An endless refraction of light » The sound of unseen jewelry

» An unwelcome knock on » A voice just on the edge
the door of hearing
» Shifting colors in the corner of » Dark footprints and
the eye handprints left on the wall
» A wide and uneven smile » Something else that shows how
moored to nothing little of me remains

Playbooks
108

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» Healing someone with my voice » A surgeon’s sharp tools

» Standing in the spotlight » An argument reaching
» Smiling for the camera fever pitch
» Sobbing in the dark » The sound of breaking glass

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To find out why I can see » To find a way to cease to be

people’s hearts and minds » To make more like me
» To ease the pain and suffering » To find a portal to
of others another purgatory
» To manipulate others to serve » To become someone again
me unconditionally

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A mysterious person that » A Living man who sings a

speaks to me through a book broken song whenever I
that writes itself am near
» A three legged cat that seeks » A shadowy being who whistles
my affection a haunting tune
» A sagely but forgetful ghost » A Living tarot reader who
comforts me with the cards

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» How do I make you sad?

» Why do you shield your thoughts from me?

OUR HAUNT
 109

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use a ghostly ability with subtle clarity
T » Uncover a fragment of a memory
R
O » Create a perfect mirror copy of yourself
N » Become physical and real, for now
G
» Ask: What truth do you tell me?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Stare into nothing and see the unseen
T » Lose your form and become an object, for now
R
A » Stumble through words, revealing nothing
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use a ghostly ability with great consequence
N » Admit to a secret weakness or shame
E
R » Act cold and inhuman, cruel and distant
A » Reach out and whisper a kind truth
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Touch a being and see into » Speak from the grave and
their heart channel a spirit
» Take on the form of any being » Listen to the truth of an object
you see or room

Playbooks
110
THE RETURNED

» Seek out all beings of light and beauty, and protect them from harm.
» Find a way back into heaven, or leave that mystery behind.
OUR»HAUNT
Be vulnerable, and share that vulnerability with others.
 111

You were somewhere beautiful. Perfect. Happy. There

was light, warmth, a perfect sense of coming home.
Was it heaven? But something, or someone, pulled you
back. Did you fight back and break something? Or
was the intention to place you in this gray limbo?
So where do you go from here? Will you try to make your
way back to the light and bring the others of the Haunt with
you? Or will you track down who or what did this to you?

LURE

When someone asks me to comfort them or tells me why

they don’t believe in heaven, they earn a token.

CHOOSE A NAME

» A long and honorable name » A name from a broken song

» A poetic and surprising name » A name that I will have to
» An ancient name remember one day

CHOOSE A LOOK (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Leaves and flowers in » The hint of wings, the shadow

complex braids of a halo unseen
» Large glasses that cover half » A need to hum and move
my face my hands
» Dozens of layers in every color, » Something unexpected and
soft and inviting frightening
» Bare feet that never quite touch » Something else that shows how
the ground much I don’t belong here

Playbooks
112

WHAT I REMEMBER (CHOOSE 2)

» Making a promise I couldn’t keep » Stalking someone from

» Gently comforting someone the shadows
» Laughing in the sunlight » A desperate prayer
» An emotional painting on a » A weapon covered in shadow
large canvas

WHAT I YEARN FOR (CHOOSE 1)

» To make my way back » To find a fragment of God

to heaven hidden in this Haunt
» To find out who or what » To find a demon and break
brought me back a promise
» To destroy limbo and free all » To make sure no one else gets to
trapped ghosts forever heaven again
» To find my stolen halo and
reclaim my wings

BONDS (CHOOSE 2)

» A psychic who » A Living sibling I left behind

dreams prophecies » A Living exorcist who
» A Living private detective protects me
investigating my death » A friendly but painfully
» A silent angel in the attic nervous ghost

RELATIONSHIPS (CHOOSE 1 TO ASK)

» Why am I your best friend forever?

» Why don’t you believe me about heaven? Why do you want to?

OUR HAUNT
 113

MOVES

SPEND two tokens to…

S » Use a ghostly ability with a blessed touch
T » Appear to others as an angel or being of light
R
O » See one possible fate for another being
N » Find something holy and describe what it does
G
» Ask: Why do you believe in me?

N At any time you may…

E
U » Reveal a shadow of your divinity
T » Draw beings of light and innocence to you
R
A » Tell a truth about heaven, or lie about it
L

V Gain A token when…

U
L » Use a ghostly ability with great consequence
N » Hurt someone out of spite or despair
E
R » Judge someone harshly and abandon them
A » Reach out and offer forgiveness
B
L » Ask: Can you tell me about one of your memories?
E

Ghostly Abilities
» Fill a room with » Place a powerful prayer
otherworldly light of protection
» Beseech the angels and » Connect a vulnerable being to
surrender to them their inner light

Playbooks
ROOMS
116
THE ATTIC

OUR HAUNT
 Memories painted in fading light, what is left to 117
gather dust and time remains here in the Attic.
From the window the sky reaches out to forever. Sometimes someone
from the path can see one of us peering past the curtains. It is here
where time moves the slowest, where memories feel the most precious.

Rooms
118

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Whispering paintings covered by white sheets

» A collection of dolls and toys that move when you’re not looking
» Letters and diaries that carry strong emotions
» Dozens of photographs, the people in them moving from one photo-
graph to another
» Windows of brightly colored glass and intricate designs
» Wedding attire that dances by itself in the moonlight
» An old carpet bag filled with strange and beautiful things
» An old gramophone that plays whatever music it wants to play
» A large comfy bed with mismatched blankets and pillows
» A doll house that looks exactly like our house, with little versions of
us inside
» Something else that tells us time moves differently here

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» A ghostly wind that creates big messes and demands attention

» An old chest full of eyes and teeth that eats secrets
» A collection of partial souls are here, and sometimes one of
them escapes
» Jagged memories collect in the corners, if we're not careful we may
hurt ourselves
» A diorama of the town is here, and some of the little versions of
people cause mischief
» An old television screen, unplugged and broken, turns on by itself
and shows us what we don't want to see
» Shadows of violence and hate scratch from inside of closets and
locked chests
» Something else wants to lock us away and keep us up here forever

OUR HAUNT
 119

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to dance, sing, make enough noise for the Living to
hear us
» Ask someone to look through the window and describe what they see
» Ask someone to find something unexpected
» Ask someone to dive into the abandoned items in the Attic and
make up stories or reveal hidden truths; everyone who does the
same gains a token too
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Attic

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Breathe stolen life into the odds and ends

abandoned in the Attic.
» Describe the haunting spectacle on display. Ask someone:
What is the Attic trying to tell you that only you understand?
If they answer, they gain a token.

Describe how the Forgotten come, demanding

their due.
» The Forgotten are ghosts on the very edge of nothingness. Ask
someone: Who loses a precious memory to The Forgotten?
What replaces it? If they answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
120
THE STUDY

OUR HAUNT
Memories trapped between words on faded pages, what is 121
left in dark cloaked secret remains here in the Study.
Between the books, shadows whisper and eyes peer
through. A mysterious book lies open, waiting for
someone to read it. It is here where time is collected and
marked, where memories bleed letters and ink.

Rooms
122

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Rotting maps trapped behind glass, marked by explorers unknown

» A movie prop collection that overwhelms the room
» An old piano that quietly plays itself
» Dried flowers lovingly placed in secret places for us to find
» Peeling wallpaper that reveals secret messages
» An ancient librarian who reads out broken prophecies
» Huge chairs that we can lose ourselves in, covered in musty coats
and scarves
» Flickering candles that distort the shadows unpredictably
» A curio cabinet full of twisted trophies and disturbing mementos
» An ouija board we’ve promised to never use again
» Something else that piques our curiosity and interest

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» An innocent but dangerous psychic lives here, and insists on

becoming friends with us
» A ghostly professor lives here, and they insist on lecturing us in the
most boring fashion
» A book titled Our Haunt writes out our existence here, but with
strange inconsistencies
» A cult meets here every blood moon, seeking to destroy the veil
between the Living and the Dead
» Every so often poltergeists throw around books and create
complete chaos
» A menacing ghost trapped in a rotting painting whispers to us
» Ghost hunters from a popular TV show break in to look for us
» Something else that demands the truth from us

OUR HAUNT
 123

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to pick a book and read it out loud to us
» Ask someone to write in their diary
» Ask someone to perform a play, poem, or speech that they find
in the Study;everyone who does the same to put on a grand show
gains a token too
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Study

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Push a book from the shelf and have it land

open, pages fluttering from a ghostly wind. A
whisper comes, and then another, another.
» Describe the haunting story the whispers tell. Ask someone:
What does the story mercilessly reveal about one of us? If they
answer, they gain a token.

Describe how the Scribes come, demanding their

due.
» The Scribes must record the nature of purgatory, and those of
us trapped in it. Ask someone: What do the Scribes see when
they look into our souls? What do they write about us in their
books? If they answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
124
THE GARDEN

OUR HAUNT
 Memories lost in crackling leaves and dead vines, what is 125
left to breathe in the soil remains here in the Garden.
Where once there was cultivation and control, there is now
only the quiet chaos of a garden left wild and untamed. It is
here where memory and time are measured in blooms and in
greenery, where what remains of life is simple and pure.

Rooms
126

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Broken glass and rusted metal frames

» Wildflowers and weeds overgrowing everything
» Bones carefully buried, separating what cannot be together
» Delicate mushrooms of different colors, hiding a secret
» Large moths flying too close to ghostly flames
» A cloying fog of subdued colors
» Rotting bird houses that are occupied by something otherworldly
» A ravenous spirit wrapped by vines, awaiting freedom
» Skeleton hands that hold aloft the most delicate flowers
» Leaves and stems that split to reveal eyes and teeth
» Something else that hints at what strangeness grows under
the soil

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» A mischievous spirit possesses nearby animals

» Teenagers want to break in to perform a chaotic ritual
of courage
» Blooms that grow on ectoplasm feed on us in strange ways
» An abandoned fountain shows us what we are not ready to see
» Sinister creatures from a nearby forest sometimes hunt here
» Something ancient and hungry lives at the bottom of the
old well
» Bones buried here form into terrifying shapes to act on
twisted desires
» Something else that will bury us and trap us

OUR HAUNT
 127

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to plant a seed or care for something
» Ask someone to bury a secret in the soil
» Ask someone to reveal something hungry and hidden
» Ask someone to call upon all manner of insects and helpful
creatures; everyone who does the same to perform a grand
summoning gains a token too
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Garden.

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Show us the parting soil as bleached bones come

through.
» Describe how something—or someone—unearths themself.
Ask someone: What will the bones wear as flesh instead? If
they answer, they receive a token.

Describe how the Living come, demanding their

due.
» Most of the Living choose not to see us, but they want some-
thing from us all the same. Ask someone: Who loses a precious
object to the Living? How does the loss change our Haunt? If
they answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
128
THE PARLOR

OUR HAUNT
Memories covered in faded glamour and wrapped up in cracked 129
laughter, what is left to barely shine remains here in the Parlor.
Here there was once beauty, painted and measured, glorious
and displayed for all to see. It is here where time is most
deceitful, hanging precariously on desire unspoken.

Rooms
130

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Rich fabrics of every imaginable faded color

» A grandfather clock that tells something other than time
» Lights that flicker in harmony with what we say
» Fancy chairs of every size and style that float in the air when they
want to
» A talkative skull that can’t keep secrets very well
» A collection of expensive broken curios that leak spiritual energy
» A tarot deck containing a swarm of mismatched souls
» The fanciest clothes that delight and entertain us
» A chandelier that a broken angel hangs from
» An old board game that plays itself again and again
» Something else that entertains and teases us

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» Dusty bottles of alcohol full of unruly spirits that sing loudly

» Lady Snowblood, who sips tea while demanding we entertain him
constantly
» Words scrawled between intricate wallpaper filigree detail all
our secrets
» The ghost made of fear and spite that hides under the carpet and
whispers terrible things
» A vase of decaying flowers that hide spectral hands holding
cursed finery
» A bust made of several sinister faces that asks us to solve
dangerous riddles
» The Dread Sword Queen will suddenly appear and challenge us to
a violent duel of honor
» Something else that demands our attention

OUR HAUNT
 131

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to play a game of chance and wager something
truly important
» Ask someone to take on airs and play the part of the gracious host
» Ask someone to reveal something beautiful
» Ask someone to tell a story to entertain and dazzle; everyone who
adds to the story with exaggerated flourish gains a token too.
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Parlor.

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Unspool time and allow the threads to fall

where they may.
» Describe a celebration from long ago and the shades of joy and
heartbreak we all see. Ask someone: How does time fragment
within us? If they answer, they gain a token.

Describe how the Tricksters come, demanding

their due.
» They have cheated death and made dark bargains, hoping to
deceive us. Ask someone: Who barters away something im-
portant? If they answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
132
THE BASEMENT

OUR HAUNT
 Memories whispered from under the floorboards and scratching 133in
the walls, what is left to fester and rot remains here in the Basement.
In the comfort of the dark we reach out and hold each other close,
where the echoes of horror leave their mark and demand to be seen. It
is here where time is sharp, memory dripping from it drop by drop.

Rooms
134

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» Inky soft spectres scurry and hide beneath creaking stairs

» A chaotic mural hidden behind broken furniture
» A large spider fills half of the room with hammocks and blankets
made out of webbing
» Broken vials and bubbling liquid, jars full of abandoned experiments
» A painted door that usually opens up to nowhere, but
sometimes doesn’t
» Precious things, broken and ill-used, and the invisible hands that
handle them
» A broken mirror that shows us what we looked like when we were alive
» Words that write and rewrite themselves on the wall, floor,
and ceiling
» Something large and unseen scratches away from inside the walls
» Remnants of a ritual gone wrong, and the screams frozen in time
» Something else that causes us to shiver

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» A whispering ghost with long tangled hair counts each strand, each
breath, each word
» Quivering and growing mounds of ectoplasm attract strange things
» Living criminals use the basement as one of their meeting places,
inviting tension and violence
» Portals to another time and place blink open and close
» An old spirit, chained and full of rage, struggles against their
weakening bonds
» A cat with three eyes and too many teeth pits us against each other
» An unseen entity scratches at our spirit, taking what little memories
we have and twisting them
» Something else that truly scares us

OUR HAUNT
 135

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to honestly describe what scares them
» Ask someone to go deeper into the Basement and describe what
they find
» Ask someone to reveal something frightening
» Ask someone to turn on the old radio, and act along with the old
radio plays; everyone who does the same gains a token too.
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Basement

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Disconnect itself from the rest of the house, and

connect to somewhere else instead.
» Describe the door that appears, and how it opens. Ask
someone: Where does it lead to? Why does it scare us? If
they answer, they receive a token.

Describe how The Thing In The Walls comes,

demanding its due.
» It is ancient, it is hungry, it is full of pain and anger. Ask
someone: Who feeds the Thing In The Walls with their
emotions or memories? What happens next? If they
answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
136
THE LOST ROOM

OUR HAUNT
 Memories deemed precious are hidden away in puzzle 137
boxes and secret compartments, what is left to stay
hidden forever remains here in the Lost Room.
Sometimes, through intention or accident, a Haunt loses
one of its Rooms. It forever belongs to those who haunt the
house, never to be reached by the Living again. It is here
where time is frozen, cracked and heavy with memory.

Rooms
138

AESTHETICS (CHOOSE 2–3)

» A hall of dark mirrors that leads to an endless maze

» A statue that hides a secret door to elsewhere
» Paintings of our fragmented memories, welcoming and sinister
» A small shrine to an old and starving godling
» Dozens of candles lit by ghostly fire, glimmering in the dark
» A witch’s spell, left half unfinished, leaking wild magic
» A gilded skeleton covered in markings, displayed in reverence
» A collection of weapons, the strange memories attached to
them whispering
» A small collection of books that detail what happens when we die
» An ancient being, floating in a glass coffin full of amber liquid
» Something else that intrigues us and bids us to come closer

UNSOLVABLE PROBLEMS (CHOOSE 1–2)

» A single ornate mirror catches our thoughts and memories,

displaying them for all to see
» The Secret-Keeper comes, and demands we barter
» A twisted old witch is trapped between secrets, spiteful and raging
» An old ritual will suddenly repeat itself, offering a dire omen
» The ghost of a tree grows here, extending its branches and roots in
disruptive ways
» Objects, walls, and entire rooms rearrange themselves in response
to our emotions
» The Memory-Eater sleeps, its many eyes opening when we dare
to remember
» Something else that that wants to uncover all that we have lost

OUR HAUNT
 139

MOVES

if the subject of the move accepts, they gain a token

» Ask someone to lose a part of themself and hide it away in the
Lost Room
» Ask someone to open a puzzle box and describe what they find
» Ask someone to recover what was thought lost
» Ask someone to tell one of their own secrets; everyone who offers
a secret in turn, to begin an ancient ritual, gains a token too
» Ask someone to deal with a problem of the Lost Room

Choose one per SessioN

Offer proof of the life we once lived.

» Describe an object tied to one of our pasts, when we were Alive.
Ask one of the others: How is this object related to your past
too? If they answer, they receive a token.

Thin the boundaries between the Living and the

Spirit World.
» Describe how it feels when the Spirit World fills the room with
its weight and despair. Ask someone: What comes through? If
they answer, they gain a token.

Describe how the Shadows come, demanding their

due.
» They walk through the world and accidentally step into ours,
for the briefest moment. Ask someone: How does their presence
darken one of our memories? If they answer, they gain a token.

Rooms
MEMORIES
142

Regaining a Memory
At the end of every session, each player declares how many
of their tokens they’ll spend towards regaining a memo-
ry. As you do, describe a moment of closeness with at least
one other main character. Spend the tokens and mark the
track that many times.
When there are fifteen marks, clear the track and choose
who regains a memory. That character chooses one memo-
ry to regain, and marks it. They describe the memory in as
much detail as they like, now or later.

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

OLD MEMORIES
» A car chase, the sound of an ambulance siren, “Don’t leave
me like this.”
» A medical procedure, a contract unsigned, “This is not what
they would have wanted.”

OUR HAUNT
 143

» A book wrapped in ribbon, blood wet on the pages, “It didn’t

have to be this way.”
» A long walk in the dark, the sound of a gun reloading, “I’ll
always love you.”
» The gentlest touch, the weight of a broken promise, “Please.”
» Beautiful clothes laid out at sunset, a sudden shadow, “I won’t
tell if you won’t.”
» City lights through the rain, the crush of broken glass, “Were
the stars always this beautiful?”
» A finger pressed against a lip, the softest whisper,
“Remember me.”
» A stolen dance, a fire that consumes everything, “Don’t make
me lie to you.”
» Hands that will never let go, the taste of poison, “I loved
you most.”
» A child’s song, eyes that see nothing, “There is no going back.”
» Fingers tracing a tattoo, a sharp intake of breath, “You belong
to me.”
» A cheering crowd, an emergency broadcast, “You won’t get
away with this.”
» A fairytale told wrong, a fresh wound, “I’m not asking for
another chance.”
» A poem scrawled on the wall, the wings of a crow, “You owe
me far more than this.”
» Red rope against hot skin, a stone placed on a cold tongue, “I
won’t let anyone remember this.”
» A silhouette rippling across the water, a race against time,
“Let go.”

Memories
144

» A hissed whisper, a hand reaching out, “Break the spell.”

» The moon caught in a mirror, a guilty kiss, “I hate you.”
» A collection of marked newspaper clippings, an explosive sun-
set, “You were never mine.”
» Create your own fragmented memory.
» Create your own fragmented memory.
» Create your own fragmented memory.
» Create your own fragmented memory.

Creating New Memories

At the end of every session, each person declares how many
of their tokens they’ll spend towards creating a new memo-
ry. As you do, describe a moment of happiness with at least
one other character. Spend the tokens and mark the track
that many times.
When there are fifteen marks, clear the track and choose
who creates a new memory. That character chooses one
memory to create, and marks it. They choose who else is
involved in the new memory, and together they take turns
describing the new memory.

OUR HAUNT
 145

NEW MEMORIES
» We met a shadow that had their own voice. They asked for a
name as a gift. What name did we give them?
» An old pile of bones came to life, and started singing! We sang
along! What was the song about?
» A cracked mirror holding a cracked ghost asked for our help.
How did we help them?
» One of the Living saw us today. Who are they? How did we
become friends?
» An elderly cat asked us to spend time with them before Death
came. How did we pass the time?
» We spent days making this place more of a home for all of us.
How is it more beautiful?
» We played in the kitchen, pretending to eat and clean up af-
terwards. What did we celebrate?
» We created a new clock together, a better way of telling time as
we experience it. How does it tell time?
» We put on a fashion show today! How did we convince every-
one in the Haunt to join in?
» The voice under the floorboards whispered to us about hidden
treasure. Where did we find it?
» An old unplugged television flickered and came to life, show-
ing us the world outside the Haunt. What surprised us the
most?
» We found a whole chest full of old fairytales. We made up our
own! What new fairytales did we read to each other?
» A spirit possum with a dozen legs challenged us to a race!
Which one of us cheated? Who won instead?

Memories
146

» Something went wrong and it started snowing inside the

Haunt! What did we do with all that snow?
» There was a really scary thunderstorm. What strange gifts
did the thunder and lightning bring?
» A new door appeared. How did we unlock it? Where did it
take us?
» We got stuck in a time loop! It went on forever! What finally
broke it?
» A little spirit made up of several animals found its way into
the Haunt. What kind of home did we make for it?
» A faded ghost visited today and asked for a face. What face
did we give them?
» We threw rocks and trash at the neighbor’s house. How did the
ghosts of that house get back at us? Why are we friends now?
» Create a new memory.
» Create a new memory.
» Create a new memory.
» Create a new memory.

OUR HAUNT
 147

Memories
148

SPECIAL
THANKS

Our Haunt uses the Belonging Outside Belonging system,

also known as No Dice, No Masters. This evocative system
was developed by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum.
Our Haunt draws inspiration from several Belonging
Outside Belonging games by the following effervescent
designers: jay Dragon, Riley Rethal, and Luke Jordan.
I first developed this specific incarnation of the system
while working on Brinkwood: Refuge. Many thanks to Erik
Bernhardt for creating Brinkwood: Blood of Tyrants. The
magical and touching moments in the Refuge inspired me
to create Brinkwood: Refuge in the first place.
I truly owe a debt of gratitude to several people, including:
» The Gauntlet Gaming Community, for being my
favorite place to play games. Especially to Sherri

OUR HAUNT
 149

Stewart, Joel Notsch, Josh Hittie, Daniel Hosterman,

and Maria Mison for helping me playtest and develop
Brinkwood: Refuge and this particular incarnation of
Belonging Outside Belonging.
» Sherri Stewart and Lowell Francis, for their endless
encouragement and support. I’m grateful for the place I
have in your hearts.
» jay Dragon, for believing in me when I couldn’t believe
in myself, for being kind to me when I couldn’t be kind
to myself.
» Josh Hittie, for generously granting me a powerful spell
that carried me through the darker days: WWMD?
» Matthew Arcilla, I will happily haunt by your side in
the afterlife. I’ll bring the scare if you’ll bring the pranks.

Special Thanks
150

Our Haunt was Kickstarted

in October 2021, and we are
grateful to all of our backers,
but especially...

A Grue, Alexis Dowell, Alonzonzo, Alyx Wulf,

AndrethSaelind, Andrew Fabian, Andrew Girdwood,
Asakhi and Malo, Ashley Rohrbach, Becca Green, Billy
Zayac, Björn Butzen, Callie Maxwell, Cape Fear Games,
Chris DeFilipp, Colin, Colin Urbina, Colleen and
Matt Nachtrieb, D, Dalton Long & Katie Stanley, Dan
Chamberlain, Dana Jadzia, Daniel Blackburn, David
Hayes, Diane & Scott, Dominic Giacomantonio, Doyce
Testerman, Dr. Lauren H. Logan, E. Purnell, Eggo Revolver,
Erin Kowske, Fiona Campbell, Flavio GrumpyBear
Mortarino, Floating Chair Club, Francesco Berni, Gabe
Ongkiko, Gabriel Komisar, Good Games Indianapolis,
Halasaurus, Hijau, Holly Rucker & Caly Rucker, Ian
Meisinger, Jacqueline Bryk, James Reichstadt, Jay Moore,
Jay R., Jeremy Chambers, Jess "Spooky But Cute" Waldron,
Jinx Peregrine, Joel De Jesus (aka mr_kultist), John
Taber, Jules Michaels, Just Jest, Kait Szczypka and Dan
Phillips, Kayla & Maggie, Kayleigh Green, Kels Banville,
Kia & Tsuki Hime, Kris Carlos & Tiffany Simmons,

OUR HAUNT
 151

Kristina Seyfarth, Laucien Luponis, Laura Morris, Lionel

M. Worman, Logan Kauffeld, Luier, Marga & Grant,
Mari Hershbg, Marty Cahill, Maximillian Brahms,
Megs, Michelle Rapp, Mitzi Tuquiero, Moss McCallister,
NarizRoja, Nick Long, Nicole Del Moral, Noble Knight
Games, Pedro(Te), Philip Ja, Purperen Draak, ratti incan-
tati, Reilly Zimmerman, S. Fitz, Sabine V, Sarah Le-Fevre,
Sean Petrick, Seanan McGuire, Shawn Carpenter, Sherri
& Lowell, Siân Ada, Simon "The Vampyre" Blackbourne
— Cracked Mirror Games & Books, Source Comics and
Games, Sphärenmeisters Spiele, Spooky Dan Pucul, Teuta,
Travis DeVoll, Tyler Heath, W.H. Arthur, Whitt., Zach
Hannel, Zach Yokell, and Zuki.

Special Thanks
 MORE
FROM
POSSUM
CREEK
Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy TTRPG about travel-
ing animal-folk journeying through a beautiful world. As
the Hæth changes with the seasons, so do your characters,
growing over time as they seek their home. By Jay Dragon.
Wickedness is a narrative TTRPG for three players and a
tarot deck, about a coven of witches struggling to keep bal-
ance between the worlds — and each other. By M Veselak.
Venture & Dungeon are two TTRPGs of Belonging
Outside Belonging and introspective heroic fantasy, deal-
ing with magic, monsters, and high school. By Riley Rethal
and Jay Dragon.

Learn more about us at www.possumcreekgames.com.