Didn’t know many of the games, but Absinthe in Carcosa (The Yellow King RPG) and The Labyrinth (Delta Green) both definitely deserved their awards. Good times on the Gen Con panels generally, although I forgot to point out to Ken Hite that Emperor Norton would make for a particularly pathos-horrific Tattered King*. Maybe if it comes up again organically in tomorrow’s panel…
*He’s doing a San Francisco supplement for TYKRPG! This made me simultaneously cheer, and groan. Cheer because it’s gonna be cool, and groan because there goes my Hastur Mythos steampunk concept right down the tubes… ach, well. His is gonna be awesome.
San Francisco is a good setting for horror. Every time I’ve visited, I’ve been struck by the “not quite right”ness of the place.
There’s the fog, sure, and the remnants of hippie counterculture (not to mention more modern bits of political insanity), but even when none of those are obvious, something’s off. The light’s a bit too golden. The street signs a bit too small. The people a bit too furtive.
I can’t imagine it’s gotten better in the past twenty years. Various factors were forcing the middle class out even back then. From what I’ve heard, it’s gotten much worse.
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Don’t let that discourage you. If you want to do it, do it.
Ken is going to come at it slantwise anyway. Your product will be distinct, and you might even net some additional sales as a complimentary resource.
Portland and Seattle also work .. but are getting a bit too big for “small city” stories.
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If I were writin’ horror .. Astoria, OR is a very good spot .. it’s got a nicely dark backstory (echoes of “Rapture”) a gritty history (including the nearby wrecked ‘Peter Iredale’) replete with sea chanties and hippies.
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If ya really gotta be in Cali .. Eureka may work.
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Mew