If there is one scene that embodies campy horror, it’s this one.

Chef’s kiss. Perfection in every way. The line delivery is flat, the lighting is too bright, the trolls too visible and the special effects a literal mess. It is fantastic.

We love the silliness and the absurdity of the scene. The movie knows what it is about, the actors are fully aware of the camp, and everything works together so well.

And still, with all that, the character doesn’t see it that way. For that character there is no lighting, no music, so special effects. For the character it is all too real. The trolls are eating her and there is a dawning realization that he is next. He hears every chomp of bone and squelch of flesh.

“Their actions, the consequences, should be true to the moment.“

His life is on the line.

And that’s exactly how you should approach a campy horror TTRPG. Have fun with the shenanigans! Make the scene outrageous and lean into everything that makes camp what it is. But to really sell it, your character has to treat the scene with the seriousness it deserves and demands of them. Their actions, the consequences, should be true to the moment. Otherwise you’re going to barrel straight ahead into a cartoon and cartoon logic. We can certainly bend physics and push boundaries, but do so with an eye toward honesty and you’ll have an incredible scene.

It has been my experience over the years of play testing The Crypt Has Opened that those players that approached a scene with sincerity brought out the most in their characters but in the game for everyone.

Here is a great example. In a large scale encounter they were fighting a warlock in their small town hospital. A player spent experience points for a story beat so that there was an MRI machine. Now there was no way that the size of their town out in the Dead Spaces had an MRI, but there it was. Only for it to be used to crush the warlock and destroying it. We had a great laugh about the absurdity of this town having an MRI and how destructive they were.

All fun and games.

“Being honest to the outcomes instantly elevated their actions beyond a silly moment and into something real.”

Until I used the truth of that moment to give them a gut punch several sessions later. This was an expensive machine. A life saving machine. One that this town may never be able to get again, and through their hasty actions it was destroyed. Being honest to the outcomes instantly elevated their actions beyond a silly moment and into something real. It made their actions have consequences.

Campy doesn’t mean bad. It means exaggerated, humorous, and often times self-satirical. And done right, with honesty, is campy horror at it’s finest.