Haunted Table Games has taken to Kickstarter to secure funds for its paranormal investigation tabletop RPG, Triangle Agency. The Kickstarter campaign annihilated its initial funding goal of $9,999, and sits at nearly $150K at the time of writing. The system promises players a unique "corporate horror" take on the paranormal genre with dozens of notable influences, including Remedy Entertainment's 2019 hit, Control.
Game ZXC recently sat down with lead designers and Haunted Table Co-Founders, Caleb Zane Huett and Sean Ireland, to discuss what Triangle Agency does differently from other similar titles, and the creative lessons it learned from games like Control. Tabletop enthusiasts hungry for fresh mechanics, and gamers interested in taking on insidious human and paranormal power structures will want to keep an eye on this campaign.
Control's Human Element
Triangle Agency proudly cites a long list of influences ranging from the fairly obvious—properties like X-Files and SCP Foundation—to more outlandish inspirations like Jujutsu Kaisen, X-Men, and 'That job you hated.' But one game, in particular, tells a story that resonates strongly with Haunted Table's approach to paranormal investigation: Remedy Entertainment's Control. As Huett explained,
"I think the thing that connected with us the most from that game was the approach to a very human story in that space. Even though there are these grand structures, mysteries, and surreal things you can’t quite grasp, they have a really beautiful commitment to the individual characters in that game."
Despite the oppressive paranormal and institutional forces pressing in on Jesse, her quest to rescue her brother is a deeply personal one. The mundane details of the world grounds the surreal elements of the narrative, and her personal relationships give the horrifying elements genuine stakes. This is a hallmark of Remedy's work, particularly in Control and Alan Wake's shared universe, and Triangle Agency aspires to help players and GMs go on similarly personal journeys.
Player Agency in Triangle Agency
Triangle Agency has a more colorful palate than Control and trades the stark, dark, brutalist architecture for a modernized take on Swedish Mid-Century Modern design sensibilities. Despite these aesthetic differences, both Control's Federal Bureau of Control and Triangle Agency's eponymous corporation are incredibly powerful and inscrutable forces that imprison their characters in various ways. Huett added,
"Control really emphasizes the character’s lack of power in that situation. You are still small even as you get these big abilities. We are doing that as well, and that is probably our biggest tonal tie. The organization is much bigger than you are. It is unknowable, intimidating, and threatening to you even as you are part of it."
While both titles share an emphasis on sinister, institutional power structures, Huett and Ireland were quick to add that Triangle Agency departs from Control by encouraging players to revel in what power they do have. Triangle Agents' anomaly powers are profound enough to warp reality at will, and they have a greater degree of agency over their own fate than Jesse had in Control. Big, difficult decisions are at the core of Triangle Agency's tabletop experience, and as a result, the storytelling is less deterministic than a video game.
There is also more room for humor and high jinks in the storytelling. While Control has doses of humor, Triangle Agency was written with more narrative volatility in mind, and part of that is the game's open setting.
The Paranormal in Public
Ireland pointed out that Control is a game that takes place in a closed maze, and its narrative is also suitably labyrinthine. Jesse's telekinetic powers never cause a panic, because her adventures occur out of the public eye. In comparison, the Anomalies in Triangle Agency run amok in broad daylight. Agents must figure out how to use their powers to subdue their quarry while keeping everything under wraps. Loose ends, or people who become aware of the paranormal, are diametrically opposed to the Agency's agenda, and silencing or misleading the public is a major part of the game.
Players who enjoyed Jesse's adventures in Control, but wondered what would happen if those otherworldly horrors were out in the open would be well served by Triangle Agency's unique approach to paranormal investigation.
Triangle Agency is fully funded on Kickstarter and its campaign runs until Thursday, July 6.