De Profundis (role-playing game)

(For ideas on how to structure the article, see Nobilis.)

De Profundis is an award-nominated role-playing game by Polish designer Michal Oracz. Players create the game's narrative by writing each other letters in the style of horror author H. P. Lovecraft. There are practically no game mechanics. The game emphasises character and atmosphere and attempts to blur the line between play and real life. There is also an option for solo play.

Setting

The game attempts to blur the line between play and real life.

Game system

The game has almost no game mechanics. There is no wargame apparatus, no die rolls, no statistics, no gamemaster. The game is like a freeform role-playing game in that the rules are minimal. It is unlike freeforms in that players provide their own character details, there are no referees, and players interact via mail rather than face-to-face. If freeforms are like improvisational theatre, De Profundis is like an improvisational epistolary novel.

The sourcebook recommends that players communicate via snail mail. The game has also been played, however, by email and by a mixture of both snail mail and email. The blog De Profundis (Che 2002) is an instance of solo play-by-post gaming.

The use of correspondence does not necessarily mean the game is play by mail. The Diana Jones Award committee has said the game instead reinvents the roleplaying form (Diana Jones Award committee 2002).

Designer Michal Oracz wrote the sourcebook as a series of letters in Lovecraftian style.

Hogshead marketed De Profundis: Letters From The Abyss with the tagline "This game is intended for mentally stable adults" (Hogshead 2002).

Publication history and awards

Polish game company Portal published De Profundis in 2001 (Kim 2006). British game company Hogshead Publishing translated the game into English and published it as De Profundis: Letters From The Abyss as part of their New Style imprint in 2002. The game was shortlisted for the 2001 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming (Diana Jones Award committee 2002).

In November 2002, James Wallis, Director of Hogshead Publishing, announced that Hogshead was leaving the adventure gaming industry due to boredom, creative frustration, and increasing despondence about the future of the specialist gaming industry (Hogshead 2002). Hogshead returned the rights of the New Style games to their creators (Sugarbaker 2002).

As of 2006, De Profundis: Letters From The Abyss is out of print, although Portal is still offering the Polish De Profundis on its website (Portal 2005).

[James Wallis set up Hogshead to publish high-quality, innovative games of his own design (Sugarbaker 2002).]

About the designer

Michal Oracz was also one of the designers of the game Neuroshima.

References

• Baugh, Bruce (13 December, 2001). "De Profundis Playtest Review" (http). RPGnet: The Inside Scoop on Gaming. Retrieved January 10, 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Che (2002). "De Profundis" (http). My Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2006.
• "Diana Jones Award 2001 Nominees Announced" (Press release). The Diana Jones Award committee. 2002-04-08.
• Hogshead Publishing Ltd (2002). "New Style :: De Profundis" (http). Hogshead Publishing. Retrieved January 12, 2006.
• "Game Over" (Press release). Hogshead Publishing Ltd. November 26, 2002.
• Kim, John H. (January 3, 2006). "RPG Company List Entries: P-Q" (http). Game Company Listings. Retrieved January 10, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
• Kim, John H. (January 2, 2006). "RPG Encyclopedia Entries: Polish" (http). An Encyclopedia of Role-Playing Games. Retrieved January 10, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
• Portal (2005). "Portal +: De Profundis" (http). Portal +. Retrieved January 12, 2006.
• Sugarbaker, Allan (2002). "Interviews: James Wallis" (http). OgreCave.com. Retrieved January 12, 2006.