Table-Tested Review of “Brindlewood Bay”
“Brindlewood Bay” is one of those games that took the community by storm, at least where I’m from. Games cropped up almost everywhere and still are extremely popular with players. I think the easy pitch is one of the reasons: you play old ladies solving crime, with a dash of Cthulhu-esque horror.
Some quick facts about the game.
- Game Designer: Jason Cordova
- System: Powered by the Apocalypse, Carved From Brindlewood
- Publication Year: 2022
- Page Count: 168
The Vibe
It's heavily inspired by “Murder She Wrote”. Additionally, there also is a long list of other media recommendations (film & tv, books, podcasts, roleplaying games) in the appendix, which I highly appreciate in a game.
It's super cozy and wholesome, but the longer you play, the more of the horror themes emerge. Because of this the game definitely lends itself more to campaign play of ~12 sessions, rather than a one-shot. In a one-shot the horror themes are often lighter, but that doesn't mean you can't ramp them up at all. As a GM you can often describe horrible failures resulting in a grisly death and players can always avoid them by “putting on a crown” (which is a non-renewable currency that always prompts a narrative flashback).
The author describes one of the main design goals of the game was to make a game about elderly women that feel like real people, not caricatures. And while characters can often begin as caricatures, the mechanics and prompts of the game quickly make you flesh out your character into something real.
The Rules and Running the Game
It is a rules-light game. The player-facing rules can be covered in roughly 20 pages and the GM basics take just above 10 pages. The rest is optional rules, GM advice, campaign setting stuff and 6 adventures. Those hungry for more can also get “Nephews in Peril” which offers many more adventures.
The game takes a "writer's room" approach to the game, where every player is responsible in shaping the game. There is no canon solution to the mystery; players Theorize and roll if they are right. I was first a bit put off by the idea (and players also often are at first) but most people I've played with had fun when trying it out. Having around five people at the table means that there will always be someone with a great idea for a scene or question prompt. It definitely isn’t everyone's cup of tea, though.
I especially like it for the ease of running a game. When using premade adventures, prep is only reading a few pages of possible clues, suspects and locations, as well as some establishing questions for players to flesh out a scene, and you’re ready to go. Making your own isn’t rocket science either. I have run a few traditional mystery games like “Vaesen” and “Call of Cthulhu” and the difference in prep load and ease of running is like night and day.
The character sheet has some things that are often lost on younger people or non-native English speakers (like me and large parts of the community I'm in), so that often needs some explaining to players (like who Alexis Carrington Colby is).
I recommend bringing cards to write down suspects (or get the official suspect cards) and clues, so players can keep track of the case.
Conclusion
“Brindlewood Bay” is a very well laid out book and a great exploration of the mystery genre. It’s easy to get people playing fast and I appreciate the way it explains how to run your first session (one-shot or campaign, doesn’t matter), including the coverage of multiple safety tools. It’s become a staple in my repertoire of games.
Other Reviews
Catch my review of one of the adventures in "Halloween One-Shots: Read, Played, Reviewed".
