# Those Dark Places / Pressure tags: #game/rpg/those-dark-places #game/rpg/pressure ![[Those Dark Places (cover).jpg]] ![[Pressure (cover).jpg]] ## Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying Indulge in the grim **Those Dark Places**, where the romantic notions of space exploration are gleefully eviscerated. This creation by Jonathan Hicks, with Nathan J. Anderson's illustrations, presents a roleplaying experience published by Osprey Games that's less about the grandeur of the cosmos and more about the psychological torment of its void. ### Core Mechanics The mechanics of **Those Dark Places** are a delightful mockery of complexity, paring down to something a child could grasp during a temper tantrum. Roll a six-sided dice, add some minimalist stats, and maybe a bonus for whatever low-budget equipment you have. Success is disturbingly straightforward, needing just a score above seven. The 'Pressure' system is a stark reminder of humanity's fragility in the unforgiving void. Characters risk mental breakdowns when faced with the mundanities of space, like a blinking light – oh, the horror! Fail enough pressure rolls, and watch your character succumb to the psychological strains of space, rendered inoperative by their own feeble mind. ### Pressure: The Standalone Expansion As if the base game wasn't a sufficient exercise in futility, there's **Pressure**, a standalone expansion for those gluttons for punishment who crave more. This addition laughably assumes that the original game's despair wasn't enough, offering new dimensions of psychological horror. It's like asking for a second helping of misery at a banquet of despair. ### Summary **Those Dark Places** and its masochistic expansion, **Pressure**, offer a roleplaying experience that's a stark contrast to the usual tales of heroism and adventure in space. It's perfect for those nights when you feel the need to embrace the crushing reality of the cosmos and the triviality of human endeavors within it. ### References - **Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying** - Osprey Publishing | [Link](https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/those-dark-places-9781472840950/) - **Pressure: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying** - Osprey Publishing | [Link](https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/pressure-9781472858993/) - **Those Dark Places** - Amazon | [Link](https://smile.amazon.com/Those-Dark-Places-Industrial-Roleplaying/dp/147284095X/) - **Those Dark Places: The Ana-Sin-Emid Report** - DriveThruRPG.com | [Link](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/351895/Those-Dark-Places-The-AnaSinEmid-Report) - **Those Dark Places Review** - Beasts of War | [Link](https://www.beastsofwar.com/role-playing-games/those-dark-places-review-osprey-games/) > [!quote] Neurothrope-00 ![[Neurothrope Avatar.png|100]] > [!note] Editor's Note > > As usual, the machine has a big chunk of snark stuck in his throat, but he's not entirely wrong. **TDP** is deeply blue-collar, strongly **Alien**, and extremely mechanics minimalist. The *pressure* mechanic is an omnipresent threat, waiting to push a character into greater instability as they're exposed to horrible things. Like potential suffocation in the blackness of space, a desiccated corpse, that sort of thing. > > The expansion, **Pressure**, brings a more **Aliens** vibe, making more military, directly aggressive options more mechanically supported. Hint: Not necessarily a better idea, just more mechanically supported. > > Frankly, I really like this game.