| Designer(s) | Keith Baker |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Atlas Games |
| Players | 2-4 (basic deck) |
| Playing time | 30 minutes |
| Skill(s) required | Storytelling |
Gloom is a tabletop card game created by designer Keith Baker and published by Atlas Games in 2004. It won the Origins Award for Best Traditional Card Game in 2005.[1] Three expansion packs have been created since the release of the original game called, Unhappy Homes, Unwelcome Guests and Unfortunate Expeditions.[2] Additionally, In August 2011, Cthulhu Gloom, which serves as either a standalone game or a fourth expansion pack, was released.
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The game is for two to four players who each are given control of an eccentric family. The object of the game is to lower the self-worth points of the player's own family with cards that cause negative events, and attempt to raise the points of the opponent's family with cards that cause positive events, such as marriage. The player with the lowest Family Value is the winner of the game.[2]
An element of the game that was appreciated by game designer Greg Costikyan was the optional aspect of storytelling involved when playing an event card, where a player can choose to explain the events that happen in the course of the character's life. Costikyan stated that this added "a unique aspect to game play and [made] the game play particularly enjoyable".[3]