The tabletop storygame
of surreal horror.
Mutate your friends, play-to-lose, and have a spooky time in the dark.
BUY NOW! ↯ Tell me more ↯The Zone is a game where up to 6 players take characters wracked with phobias & obsessions on a one-way trip into a dangerous place full of beauty and horror.
THE SETUP. A spiral of locations with the swirling Center, where one of you will make their final Wish, surrounded by doomed expedition members assembled from one of 24 Character cards, two Motivations (for a Phobia and Obsession), and their Callsign. Scene cards drive the story. Not So Easy cards complicate things… and let you mutate your friends. (Plants not included)
The Zone is inspired by weird classics like Annihilation, Stalker, Roadside Picnic, and the SCP Foundation, Deep, surreal storytelling that’s surprisingly easy to learn. Everything is driven by the cards, with the books for support when you need it most.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Everything you need to play is in the box. No prep needed!
3 books to guide, support, and inspire:
- Operation Manual: an extensively playtested interactive tutorial that gets you started immediately.
- Book of Mutation: dozens of tables of mutations, anomalies, encounters, and more so you never get stuck.
- Book of Twists: 14 alternative scenarios written by incredible writers Jason Morningstar (Fiasco, Desperation), Adam Vass (Campfire), Aaron Reed (Downcrawl, 50 Years of Text Games), Kate Hymes (Dialect), Sam Leigh (Ananmesis), Randy Lubin (Story Synth), Sharang Biswas (The Avatar RPG), and more!
- PDFs included with the physical purchase!
248 gorgeous and evocative cards:
- 148 Tarot sized (Holo foil): 24 Characters, 48 Motivations, 61 Locations, +11 more
- 104 Poker sized: 52 Scenes, 43 Not So Easy, 8 Fate, 1 X-Card
Premium box (10¼ x 7¼ x 2”)
- Vacuum formed insert to organize and hold all the materials
WATCH THE TRAILER, CATCH THE VIBE
5 REASONS TO PLAY THE ZONE
- You get to make your own horrors. You and your friends will be telling stories in the vein of Annihilation, Stalker, Roadside Picnic, Uzumaki, and the SCP Foundation. See more influences
- Zero preparation and great for beginners. You can play it out of the box without having to read anything beforehand. Perfect for that unexpected evening when someone can’t make it to your regular campaign, or if you’ve never played a ttrpg before!
- It’s different each time. Each Zone is a unique surreal place co-created from characters’ Obsessions & Phobias
- Stats don’t matter here. No dice, no stats, no math. Just cards. Predefined fates free up pure, horrible, creativity. It’s freeing to not have to try to win.
- It’s a spooky time in the dark. Everything about THE ZONE is designed to be playable in the dark, like a spooky tarot reading or sitting around a campfire.
PLAY NOW ONLINE
You can play the digital version for free with your friends! Got questions? Join the community! PLAY ONLINE (FREE) 🤖 JOIN DISCORD
SEE (OR HEAR) IT PLAYED
For a quick one, listen to my 2 player game on the Party of One Pod!
“That game RULED! Creepy and weird and tense and I loved every minute of it. Gather up your friends; play to lose; play doomed monsters; get your wish to come true or don’t—this game kicks ass and you should want to play it!” — Jeff Stormer, Party of One Podcast
For a slightly longer commitment, watch one of these brilliant Actual Plays!
📺 I’ve collected more Actual Plays in this Playlist Let me know if you run into any I’ve missed.
A GAME IS NOTHING WITHOUT ITS PLAYERS 🙌
"Heya! I'm Raph. I started working on THE ZONE in 2018, after seeing a double bill of Annihilation (3rd time!) and Stalker. I love Zones! I can't get enough of the idea of a place that becomes your deepest phobias & obsessions to show you what you need to see. That idea has gotten me through some tough times."
"If this sounds up your alley, join the email list and get updates on THE ZONE and future games!"
Get notified when the Kickstarter launches
LOVE FOR THE ZONE
Drop me a line or Leave a testimonial of your own! These make my day! 💖