The Vanishing Below

This is one of the few games that I was actually able to try out for the jam. I'm going to go through my experience quickly. I did do one set of prompts for each day, just so I could move through it a little more quickly. I think that actually worked out very well with the cards that I got.

Set 1. The first experiences I got were very eerie. Because of the assortment of prompts I got, I ended up with very little concrete information or direct interaction. I mostly experienced people observing me or internal phenomenon that others didn't experience. This set my game on the path of psychological horror.

Set 2. This day started out being harassed by both the sheriff and the mayor before being asked to look into a woman's father and his illness. This was the perfect setup/knockdown for feeling like an outsider. It also gave the feeling of the town being tolerant of my presence the first day, but realizing they would need to push me out by the second day. 

Set 3. This is where the game really came together for me. The prompts I got perfectly captured the escalating pressure and strangeness my investigator was experiencing. The day started with being harassed by creepy twins while eating breakfast. Then the reverend comes to try to warm me, but passes out mysteriously before they could finish. Then, a crowd of people start screaming and puking worms in the street; something that has heretofore been unseen by my investigator. All this together perfectly set up the classic Shadow over Innsmouth moment of running panicked through the streets, afraid of everyone and everything. 

Set 4. This last day is interesting, because everything has escalated exponentially. There are suddenly monsters in the street, something that my investigator had not even conceived of being a possibility. They are grabbed by a monster and taken to their den. There is nowhere to run or hide. All that's left is to face what is coming. The priest gives us an ultimatum: willingly give up the woman we met earlier, the only positive interaction we've had in this town, and we would be set free. We linger on this for a long moment, but ultimately survival wins out. We have to get out of this town and away from these people's problems at any costs. The scene fades before any resolution can be reached. 

This was an amazing experience. I used to skeptical of solo games. Not that I thought they were bad, but that I didn't usually enjoy my time with them that much. This game sold me on them. A++ this was a great game.