what

Dark Cults is a CCG that came out in 1983. I bought my first copy at Mindgames in Toledo, Ohio. The original came with 108 cards, a rulebook and a comic book all in a plastic bag. The cards were issued by Dark House publishing, which is no more. The game was designed by Kenneth Rahman and the card art by "Eymoth". (I have been told this is the creator's play on H.P. Lovecraft's works.)

The card set begins with:

"What evil lurks around every corner? What blackness is harbored in the minds of mankind? What unspeakable terrors wait silent only until summoned? You will know once you have played the supernatural horror story game DARK CULTS."

DC begins with the "hero" Horace Phineas Lovejoy (H.P. Lovecraft, get it?) who leaves his apartment for a night of mayhem. The idea is to have Life and Death play a role in determining Horace's future. One tries to have him meet a gruesome demise while one just tries to help him make it through the night. There are rules to follow to do this.

My friends and I have changed it to where we all work to keep him alive and drop the points for great horror storytelling. We decide when and how Horace dies or if he just passes the torch to a friend or if he goes mad. We find that using names of real people we know adds to it. For example, since I'm a police officer my friends always seem to make me the lone beat cop who finds the bodies or the detective working the case. It adds another demension to the game. After all, who wants to kill off a friend....

We find the best way to play the game is around a table by candlelight. Even better when we go camping. Add visual aids, a fake newspaper made in Microsoft Word adds to the horror. Also don't lock yourself into the game location. Use local haunts. When we go to Tar Hallow State Park in Ohio, we talk about the real locations we have been or are at like the backpaker's camp or the old resident camp. It really creeps ya out!

If the links below don't help you find a copy contact me and I'll try to help ya!!!