Dread Shores & Black Horizons (2024) is a neat little system agnostic adventure scenario set in the world of Eschaton. That’s a board game, from Archon games that I bought at GenCon 2024 because it looked cool—it’s a deck building game in which players control cults and vie to be the last ones standing when Armageddon rolls around. It’s fun, but I think our lone issue was that all the cults are essentially the same. When I went to GenCon 2025, one of my missions was to get the expansion that incorporates unique themed cults, Sigils of Ruin. When I got to the booth, though, it was rather late in my purchasing frenzy and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fit the box in my luggage. And, well, the big pile of RPG stuff caught my eye. So, Sigils of Ruin will have to wait another year.

One of the things that immediately grabbed my attention about Dread Shores was the packaging. It’s in a little box with a magnetic flap. Inside is the chapbook and a pile of reference cards. But best of all: a fabric map. There are few things quite so glorious to me as a fabric map. And, I mean, what a map, right? Look at those forlorn cliffs!

There’s a beacon on the island, a relic of darkness and a demonic creature. The plot is straightforward (and a wee bit linear) but full of moody atmosphere. The central monster is suitably horrible. Also, the giant, corrupted barnacles. And no matter what happens players are likely to fall into the hands of the cult, which means they’re destined for sacrifice if they don’t swear fealty to the dark power. A bit grim, but not exactly unexpected. A follow-up assumes the players embrace the cult (in fairness, an oath given under threat of death is no oath at all, really).

Adam Watts is the artist. I love their crinkly work. It reminds me of a simplified Russ Nicholson, perhaps.