Picture a single evening where six of you sit down as characters in a dark fantasy, learn your secrets, and try to work out which one of you is a killer before the night is over. That's Blood Moon Pact, a "jubensha" murder mystery from indie studio Twist 'n Turn that's currently live on Kickstarter, and it might be the most involved game night your group runs all year.
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See how it worksJubensha, sometimes translated as "scripted murder," is a hugely popular format in China where players take on detailed roles in a pre-written story, reading their own backstories and motivations before investigating a crime together. Blood Moon Pact brings that format into Western dark fantasy. Six players, one of whom acts as a game master playing a specific character, gather at an underground shrine beneath Moonshadow Lake, where someone won't survive the night. Over a single four-to-five-hour session you reveal secrets, cast spells, confront each other, and try to unmask the killer before dawn.
Designer Ophelia Au cites Skyrim as an influence, and the game has clearly been built with care: characters are gender-neutral, and there are clear content warnings up front for references to fantasy suicide, child abuse and genre-typical violence, with a recommended age of 16 and up. The studio is upfront that this one may never reach retail, so the campaign is the moment to grab it.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeThis is a perfect excuse to organise a proper one-off event. Murder mystery nights are a brilliant way to pull in friends who don't normally game, and an immersive four-hour story is exactly the kind of session worth scheduling well ahead. If you fancy hosting one, you can set up the event and invite your group here.
Sources: Twist 'n Turn Studios | Meeple Mountain
