Chloe Adams
Ten Candles is a tabletop storytelling game designed for one-shot 2-4 hour sessions of tragic horror. It is played by the light of ten tea light candles which act as a countdown timer for the game, and allow players to literally burn their character sheet as they play. The game is set in a sunless post-apocalyptic world where a nameless threat lurks in the darkness and differs from all other horror games in one major respect: everyone dies. The game consists of ten scenes, or rounds, and is played with a gamemaster (GM) and 3-5 players. Each player has a character in the story and can influence the story by stating truths at the end of each scene.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 3-5 players, plus one GM |
| Game length | 2-4 hours |
| Setting | Changes game-to-game, including the world, the apocalypse, and the enemy |
| Antagonists | Change each session, e.g. nightmares, sentient shadows, bloodthirsty clowns, gods |
| Game type | Zero-prep one-shot storytelling game of tragic horror |
| Candles | 10 tea light candles, act as ambiance, gameplay tool, timer, and light source |
| Dice | 10 six-sided dice of one colour, a handful of six-sided dice of another colour (one per player) |
| Cards | Stack of index cards, 5 per player |
| Character creation | Each character has four cards: Virtue, Vice, Moment, and Brink |
| Character death | Characters will die at the end of the game, unless the player decides their character should die earlier |
| Conflict resolution | Roll dice, if there is at least one six, it is a success, if there are no sixes, it is a failure and a candle is darkened |
| Trait burning | Players can burn traits to get re-rolls or extra dice |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Setting the scene
The game is designed for one-shot 2-4 hour sessions of tragic horror. It is played by the light of ten tea light candles, which provide atmosphere, act as a countdown timer, and allow players to burn their character sheets as they play. The candles are the game's pacing mechanism; as they go out, players gradually lose resources and face worsening threats. The game is not about winning or beating monsters, but about what happens in the dark and about those who try to survive within it.
Each player has a character in the story and can influence the story by stating truths at the end of each scene. Characters have four cards: a Virtue, a Vice, a Moment, and a Brink. Virtue and Vice are traits that shape the character. A Virtue helps a character get out of trouble (e.g. level-headed, charismatic, martial artist), while a Vice gets a player into trouble (e.g. hot-headed, greedy, claustrophobic). The Moment and Brink cards are ordered with the other two cards into a 'Stack', with the Brink always coming last. Each of the top three cards can be used once and must be used in the order arranged at the beginning of the game.
Once characters are built and all candles are lit, each character takes turns recording their last voice message for the world. This sets up the game and centres the players on their character's goal.
Soy Candles: Soot-Free Solution for Your Home
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Character creation
Each player creates one character, and each character has four cards: a Virtue, a Vice, a Moment, and a Brink. Virtue and Vice are traits that shape the character. A Virtue is a positive trait that helps the character get out of trouble, such as being level-headed, charismatic, or a martial artist. A Vice is a flaw that gets the character into trouble, such as being hot-headed, greedy, or claustrophobic. These traits should be at the core of the character's personality and influence how they respond to the game's conflicts.
The Moment card represents a significant event in the character's life, and the Brink card represents the character's breaking point. These cards are arranged into a 'Stack', with the Brink card always at the bottom. The order of the other three cards can be chosen by the player, and they must be played in that order during the game. Ideally, only one player should start with their Moment card at the top of the stack.
Once character creation is complete, each character takes turns recording their last voice message to the world. This sets up the game and helps centre the players on their character's goals and motivations.
The game of Ten Candles then proceeds with the lighting of the ten candles, which serve as ambiance, gameplay tools, timers, and the only light source. As the candles are extinguished one by one, the players will encounter conflicts and make dice rolls to resolve them. The characters will survive until only one candle remains, unless the player decides their character should die earlier in a tragic or heroic manner.
Candlelight Vigils: Bring Your Own Candle?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Using the candles
Ten Candles is played by the light of ten tea light candles, which are placed in a circle around a fireproof bowl. The candles are a core part of the game mechanic, acting as a countdown timer for the game. They also provide atmosphere and are used as a gameplay tool.
The candles are the game's pacing mechanism. As the game progresses, the players gradually lose resources and face worsening threats. With each conflict, the players roll the available communal dice. If the roll has at least one six, it is a success. If any die shows a one, that die is lost for the remainder of the scene. If the roll has no sixes, it is a failure, and a candle is extinguished. When a candle is extinguished, the group moves to the next scene.
Players can also choose to blow out a candle to gain narration privileges. Additionally, players can burn their traits (virtues or vices) by setting the index card alight on a candle flame and placing it in the fireproof bowl. This allows them to reroll all ones, but the burned trait must be roleplayed for the remainder of the game.
As the game nears its end, the players will have fewer dice and the GM will have more. The GM's dice determine narrative control, so as the game progresses, the players lose control over the outcome. When the final candle is extinguished, all characters will die.
Paraffin Candles: Are They Toxic to Your Health?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Dice mechanics
Ten Candles is a tragic horror tabletop role-playing game that uses ten votive candles to mark time. The game is designed for one-shot 2-4 hour sessions. The players know that the game will eventually end in darkness and the deaths of all their characters. The purpose of the game is to create a shared narrative about their last bit of time together and how they survived long enough to create their story.
The game mechanics are as follows:
The dice system used in Ten Candles is a d6 dice pool. At the beginning of the game, players receive ten dice. They roll as many dice as there are lit candles, and the GM rolls as many dice as there are unlit candles. If a player rolls at least one 6, the conflict is successful. If a player rolls more 6s than the GM, the player maintains control of the narrative. Any dice showing a 1 are pulled from the dice pool until the next scene.
If a player doesn't roll a single 6, they fail their action, and the GM states what happens next. A candle is then darkened. When only one candle remains, failed conflicts result in character death until the final candle goes out and the last character dies.
Players can use their character's traits to try and succeed on rolls, especially in the second half of the game when rolls are failed more frequently. Players can also use their character's Moment to gain a Hope die, which succeeds more often and isn't removed when rolling a 1.
Overall, the mechanics of Ten Candles are designed to reduce player impact as the game progresses and the situation slowly spins out of the players' control.
Jonathan Adler Candles: Splurge or Save?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Conflict resolution
If a player wishes to reroll all ones, they may burn one of their character traits by setting the corresponding index card alight on a candle flame and placing it in the fireproof bowl. This burned trait must be incorporated into the narration of the conflict resolution and becomes unavailable for rerolls. However, it must still be role-played as an aspect of the character. Burning a trait reveals the next card in the stack, which becomes active and steers the story toward a specific event or conflict.
The game master (GM) also has a supply of dice, and their dice determine narrative control rather than success or failure. As the game progresses, the GM gains more dice, signifying that the situation is slowly spiralling out of the players' control. The GM is responsible for setting the initial story, running non-player characters, and resolving scenes after a conflict. However, players can choose to describe what happens after a successful roll, although the GM may veto this description if it deviates from the established narrative or truths.
Additionally, players have the opportunity to introduce truths to the story during interludes between scenes, contributing to the evolving narrative. The GM can also use their dice to determine when to roll for a specific event or conflict, influencing the pacing of the game.
Charity Shops: Do They Accept Candles?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
You will need 10 tealight candles, a fireproof bowl, a lighter, 5 index cards per player, roughly 10 six-sided dice, pens or markers, and a voice recorder.
10 Candles is a tragic horror game where every character dies at the end. The game is about what your character does in their final hours and how they try to make the most of their remaining time.
The candles act as a countdown timer and provide atmosphere. They also serve as a gameplay tool and light source. When a conflict arises, players roll the available communal dice. If there are no sixes, the scene ends and a candle is blown out.
