One dark and eerie October night, as the moon hung low in the sky with a ghostly glow, a chilling Halloween witch tapping could be heard throughout the town. The mysterious sound sent shivers down the spines of the unsuspecting villagers, who had gathered in their homes, hiding from the haunting presence outside. As the tapping grew louder and more persistent, fear filled the air. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Some claimed it was the ghostly fingers of a long-dead witch, searching for her lost broomstick. Others whispered that it was the warning of an omen, a sign of impending doom.
*People argue about the complexity change between, say, "Orcs as always evil" or "Orcs as fantasy Klingons" or "Dwarves as dour miners" or "Dwarves as fighty drunk people with Scottish accents" but there is seldom effort put into a fully realized culture that is not dependent on defining itself as an exaggeration of human traits.
But it s also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable niche settings. He presented them in ways that share much with Bartlett s color-saturated, theatrical world of artificial children engaged in unsettling forms of play.
Others whispered that it was the warning of an omen, a sign of impending doom. Nobody dared to venture outside, for fear of what they might encounter in the darkness. Even the bravest souls cowered behind locked doors, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
TTRPG Settings: A Canny Valley of Playability?
I will not tread heavily into summarizing the well-known principle of the "uncanny valley" (as per the link) regarding the corollary relationship between an object's resemblance to a human being and the emotional response to it. But I am wondering whether Fantasy TTRPG settings operate as the inverse. This is to hypothesize that there is a general "canny valley" of psychologically acceptable play with settings for the aggregate of people between the "all too historical" and "all too ahistorical."
It is difficult for people to relate well to both the more historically accurate societies and the more utterly fantastical ones, both being "alien" or "uncanny" in some regards to cultural mindset of players of contemporary society, particularly the greater the amount of detail and depth these settings are given. On one end, the settings are perhaps too similar to the familiar, while on the other end, the settings are to dissimilar to the familiar. So settings often have the onerous task of striking the right balance between the poles of familiarity to create a "canny valley" of play. Outside of this "canny valley," players have difficulty psychologically plugging themselves into the setting and so such settings are mostly niche. Examples of possible niche settings may include settings like Hârn and Tékumel.
But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
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Legend
SupporterI do not think that it has anything to do with the "uncanny valley" which as I understand it is a visceral reaction. What I think is going on, for the most part most gamers and table are not interested. They want time together with friend where they can take time off from reality and have agency and power that they do not have in their real lives. At the other end of the range are people that what to create a story that is, or approaches a work of art.
the latter takes a lot of work from all the participants and buy in and research.
The other side is that a lot of quite entertaining stories can be made with tropes and fairly stock characters and most tables are ok with that. Given the popularity of modules and adventure paths I would say that most DMs do not have the time, energy or creative chops to build completely from scratch.
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But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
I would start by saying that I don't think that it's the same psychological effect as the uncanny valley, but it's a useful analogy.
I would extend this; one thing we often ask is why (for example) "Sci-Fi" TTRPGs aren't very popular. There are a few that are based on well-known properties (Star Wars, Star Trek) and a few others here and there, but none that have broken through to the mainstream in the same way that the fantasy one do. I think it is for the same reasons; it is difficult to work with dissimilar settings (the truly alien).
An imagined space of "fantasy," which is usually kinda like an imagined medieval/early renaissance, except with fantasy races that are usually exaggerated caricatures of various human attributes*, is much more manageable.
People are drawn to the familiar . with tweaks.
*People argue about the complexity change between, say, "Orcs as always evil" or "Orcs as fantasy Klingons" or "Dwarves as dour miners" or "Dwarves as fighty drunk people with Scottish accents" but there is seldom effort put into a fully realized culture that is not dependent on defining itself as an exaggeration of human traits.
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I will not tread heavily into summarizing the well-known principle of the "uncanny valley" (as per the link) regarding the corollary relationship between an object's resemblance to a human being and the emotional response to it. But I am wondering whether Fantasy TTRPG settings operate as the inverse. This is to hypothesize that there is a general "canny valley" of psychologically acceptable play with settings for the aggregate of people between the "all too historical" and "all too ahistorical."
It is difficult for people to relate well to both the more historically accurate societies and the more utterly fantastical ones, both being "alien" or "uncanny" in some regards to cultural mindset of players of contemporary society, particularly the greater the amount of detail and depth these settings are given. On one end, the settings are perhaps too similar to the familiar, while on the other end, the settings are to dissimilar to the familiar. So settings often have the onerous task of striking the right balance between the poles of familiarity to create a "canny valley" of play. Outside of this "canny valley," players have difficulty psychologically plugging themselves into the setting and so such settings are mostly niche. Examples of possible niche settings may include settings like Hârn and Tékumel.
But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
I've watched many great scifi games die over the years and it's always been my theory that SciFi games were close enough to reality that people just didn't like them. I never really considered the uncanny valley but maybe that's it. When people play fantasy it's definitely not real. When they play Sci Fi or low magic nitty gritty games It feels like it could really happen and that turns them off.
I do think in the west the majority of gamers are interested in Arthurian,Charlemagne style knights and or pulp fiction style Oriental samaurai and Ninja style campaigns.
It’s strange that dolls inspire such horror in so many people. They are, after all, designed for the enjoyment and pleasure of young children—the vulnerable and innocent among us who, presumably, we do not desire to terrify in a systematic way. But the fact remains that, despite the best intentions, dolls are, for many people, the stuff that nightmares are made of.
They knew that the tapping was not an ordinary occurrence. It was a dark and supernatural force, a reminder of the power and presence of the otherworldly. As the night dragged on, the tapping continued, growing louder and more insistent with each passing moment. Some tried to drown out the sound with music, others with laughter and conversation. But no matter what they did, the tapping persisted, a constant reminder of the unknown lurking just beyond their reach. In the early hours of the morning, as the sun began to rise, the tapping suddenly ceased. The village was left in silence, astounded and relieved that the haunting sound had finally come to an end. It was as if the witch had found what she was searching for and disappeared into the shadows once again. Though the chilling Halloween witch tapping had ceased, the memory of that night would forever be etched in the minds of the village residents. It served as a reminder of the mysteries and wonders of the supernatural world that existed alongside their own. It was a reminder to never underestimate the power and presence of the unknown, especially on Halloween night. So, the next time you find yourself alone on a dark October night, listen closely. You might just hear the chilling Halloween witch tapping, a mysterious sound that sends shivers down your spine and reminds you of the hidden magic that lies just beyond your doorstep..
Reviews for "Haunted Houses: The Terrors that Await after the Halloween Witch's Tap"
1. Katie - 2/5
I was really excited to try out "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" as I love Halloween-themed games. However, I was disappointed with this one. The game lacked any real challenge or excitement. All I had to do was tap on the witch's hat, and that's it. There were no levels, no power-ups, and no variety in the gameplay. It quickly became monotonous and boring. Additionally, the graphics were quite basic and didn't do much to enhance the overall experience. Overall, "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" failed to keep me entertained for more than a few minutes.
2. Mark - 1/5
I can't believe I wasted time and energy on "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping." This game was a complete letdown. The concept was promising, but the execution was terrible. The controls were so unresponsive that it felt like the witch was taking forever to react to my taps. This made the gameplay incredibly frustrating, leaving me to wonder why I even bothered playing. The graphics were also disappointing, with pixelated images and choppy animations. Save yourself the trouble and skip "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping."
3. Emily - 2/5
"Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" was not what I expected. The game had so much potential, but it failed to deliver. The gameplay was repetitive and lacked any real depth. All I did was tap on the witch's hat repetitively, which quickly became tiresome. I was hoping for more variety and challenges as I progressed, but sadly, that never happened. The lack of progression or any rewards made the game feel pointless. The only positive aspect of the game was the eerie background music, which at least helped set the Halloween ambiance. Ultimately, "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" was a missed opportunity for a truly captivating gaming experience.
4. John - 1/5
As a huge fan of Halloween-themed games, "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" was a major disappointment. The game lacked any real substance and was just a mindless tapping fest. There were no puzzles, no levels, and no strategy involved. It quickly became boring, and I found myself losing interest within minutes. The graphics were also subpar, with pixelated images and uninspiring animations. Overall, "Chilling Halloween Witch Tapping" failed to provide any entertainment value and was a complete waste of time.