I could not decide whether to give this a 5 star rating or a 1 star. On the one hand, it is an interesting discussion of the famous "Philip Experiment" as well as directions for replicating the effects. On the other hand, and I cannot stress this enough - there are NO directions for "banishing" the "entity" or for what to do if things get out of control! Whether or not it is a spirit or a projection from the massed subconscious of the participants, the authors admit that expected phenomena can include "table legs were known to break off and fly around the room" and "Other things in the room might float around or seem to be thrown by an unseen force. This is why we don’t use lit candles!" What if the objects thrown around include knives? Or broken glass on the floor? What if this happens in the middle of the night when the other participants have gone home? Whatever the source of the "psychokinetic energy", it could still cause real harm. So 5 for content; 1 for irresponsibility... 2 stars

Can't seem to find a way to contact Sixpence Games directly, so here we are.

POD copy just arrived, and the page numbering is off compared to what's listed in the Table of Contents.

Seems like a really simple thing to check prior to finalizing the PDF, but it's not a printing issue--the pages are numbered correctly, they're just incorrectly listed in the ToC.

The lack of contact options on the Sixpence website definitely causes me to pause, in light of this development.

Hopefully the game itself has a bit more attention to detail.

ETA: Sixpence Games has responded, and further updates will be posted as resolution sorts itself out. One star added to review for now (up to 4 total) as a result

Great way to run a murder mystery. My players loved this game.

FANTASTIC! I’ve played many different RPG systems, and Fear of the Unknown is definitely the best. Fear of the Unknown was recently voted best RPG system at the “Weekend with Good Friends, Virtual Con (Summer 2022).

What I love about Fear of the Unknown: Simple, easy to learn RPG system.
All you need are two, 6-sided dice (2d6). Perfect choice for introducing family and friends to tabletop RPG gaming. Your players will be interested and engaged in the story! Players have great agency in deciding where the story takes place.
Great for impromptu, 1-shot games as well as multi-session campaigns.

Have you ever bought a module (pre-made story) for an RPG, but your friends didn’t care for it? Have you ever spent weeks writing your own RPG adventure, but your players cannot remember a single detail about the story? Fear of the Unknown empowers the players to create the town where the mystery occurs. A few more questions will allow each player to create their own character. That’s the beauty of Fear of the Unknown. The players are invested in the story and in their character because it’s their story.

-Howard

Keep in mind this review is based on a read-through only. It may play just find but I find the idea of an rpg with scoring to be a little bizarre. I also find the concept of attempting to murder each other at a dinner party to not be a little disconcerting. The truly awful rule that ruins the game is that the accused player is the loser. This rule is rife with the worst sort of social deduction game issues where players can be targeted (and / or framed) for no other reason than to get them to lose. This game seems like it may kick up enough interpersonal drama amongst family or friends to avoid playing but it may be fun in practice.