I am a massive fan of William Shakespeare. In fact, if given half a chance, I will spend hours arguing that the Bard of Avon’s trademark bawdy performances laid the foundation for what would eventually become modern TTRPG games. Because of this, I’m always happy when I come across a TTRPG game that proudly wears its Shakespeare inspiration on its sleeve. So Many Horrid Ghosts is a prime example of this, as not only is it a love letter to Shakespeare’s works, but it does a fantastic job of capturing the bard’s tone and style and combining it with fun mechanics everyone can enjoy.
The game’s general principle is simple. The ghosts of some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters have returned from the afterlife to exact vengeance on the man who had the nerve to kill them off before the last act. They have decided that the best way to get this is to ruin Shakespeare’s new play and claim the spotlight for themselves.
More Issues Than Macbeth
So Many Horrid Ghosts Sees The Supernatural Wreck A Play
So Many Horrid Ghosts is a rules-lite TTRPG for three to five players and one GM (who plays Shakespeare). Before the game starts, the GM spends some time coming up with a name and outline for the new Shakespeare play the spirits plan to ruin. After this, the GM selects three actors from the included list and assigns them a part in the play, paying close attention to their listed character traits, as these determine how they will handle the chaos the ghosts attempt to cause.
At the start of the session, each player picks a character from the included list. Each character is ranked on how good they are at each of the three action types: Love, Revenge, and Madness. On top of this, each character has an Unfinished Business, representing a task they couldn’t complete during their lifetime, as well as a Ghostly Power they unlock after resolving their Unfinished Business.
Where So Many Horrid Ghosts shines is its unique gameplay structure. During each act, the ghosts come up with ways to derail the performance. Each style of interference links up to one of the three stats. So Madness covers actual supernatural interference (causing lights to flicker, making rooms cold, creating random sounds), Revenge is for physically interacting with the world (pushing an actor, throwing a prop), and Love covers communicating with physical beings (whispering to an actor, touching an actor).
When a player decides what they want to do, they roll a D10 (with their skill in the relevant stat giving them either advantage, disadvantage, or a flat roll). However, in a delightful twist, the roll result doesn’t simply say if the character’s action passes or fails. Instead, the number rolled represents how many syllables the player has to describe their attempted action.
Once the roll is done, the player announces their action (making sure they use the correct number of syllables). After this, the GM rolls a D10 of their own. If they roll under the number rolled by the player, then the action goes off as planned. However, if they roll higher than the player, the GM gets to change one word in the player’s action in an attempt to have the action enhance, rather than ruin, the ongoing play.
However, when players change to the second scene, the rules change slightly. Now, players need to work together to perform actions. While all players roll as usual, when working together, the last words of their actions must rhyme. In a fun touch, these changes also affect the GM. When players work together, the GM rolls one D10 per player involved and must roll higher than their combined total to get a chance to change a word in the action.
A Wonderful Game That Wears Its Influence On Its Sleeve
The Game Is A Love Letter To Shakespeare And TTRPGs
I adore So Many Horrid Ghosts. The game’s use of Shakespeare and his surrounding history is also fantastic, walking a fine line between accessibility and context. It has enough detail and nods to history to convey the tone and delight long-term fans without confusing or overwhelming players unfamiliar with Shakespeare or his plays. The game’s included character options are the best example of this, as their descriptions do a good job of quickly capturing and conveying their story and personality for those who haven’t seen the play. However, the Ghostly Powers feature some excellent nods toward the character’s specific actions and lines from their play.
Plus, the gameplay is an utter delight. Having the rolls decide how many syllables players get to describe their action, rather than the usual pass/fail system, works fantastically during play, leading to many fun situations that force players to think outside the box to make the best use of their limited letters. Similarly, having the GM change the player’s words when they fail adds another fun layer to the game, as it makes failures just as exciting as successes. Plus, this mechanic also leads the story in unexpected directions, meaning that each game feels different, giving the game plenty of replay value.
Another fun element is the game’s dedication to being a one-shot game. While many games declare themselves to be perfect one-shot titles, So Many Horrid Ghosts stands out because the designer created it from the ground up with this length in mind. The game’s three-act structure helps guide players forward and move them towards a satisfying ending, meaning that the game never overstays its welcome.
Requiring more players to work together each round means that the game naturally increases in chaos and complexity as things go on, giving the final act a satisfying crescendo that neatly wraps up the experience. Because of this, the game has a fantastic “grab and go” quality, as you always know it will take a few hours to complete, making it the perfect choice for last-minute game nights or times when you want to play but have limited time.
So Many Horrid Ghosts is a wonderful TTRPG that combines an unmistakable love of Shakespeare with fantastic game mechanics. Testing this game was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had this year, and I’m already confident that I will pull it out the next time friends come over, as its intuitive rules make it perfect for both long-time TTRPG players and newcomers of all ages.
