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Call of Cthulhu

The Call of Cthulhu is a cosmic horror short story written by American author H. P. Lovecraft in 1926 and first published in the February 1928 issue of the pulp magazine Weird Tales.^[1] The narrative unfolds through the discoveries of protagonist Francis Wayland Thurston, who uncovers his late uncle's research into a global cult worshiping the ancient, monstrous entity Cthulhu—a colossal, octopus-headed being imprisoned in the sunken city of R'lyeh beneath the Pacific Ocean.^[1] Through interconnected accounts involving a sculptor's disturbing dreams, a police raid on a cult ritual in Louisiana, and a Norwegian sailor's terrifying encounter with the awakening creature, the story explores themes of forbidden knowledge, human insignificance, and the incomprehensible horrors of the universe.^[1] The tale introduced Cthulhu as a central figure in what became known as the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe of eldritch entities and cosmic dread that Lovecraft and other writers expanded upon in subsequent works.^[1] Its influence extends far beyond literature, inspiring numerous adaptations in film, video games, and other media, while cementing Lovecraft's legacy in the horror genre.^[2] Most notably, Call of Cthulhu also refers to a renowned tabletop role-playing game (RPG) created by Sandy Petersen and first published by Chaosium in 1981, directly drawing from Lovecraft's stories and the Mythos to simulate investigative horror scenarios set in the 1920s.^[2] In the game, players portray ordinary investigators confronting cults, monsters, and sanity-shattering revelations, with one participant acting as the Keeper to narrate and adjudicate using dice-based mechanics focused on roleplaying and mystery-solving rather than combat.^[2] Over four decades, the RPG has defined the horror RPG genre, earning acclaim as one of the most influential tabletop games and spawning multiple editions, supplements, and digital adaptations.^[2]

Original Work

Publication History

H.P. Lovecraft wrote "The Call of Cthulhu" between late 1926 and early 1927, during a prolific period following his return to Providence, Rhode Island, after a brief and unhappy marriage in New York; the story, approximately 11,000 words in length, formed a cornerstone of his emerging Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe of cosmic entities and forbidden knowledge.^[1] In 1927, Lovecraft submitted the manuscript to Weird Tales, the leading pulp magazine for fantastic literature, but editor Farnsworth Wright initially rejected it as too obscure and complex for readers.^[3] Persuaded by Donald Wandrei, who falsely claimed Lovecraft planned to offer the story to competing publications, Wright reconsidered and accepted it for serialization.^[3] The story appeared in Weird Tales Volume 11, Number 2 (February 1928), illustrated by Hugh Rankin, marking Lovecraft's first major publication in the magazine since 1923.^[1] Lovecraft died in 1937 without seeing his work in book form, but friends August Derleth and Donald Wandrei founded Arkham House to preserve his legacy; "The Call of Cthulhu" first appeared in print as a bound volume in The Outsider and Others (1939), a comprehensive collection of his stories edited by Derleth. A modern scholarly edition, The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics, 1999), edited and introduced by Lovecraft biographer S.T. Joshi, further established the story's canonical status with textual notes and historical context.^[4]

Plot Summary

"The Call of Cthulhu" is presented as a manuscript discovered by the narrator, Francis Wayland Thurston, who inherits the papers of his late grand-uncle, Professor George Gammell Angell, following Angell's death in 1926-27.^[5] Thurston, examining the documents in Angell's Providence home, uncovers notes on strange sculptures, dreams, and a global cult, initially dismissing them as the eccentric obsessions of an elderly scholar.^[5] The papers detail events beginning in March 1925, when young sculptor Henry Anthony Wilcox visits Angell with a bizarre bas-relief he carved from his nightmares of cyclopean cities and a monstrous entity.^[5] Wilcox describes dreams of rising tides, alien landscapes, and a voice chanting "Cthulhu fhtagn," coinciding with worldwide reports of nervous breakdowns and artistic frenzies among sensitive individuals.^[5] Angell's records trace the cult's history to a 1907 police raid led by Inspector John Raymond Legrasse in the Louisiana bayous near New Orleans, where officers disrupted a debauched ritual by a group of mixed-race worshippers.^[5] The cultists, adorned with idols depicting a winged, octopus-headed being, chanted the phrase "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn," interpreted as "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming."^[5] Legrasse presents the seized idol at the 1908 annual meeting of the American Archaeological Society in Providence, where experts link it to ancient Pacific myths but fail to explain its origins.^[5] Thurston later connects this to Wilcox's sculpture, recognizing identical motifs of a massive, pulpy, tentacled horror with a deformed human shape, bat-like wings, and a head like an octopus.^[5] Further investigation by Thurston reveals a 1925 maritime incident involving the New Zealand bark Venture, which encountered a derelict yacht and stumbled upon the risen city of R'lyeh in the South Pacific.^[5] The Venture's crew boards the ancient, non-Euclidean ruins, where one sailor, Gustaf Johansen, enters a monolithic structure and glimpses the awakening Cthulhu—a colossal entity over 100 feet tall, emerging from the sea amid earthquakes.^[5] Johansen escapes by ramming the creature with the ship, causing Cthulhu to burst into a noxious cloud before regenerating, though R'lyeh sinks again, delaying the entity's full return.^[5] Thurston pieces together evidence of a worldwide network of Cthulhu cultists, from Greenland to China, who await the Great Old One's awakening to usher in cosmic chaos, leaving him in dread of humanity's insignificance against such ancient, indifferent forces.^[5]

Themes and Analysis

"The Call of Cthulhu" exemplifies H.P. Lovecraft's philosophy of cosmicism, which posits humanity's utter insignificance in a vast, indifferent universe dominated by ancient, godlike entities that transcend time and space.^[6] Cthulhu, as a Great Old One slumbering in the sunken city of R'lyeh, embodies this theme by representing forces beyond human comprehension, where cosmic horrors operate without regard for mortal concerns, evoking a sense of existential dread.^[7] This nihilistic worldview underscores the story's portrayal of reality as a mechanical, uncaring expanse, rendering human endeavors futile against such primordial powers.^[8] The narrative delves into the perils of forbidden knowledge, depicting the protagonist Francis Wayland Thurston's progressive unraveling as he assembles disparate clues about Cthulhu's cult and awakening.^[9] Encountering truths that shatter conventional understandings of history and cosmology induces madness, serving as a literary device to illustrate the psychological fragility of the human mind when confronted with the incomprehensible.^[10] This motif highlights how the pursuit of hidden realities—through artifacts, dreams, and survivor accounts—leads not to enlightenment but to irreversible mental collapse, reinforcing cosmicism's emphasis on humanity's limited capacity to endure ultimate truths.^[9] Lovecraft employs an epistolary structure, piecing together the tale from fragmented documents, police reports, and personal diaries, which creates a sense of unreliable, pieced-together narration that mirrors the protagonist's disjointed discovery process.^[11] This format enhances the horror by presenting events through indirect, second-hand accounts, fostering ambiguity and dread as readers, like Thurston, grapple with incomplete evidence.^[12] Stylistically, Lovecraft's archaic, verbose prose evokes a scholarly tone, while depictions of the Cthulhu cult incorporate xenophobic elements, portraying devotees as degenerate outsiders from diverse ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the author's prejudices.^[13] Critically, August Derleth, who coined the term "Cthulhu Mythos," interpreted the story as part of a unified cosmic framework pitting elder gods against chaotic forces, imposing a moral structure absent in Lovecraft's indifferent universe.^[14] In contrast, modern scholar S.T. Joshi, in his biography H.P. Lovecraft: A Life (1996, expanded 2010), analyzes the narrative's psychological depth alongside its racism, noting how xenophobic tropes amplify themes of otherness and cultural decay, yet contribute to the story's enduring exploration of existential horror.^[15] Joshi further argues that Lovecraft's racial anxieties stem from broader 19th-century influences, integrating them into a worldview that influences subsequent existential horror by blending personal fears with cosmic scale.^[13] The story's impact extends to shaping modern horror's focus on incomprehensible dread, as seen in its foundational role within the broader Mythos.^[16] R'lyeh symbolizes the incomprehensible through its non-Euclidean geometry, where angles defy logical spatial rules, trapping explorers in a labyrinthine nightmare that defies human perception and evokes mathematical terror.^[17] This architectural aberration represents the story's core tension between ordered reality and chaotic otherness, embodying cosmicism by manifesting entities that warp the fabric of existence itself.^[10] The city's "abnormal, loathsomely redolent" structure thus serves as a metaphor for the mind-bending horror of truths that transcend Euclidean norms, amplifying themes of insignificance and madness.^[18]

Role-Playing Game

Development and Editions

The Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game was designed by Sandy Petersen and first published by Chaosium in 1981, drawing inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Call of Cthulhu" and the wider Cthulhu Mythos.^[19] The game utilized Chaosium's existing Basic Role-Playing (BRP) system, adapted for a horror-themed experience set primarily in the 1920s.^[19] Chaosium had secured licensing rights to Lovecraft's works from Arkham House in the late 1970s, enabling the official use of Mythos elements.^[20] Petersen's design originated as a proposed supplement for the Dreamlands setting in Chaosium's RuneQuest RPG but shifted to a contemporary horror framework following company input, marking his debut as an RPG designer.^[21] Key innovations included a sanity mechanic, developed rapidly and influenced by an article on mental stability in the Sorcerer's Apprentice fanzine.^[21] The first edition's initial print run of 5,000 copies sold out rapidly, demonstrating strong early demand.^[22] Subsequent development involved revisions by Lynn Willis and contributions from other Chaosium staff, refining the core rules across editions.^[19] The second edition, released in 1983, expanded the rule set with additional content and clarifications. The third edition in 1986 introduced the Cthulhu Mythos skill as a measure of forbidden knowledge. Later editions, including the fourth (1989) and fifth (1992), incorporated further refinements to character creation and scenario integration. The sixth edition (2004) emphasized compatibility with prior materials while updating layout and artwork. The seventh edition, developed by Mike Mason and Paul Fricker, launched in 2014 via a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $500,000. It featured a modernized layout, streamlined rules for new players, and an included quick-start guide with the classic scenario "The Haunting."^[19] In 2021, Chaosium released a 40th anniversary Keeper Rulebook, a limited-edition update to the seventh edition core book with enhanced production values, new endpapers, and reprinted early creator insights.^[23] A 2023 revision of the Keeper Rulebook further streamlined gameplay elements for accessibility. As of 2013, the overall Call of Cthulhu line had sold over 500,000 books across more than 100 supplements and core releases.^[24] Digital editions and supplements became available through platforms like DriveThruRPG starting in the early 2000s, broadening access to the game's materials. Chaosium faced near-bankruptcy in 2016 amid delays in fulfilling the seventh edition Kickstarter rewards, prompting a buyback led by founder Greg Stafford and investor supporters to stabilize operations and refocus on core lines like Call of Cthulhu.^[25]

Core Gameplay Mechanics

Call of Cthulhu is a tabletop role-playing game where players portray investigators confronting cosmic horrors from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, emphasizing investigation, survival, and psychological terror over traditional heroic combat.^[26]

Character Creation

Investigators, the player characters, are ordinary individuals such as professors, detectives, or journalists, defined by their occupations which determine primary skills and backstory elements like personal connections and beliefs.^[19] Each investigator possesses eight core characteristics on a percentile scale (3–18 base, multiplied by 5 for 15–90 range): Strength (STR), Constitution (CON), Size (SIZ), Dexterity (DEX), Appearance (APP), Intelligence (INT), Power (POW), and Education (EDU). These are generated by rolling dice—STR, CON, DEX, APP, and POW with 3D6 × 5; SIZ, INT, and EDU with (2D6 + 6) × 5—reflecting human frailty rather than superhuman prowess. Derived statistics include Hit Points (HP) as (CON + SIZ)/2 for physical endurance, Magic Points (MP) equal to POW for spellcasting capacity, Luck as 3D6 × 5 for fortunate breaks, and starting Sanity (SAN) as POW × 5 to gauge mental stability.^[27] Skills are percentile-based (0–100%), with occupation skills totaling EDU × 4 points plus INT × 2 for personal interests, covering abilities like Library Use (researching lore) or Firearms (ranged attacks), enabling percentile dice rolls for resolution.^[26]

Sanity System

The Sanity mechanic simulates the erosive impact of Mythos exposure, distinguishing Call of Cthulhu from other RPGs by prioritizing mental horror. Starting SAN equals POW × 5, with a maximum of 99 minus the Cthulhu Mythos skill rating (initially 0%).^[27] Encounters with horrors trigger SAN rolls: players roll 1D100 against current SAN, losing minimal points (e.g., 0) on success or greater amounts (e.g., 1D10) on failure; witnessing Cthulhu, for instance, inflicts 1D10/1D100 loss.^[27] Losing 5+ SAN in a single roll induces temporary insanity, requiring an Intelligence roll (1D100 ≤ INT) to control it for 1D10 hours, potentially triggering a bout of madness (e.g., paranoia or fleeing) rolled on a 1D10 table.^[27] Indefinite insanity arises from repeated losses or phobias/manias, altering backstory or imposing lasting behaviors like hydrophobia after deep-sea horrors; recovery is limited, often 1D3 SAN per resolved scenario.^[27] The Cthulhu Mythos skill, gained from studying forbidden tomes, provides insight into eldritch secrets but permanently reduces maximum SAN by its percentage.^[27]

Combat and Investigation

Gameplay centers on skill-based investigation—gathering clues through rolls like Spot Hidden or Persuade—rather than prolonged fights, as combat is intentionally lethal and discouraged against overwhelming Mythos threats.^[26] Resolution uses a d100 system: success if the roll is ≤ the skill or characteristic percentage, with difficulty levels (Regular, Hard at half value, Extreme at one-fifth) and opposed rolls comparing success degrees.^[19] Combat proceeds in Dexterity order (highest first, firearms gaining +50 effective DEX when aimed), employing Fighting (melee/brawl), Firearms, or Dodge skills; attackers and defenders roll oppositely, with the higher success level determining outcomes—e.g., a successful Dodge avoids all damage, while a Fighting parry inflicts up to regular weapon damage.^[28] Damage reduces HP, with major wounds (≥ half max HP in one hit) causing skill penalties and unconsciousness at 0 HP; hit locations (e.g., arm, leg via 1D100 table) add narrative detail and targeted effects like dropping weapons from arm hits.^[19] Weapons deal fixed damage plus STR/DB bonus (e.g., handgun 1D10, knife 1D4 + DB), emphasizing fragility—investigators often die from a few blows.^[28] Spells, drawn from Mythos tomes, require MP expenditure and SAN loss (e.g., Contact Ghoul costs 1D3 SAN), offering risky tools like summoning entities amid investigations.^[19]

Keeper Role

The Keeper of Arcane Lore, the game's moderator, narrates the world, portrays non-player characters and Mythos entities, and adjudicates rules to build tension through clues leading to cults, ancient ruins, or monstrous revelations.^[19] Sessions typically unfold as investigative scenarios where players pursue leads via skill checks, culminating in confrontations that test survival and sanity, with the Keeper concealing horror details to heighten dread.^[26] The Keeper manages Sanity losses, monster statistics (e.g., high damage output for mythos creatures), and scenario pacing, ensuring themes of inevitable cosmic insignificance prevail without player agency loss.^[28]

Supplements and Expansions

The Call of Cthulhu role-playing game has been expanded through a wide array of supplements, including scenario collections, campaign books, setting sourcebooks, and bestiaries, which provide keepers and players with additional content to enrich investigations into the Cthulhu Mythos.^[29] Over 100 such supplements have been published by Chaosium since 1981, covering diverse eras, themes, and gameplay styles while integrating with the core mechanics of sanity loss and investigative horror.^[29] These materials often feature interconnected scenarios that can form multi-session campaigns, allowing for deeper exploration of Lovecraftian entities and cults.^[30] Among the classic campaigns, Shadows of Yog-Sothoth (1982) stands as the first full adventure module, consisting of seven linked scenarios where investigators travel globally to thwart a cult's plan to summon the Outer God Yog-Sothoth.^[31] This campaign introduced innovative elements like international travel and puzzle-solving, setting a standard for narrative depth in RPG adventures.^[32] Masks of Nyarlathotep (1984), another seminal work, is a globe-trotting epic spanning locations from New York to Cairo and Shanghai, where players uncover a worldwide cult worshiping Nyarlathotep intent on summoning an apocalyptic entity.^[33] Renowned for its intricate plotting and high lethality, it remains a benchmark for ambitious, player-driven storytelling in the genre.^[34] The original Malleus Monstrorum (2006) serves as a comprehensive monster compendium, detailing over 200 Mythos creatures, gods, and independent races with statistics, lore, and illustrations for use in scenarios.^[35] It expands on the core rulebook's bestiary by providing deeper mythological context and variant encounters.^[36] Setting sourcebooks have broadened the game's temporal and thematic scope beyond the 1920s default era. Cthulhu by Gaslight (1986) adapts the rules for Victorian England, incorporating historical details like gaslit London streets and steam-age technology while maintaining Mythos horror through scenarios involving Jack the Ripper-inspired cults. Delta Green (1997), published by Pagan Publishing under license, introduces a modern-day conspiracy framework where government agents battle Mythos threats, blending X-Files-style intrigue with Call of Cthulhu mechanics; the line later became independent after the license expired around 2017, leading to a standalone system.^[37] Pulp Cthulhu (2014) offers a heroic variant, emphasizing pulp adventure tropes such as two-fisted action and lucky breaks to counter cosmic dread, complete with new occupations, equipment, and Sanity rules for high-stakes heroism. Recent releases continue to diversify the line with era-specific and format innovations. Down Darker Trails (2017) transplants the Mythos to the American Wild West, featuring scenarios with cowboys confronting eldritch horrors amid the Gold Rush, including adapted rules for frontier life and firearms. Gateways to Terror (2019) compiles six one-shot scenarios suitable for convention play or short sessions, ranging from 1920s mysteries to 1940s espionage, designed for quick Keeper preparation and modular use. The 7th edition Malleus Monstrorum (2020), released as a two-volume bestiary in slipcase, updates and expands the original with over 400 entries on Mythos beings, incorporating new artwork, spells, and artifacts while preserving investigative utility.^[36] Chaosium often unveils annual releases at Gen Con, such as Alone Against the Flames (2019), the first official solo adventure book using a choose-your-own-adventure format with dice-rolling mechanics for lone investigators. In 2025, Chaosium released The Sutra of Pale Leaves, introducing a 1980s Japan setting for Call of Cthulhu.^[38] Licensed content has fostered third-party innovations under Chaosium's oversight. Trail of Cthulhu (2008), developed by Pelgrane Press using the GUMSHOE system, emphasizes clue-based investigation to streamline Mythos probes, licensed to incorporate core Call of Cthulhu elements like Sanity while diverging in resolution mechanics.^[39] Following licensing shifts in the late 2010s—where agreements with publishers like Cubicle 7 and Pagan ended, prompting independent developments—Chaosium revived and renewed partnerships post-2019, including support for Pelgrane's Trail of Cthulhu 2nd edition crowdfunding in 2024, ensuring continued access to Mythos lore across systems.^[40]

Film Adaptations

2005 Silent Film

The 2005 silent film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" was produced by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS), directed by Andrew Leman and produced by Sean Branney. Shot over 14 months in 2005 on a low budget funded primarily by contributions from society members, the production employed a proprietary "Mythoscope" process blending modern digital effects with vintage techniques, such as intertitles for narration, hand-tinted colorization for specific scenes, stop-motion animation, and miniature models to recreate the era's aesthetic. The project maintained close ties to Chaosium Inc., the publisher of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game, ensuring authenticity in its portrayal of Lovecraftian elements.^[41]^[42] The film adheres closely to the original story's tripartite structure: the protagonist's discovery of his late uncle's papers, the investigation into a global cult, and the climactic revelation of Cthulhu's island prison. Actors perform in authentic 1920s period costumes, with the titular entity's appearance brought to life through practical effects like stop-motion and detailed miniatures, avoiding modern CGI to preserve the story's atmospheric dread.^[41]^[43] As a deliberate homage to silent-era cinema, the 47-minute production features no spoken dialogue, relying instead on expressive acting, visual storytelling, and an original orchestral score composed by members of the HPLHS Dark Music Project. It was released on DVD with multiple audio commentary tracks, including discussions on production challenges and Lovecraft's influence, and later made available for streaming.^[41]^[44] The film premiered at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in 2005, where it won Best of the Fest and Audience Choice awards, and went on to screen at numerous international festivals. Critics and audiences praised its fidelity to the source material and innovative style, earning a 7.1/10 rating on IMDb from over 9,000 users; it also secured accolades such as Best Feature at the 2006 Eerie Horror Film Festival and Prix Tournage for Best American Movie at the 2006 Avignon Film Festival.^[45]^[43]

James Wan Adaptation (in Development)

In December 2023, filmmaker James Wan announced his development of a feature film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's 1928 short story "The Call of Cthulhu," produced through his Atomic Monster banner. The project marks Wan's entry into cosmic horror, a genre he has long admired for its emphasis on existential dread and humanity's insignificance in the face of incomprehensible forces. Wan, who will direct and write the screenplay, has described the story's abstract nature—centered on an investigator uncovering fragmented clues about an ancient cult and eldritch entity—as a challenging yet rewarding endeavor that prioritizes atmospheric tension over conventional scares.^[46] The creative team includes producers Sam Raimi and Roy Lee, collaborators from Wan's previous horror ventures, with the production aiming to capture Lovecraft's themes of psychological unraveling and forbidden knowledge. As of 2025, the project remains in pre-production, with Wan continuing to refine script drafts that build suspense through investigative sequences and subtle horror elements, eschewing graphic violence in favor of mounting dread. No release date has been set, though the adaptation is positioned as a high-profile Hollywood effort intended for wide theatrical distribution.^[47] Complementing the film, a parallel video game adaptation is in development by Stars Collective, a studio backed by Sino-American investors, focusing on narrative-driven gameplay to expand the story's investigative and horror aspects. This dual-media approach underscores Wan's vision for immersing audiences in Lovecraft's mythos, with the game potentially incorporating interactive elements to heighten the sense of cosmic unease. The overall project benefits from the 2024 merger of Atomic Monster with Blumhouse Productions, aligning it with a powerhouse in genre filmmaking.^[46]^[48]

Video Game Adaptations

2018 Narrative RPG

Call of Cthulhu is a 2018 role-playing survival horror video game developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. Released on October 30, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the game is produced under license from Chaosium Inc. and draws inspiration from the tabletop Call of Cthulhu role-playing game, adapting its investigative and sanity mechanics into a narrative-driven experience.^[49]^[50]^[51] The game's plot is set in 1924 and follows private investigator Edward Pierce, voiced by Anthony Howell, as he probes the suspicious deaths of the wealthy Hawkins family in a fire at their Darkwater Island mansion. Hired by industrialist Stephen Webster, Pierce uncovers connections to ancient cults worshiping Lovecraftian entities from the Cthulhu Mythos, including eldritch rituals and otherworldly horrors. Player choices throughout the investigation influence Pierce's sanity levels and lead to one of four possible endings, ranging from ritual completion to counter-ritual resistance, emphasizing themes of madness and cosmic insignificance.^[52]^[53] Gameplay focuses on narrative exploration and investigation rather than action, incorporating RPG elements such as skill trees for abilities like Occult, Medicine, and Psychology, which players allocate points to enhance dialogue options, puzzle-solving, and evidence analysis. A central sanity meter tracks Pierce's mental state, decreasing upon encountering Mythos elements and triggering hallucinations, distorted visuals, and unreliable perceptions that alter the environment. There is no real-time combat; instead, progression relies on dialogue trees, environmental puzzles, and occasional stealth sections to avoid cultists or supernatural threats. The mechanics simplify the tabletop RPG's dice-based systems into choice-driven outcomes, prioritizing atmosphere over complexity.^[52]^[54]^[55] Upon release, Call of Cthulhu received mixed reviews, earning Metacritic scores of 63 (PC), 64 (PS4), and 64 (Xbox One), with critics praising its immersive Lovecraftian atmosphere, detailed 1920s settings, and strong voice acting—particularly Howell's portrayal of Pierce—but criticizing clunky controls, repetitive stealth mechanics, and a short length of 8-10 hours for the main story. The game's horror elements, including sound design and escalating madness effects, were highlighted as strengths that effectively capture the source material's dread, though technical issues like awkward animations and linear progression drew complaints. It launched without any downloadable content expansions.^[54]^[52]^[55]

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss (2025)

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an upcoming first-person psychological thriller video game developed by Big Bad Wolf Studio and published by Nacon, announced on March 6, 2025, during a reveal trailer at the Nacon event.^[56] Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the game draws direct inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, particularly the short story "The Call of Cthulhu," reimagining themes of cosmic insignificance and ancient horrors in a futuristic setting.^[57] It is scheduled for release on April 16, 2026, for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a focus on immersive storytelling and environmental horror rather than action-oriented gameplay.^[58] The title emphasizes exploration of mind-bending environments that challenge players' perception of reality, aligning with Lovecraftian principles of the unknowable.^[59] Set in the year 2053 amid resource scarcity on Earth's surface, the game's narrative centers on protagonist Noah, an agent from Interpol's occult division, who investigates the sudden silence of a deep-sea mining station in the Pacific Ocean.^[57] Accompanied by an AI companion named Key, Noah descends into the abyss, uncovering the submerged ruins of R'lyeh and confronting entities tied to Cthulhu's impending awakening.^[60] The story features branching narratives influenced by player choices and discoveries, leading to revelations about a reality-shattering secret that blurs the line between human comprehension and cosmic dread.^[57] Direct nods to Lovecraft's mythos include encounters with indescribable abominations like Shoggoths, portrayed through sensory distortion to evoke overwhelming mystery without full visual exposure.^[57] Gameplay revolves around investigative puzzle-solving in a first-person perspective, where players gather clues from the environment and interact with Key for assistance in decoding mysteries.^[57] A core dynamic sanity system tracks Noah's mental state, which deteriorates upon exposure to horrors, altering reality through hallucinations, shifting geometries, and interactive threats that emerge from distorted perceptions.^[57] Without traditional combat, the emphasis is on atmospheric dread and wits-testing challenges, such as navigating impossible architectures and solving environmental riddles to progress.^[61] The game's design prioritizes psychological immersion, with Unreal Engine 5 enabling high-fidelity visuals in 4K HDR for underwater and otherworldly settings.^[58] Early reception to the trailers has been positive, with the March 2025 reveal generating excitement for its faithful Lovecraftian tone and futuristic twist, as noted in community discussions praising the cinematic quality and horror potential.^[62] The October 2025 release date trailer, featuring initial gameplay footage, further highlighted the sanity mechanics and environmental storytelling, earning acclaim for its immersive visuals and tension-building without combat.^[63] Developers have opened playtests for select participants, contributing to buzz around the title's innovative approach to mythos adaptations.^[64] As of November 2025, anticipation remains high among horror gaming enthusiasts, positioning it as a standout in narrative-driven Lovecraftian titles.^[65]

Cultural Impact

Influence on Horror Genres

"Call of Cthulhu" established cosmic horror as a distinct subgenre by introducing the trope of an indifferent universe, where humanity's existence is trivial and overshadowed by incomprehensible cosmic forces.^[66] This philosophy, termed "cosmicism" by Lovecraft, posits that the universe operates without regard for human morality or significance, evoking existential dread rather than traditional supernatural fear.^[67] The story's depiction of Cthulhu as an ancient, slumbering entity exemplifies this, influencing subsequent horror by shifting focus from personal or societal terrors to the vast, uncaring cosmos.^[68] The narrative's impact extends to modern authors, such as Stephen King, whose novel IT features Pennywise, an ancient entity from a pre-universal void that preys on human fear, mirroring Lovecraft's Great Old Ones and their indifference to mortal suffering.^[69] Similarly, Caitlín R. Kiernan's works, like The Red Tree, draw on cosmic horror's themes of psychological unraveling amid eldritch revelations, perpetuating the subgenre's emphasis on forbidden knowledge.^[7] In weird fiction, August Derleth expanded the Cthulhu Mythos after Lovecraft's death, coining the term and integrating it into structured narratives that blended cosmic elements with moral dualism, thereby broadening the mythos' reach in pulp magazines and anthologies.^[70] This expansion is highlighted in Leslie S. Klinger's The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft (2014), which annotates key stories and underscores their role in evolving weird fiction toward existential and otherworldly themes. Lovecraft's innovations drove the horror genre's evolution from Gothic traditions—centered on haunted castles, human passions, and explainable supernaturalism—to cosmic dread, where threats are infinite and humanity's comprehension is futile.^[71] This shift is evident in sci-fi horror films like Event Horizon (1997), which portrays a spaceship encountering a hellish dimension reminiscent of R'lyeh's sunken, reality-warping architecture, amplifying Lovecraftian motifs of interdimensional horror.^[72] Central to this is the popularization of the "eldritch abomination" archetype: incomprehensible, formless entities that defy physics and sanity, originating in Lovecraft's descriptions of beings like Cthulhu as grotesque hybrids beyond human perception. Recent academic studies in the 2020s examine how Lovecraft's pseudoscientific elements, such as eugenics and racial hierarchies, underpin these abominations, revealing the mythos' entanglement with early 20th-century anxieties about degeneration and otherness.^[73] The influence reaches Japanese horror, where the Silent Hill series incorporates Lovecraftian cosmic dread through fog-shrouded, otherworldly towns that manifest personal and existential terrors, blending Western cosmicism with indigenous folklore to evoke the fear of the unknown.^[74] This fusion, as seen in games like Silent Hill f (2025), uses unfamiliar Shinto-inspired elements to heighten the sense of an indifferent, hostile reality, demonstrating how Lovecraft's tropes adapt across cultures to explore universal human insignificance.^[74]

References in Popular Media

The Cthulhu Mythos has permeated various forms of popular media, often through subtle nods, satirical portrayals, or direct homages that highlight its themes of cosmic insignificance and eldritch terror. In film, John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) features shape-shifting aliens that evoke Lovecraftian horror by embodying unknowable, invasive entities that defy human comprehension and isolation.^[75] Television series have incorporated explicit references, such as the animated show South Park, where the 2010 episode "Coon vs. Coon & Friends" depicts Cthulhu as a summoned entity controlled by the character Eric Cartman to wreak havoc in a satirical cult narrative.^[76] In music, heavy metal band Metallica paid tribute with the instrumental track "The Call of Ktulu" from their 1984 album Ride the Lightning, directly inspired by Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" and capturing its atmosphere of impending doom through atmospheric guitar riffs and building tension.^[77] Literature has seen parodic integrations, notably in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, where The Light Fantastic (1986) and other volumes mock Lovecraftian entities through the "Dungeon Dimensions," portraying interdimensional horrors as absurd, creeping threats that invert cosmic dread into comedic fantasy tropes.^[78] Internet culture has embraced Cthulhu as a meme icon, exemplified by the recurring "Cthulhu for President" satirical campaigns, which originated with Chaosium's 1996 RPG parody kit and evolved into viral election humor emphasizing the entity's "lesser evil" appeal in political discourse.^[79] Gaming crossovers include brief but evocative mentions in the Fallout series, where cults worship eldritch beings like Ug-Qualtoth, drawing on Mythos-inspired elements of forbidden knowledge and apocalyptic cults amid post-nuclear wastelands.^[80] Board games like Mansions of Madness Second Edition (2016) by Fantasy Flight Games immerse players in Arkham settings filled with Mythos creatures, blending investigation with horror in cooperative scenarios.^[81] The enduring popularity is reflected in events like the annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon, held since 1995 in Portland, Oregon, which celebrates Mythos influences through screenings, panels, and fan gatherings, fostering a dedicated community around these cultural touchstones.^[82]

References

[1]
"The Call of Cthulhu" by H. P. Lovecraft
When, after infinities of chaos, the first men came, the Great Old Ones spoke to the sensitive among them by moulding their dreams; for only thus could Their ...
[2]
What is Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu takes its premise from the stories of an early 20th century writer called Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890–March 15, 1937), whose ...Missing: facts | Show results with:facts
[3]
Four for Farnsworth - HPLHS - The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
May 2, 2021 · Wright infamously rejected some notable HPL stories, including "The Shunned House", "The Call of Cthulhu" (too obscure), "At the Mountains of ...
[4]
Biography and "The Call of Cthulhu"-Part 3 - Tellers of Weird Tales
Oct 2, 2011 · Forsaking New York (and for all practical purposes his marriage), Lovecraft returned to Providence in April 1926 and wrote "The Call of Cthulhu" ...
[5]
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H. P. Lovecraft
In stock Free delivery over $20The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories · By H. P. LovecraftEdited by S. T. Joshi · By H. P. LovecraftIllustrated by Travis LouieIntroduction by S. T. Joshi ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[6]
The Call of Cthulhu - Wikisource, the free online library
Jan 1, 2024 · "The Call of Cthulhu" published in The Outsider and Others, (1939). Arkham House. This work is in the public domain in the United States ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[7]
[PDF] An Analysis of Lovecraft's Nihilistic Cosmicism & Dostoevsky's ...
In “The Call of Cthulhu,” the protagonist notes, “some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of ...
[8]
Walter Benjamin and Lovecraft's Cosmicism - jstor
Lovecraft himself and numerous critics agree that one of the major themes in his fiction is the revelation of a philosophy of cosmic indif- ference. Critics ...
[9]
[PDF] Weird and cosmic short horror fiction and the illustration of ...
Nov 9, 2020 · Lovecraft summarizes the great ability of weird and cosmic horror with this quote interwoven into “The Call of Cthulhu”: “Was I tottering on the ...
[10]
[PDF] Dreadful Reality: Fear and Madness in the Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft
I will analyze the stories “The Dunwich Horror,” “The. Shadow Over Innsmouth,” and “The Call of Cthulhu” to discuss the roles that fear and madness play in ...
[11]
[PDF] H.P. Lovecraft and the Modernist Grotesque
He had said that the geometry of the dream-place he saw was abnormal, non-Euclidean, and loathsomely redolent of sphere and dimensions apart from ours. Now ...
[12]
[PDF] Reading HP Lovecraft's
Chapter Two delineates the breadth of moral decline Lovecraft perceived in the world: miscegenation, physical and spiritual decadence, and incest. This section.<|separator|>
[13]
Self, Other, and the Evolution of Lovecraft's Treatment of Outsideness
I believe it is Francis Wayland. Thurston, the protagonist of “The Call of Cthulhu.” He represents a still clumsy, unsure prototype of fully mature “white ...
[14]
[PDF] popular purity: change over time in the racial views of hp lovecraft ...
... racial to a sort of cultural segregation, yet Joshi also claims that “…much abuse has been heaped upon him for his alleged 'racism'.”3. Joshi's use of ...
[15]
[PDF] Religion and Millennialism in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos
Dec 30, 2019 · The most influential and best known of these short stories fall within what his literary successor August Derleth called the 'Cthulhu mythos,' ...
[16]
The Letters of HP Lovecraft and Frank Belknap Long - jstor
What do we know now about Lovecraft that we didn't know in 2002? Firstly, the totality of Lovecraft's racism is out in the open. This alone will put many off ...
[17]
August Derleth and the Christianization of the Cthulhu Mythos
This collection of fourteen essays is the first sustained academic engagement with horror author H.P. Lovecraft from a theological perspective. Covering the ...
[18]
https://dash.harvard.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/ef14fe01-ca43-4c93-8e1a-5493c653e6dd/content
[19]
Lexicons of Power: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Naming Symbolism ...
to H.P. Lovecraft's short story, "The Call of Cthulhu," throughout her novel. This is achieved through the recurrent invocation of non-Euclidean geometry within ...
[20]
None
Summary of each segment:
[21]
The Great Old One: Call of Cthulhu's Rise and Influence in Games.
Jul 20, 2025 · In the late 1970s, Chaosium acquired the licenses for H.P. Lovecraft's writings from Arkham House. ... Call of Cthulhu game: the many licenses ...
[22]
Interview: Sandy Petersen - GROGNARDIA
Oct 2, 2020 · Sandy Petersen scarcely needs an introduction. One of his first RPG designs, Call of Cthulhu, remains one of the most successful and widely ...
[23]
Call of Cthulhu Classic: An Interview with Rick Meints (Chaosium)
Jul 19, 2021 · Even during its brief time in the sun, the first print run of 5,000 copies quickly sold out. The second printing included a fair bit of ...
[24]
Announcing the Call of Cthulhu 40th Anniversary Keeper Rulebook: advance copies will be on sale at Gen Con
### Edition History, Updates, and Company Context for Call of Cthulhu RPG
[25]
Horror on the Orient Express: Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium
Aug 25, 2017 · Over 100 supplements have been printed for a total of 500,000 books sold over the last 28 years. Call of Cthulhu has won over 40 gaming ...
[26]
Chaosium Next: 1997-Present - Designers & Dragons
Aug 23, 2018 · To read the full history of Chaosium, you should first read pages 247-275 of Designers & Dragons: The '70s. Then, continue here. Downturn Meets ...
[27]
Call of Cthulhu – Getting Started
### Summary of Core Mechanics in Call of Cthulhu
[28]
Sanity (SAN) | The Call of Cthulhu RPG Wiki
Think of the game mechanic of Sanity (abbreviated as 'SAN') as modeling the behavior of characters in horror fiction when confronted with incomprehensible ...Missing: core creation
[29]
Combat | The Call of Cthulhu RPG Wiki
Investigators have three combat skills: Fighting, Dodge, and Firearms. Two of these skills are made up of multiple specializations.
[30]
Call of Cthulhu
No readable text found in the HTML.<|control11|><|separator|>
[31]
https://www.chaosium.com/blogunnatural-selections-44-what-critics-said-now-and-then-about-shadows-of-yogsothoth-now-part-of-the-call-of-cthulhu-classic-kickstarter/
[32]
https://www.chaosium.com/shadows-of-yog-sothoth-pdf/
[33]
https://www.chaosium.com/blog/masks-of-nyarlathotep-companion-special-sand-bat-edition-available-from-saturday-july-1st/
[34]
https://www.chaosium.com/masks-of-nyarlathotep-slipcase-set/
[35]
https://www.amazon.com/Malleus-Monstrorum-Creatures-Forbidden-Roleplaying/dp/1568821794
[36]
Malleus Monstrorum: Creatures, Gods, & Forbidden Knowledge
Publisher, Chaosium ; Publication date, December 30, 2006 ; Language, ‎English ; Print length, 295 pages ; ISBN-10, 1568821794.
[37]
https://nerdist.com/article/rpg-overview-fall-of-delta-green-makes-cthulhu-scary-again/
[38]
RPG Overview: Fall of Delta Green Makes Cthulhu Scary Again
Jun 20, 2018 · The Deadly History of a Governmental Conspiracy. In 1997, Pagan Publishing released Delta Green, a sourcebook for the Call of Cthulhu role ...
[39]
Trail of Cthulhu – Pelgrane Press Ltd
Trail of Cthulhu is an award-winning roleplaying game of investigative horror, powered by the GUMSHOE system and produced under license from Chaosium.
[40]
https://www.chaosium.com/blogtrail-of-cthulhu-2nd-edition-crowdfunding-campaign/
[41]
The Call of Cthulhu - HPLHS - The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
The HP Lovecraft Historical Society is proud to present its widely acclaimed and award-winning silent film of The Call of Cthulhu.
[42]
The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - IMDb
Rating 7.1/10 (9,476) While sorting the affairs of his late Uncle, a man accidentally stumbles across a series of dark secrets connected to an ancient horror waiting to be freed.
[43]
The Call of Cthulhu (2005 Movie) - Cult Sci Fi and Fantasy
Feb 17, 2025 · The Call of Cthulhu won multiple awards after it was released, including Best Feature at the Eerie Horror Film Festival, Prix Tournage for the ...
[44]
https://store.hplhs.org/products/call-of-cthulhu-dvd
[45]
The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - Awards - IMDb
2005 Winner H.P. Lovecraft Festival Award. Audience Choice. Andrew Leman (director) · 2005 Winner H.P. Lovecraft Festival Award. Best of the Fest. Andrew Leman ( ...Missing: budget producer
[46]
James Wan, Sam Raimi And Roy Lee Films Set For Video Game ...
Dec 21, 2023 · Among the projects are Wan's under-the-radar adaptation of HP Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu.
[47]
James Wan Teases His H.P. Lovecraft Movie In Enticing Script Update
Apr 26, 2024 · James Wan offers an enticing update on his H.P. Lovecraft movie script, teasing new details about his "hard sell" approach for the horror ...Missing: dread | Show results with:dread
[48]
James Wan Dives Into Lovecraftian Horror With Call of Cthulhu ...
Dec 22, 2023 · Director James Wan stakes his claim into cosmic horror territory with a confirmed movie adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu.
[49]
Call of Cthulhu—The Official Video Game: some w-i-p gameplay
Feb 24, 2018 · Produced by Focus Home Interactive under license from Chaosium and firmly based the tabletop rpg (hints in the name). This has been some time in ...<|separator|>
[50]
Call of Cthulhu® on Steam
Released. Oct 29, 2018 ; OS *: Windows 7/8/10 (64 bits) ; Processor: Intel Core i5-3450 (3.1 GHz)/AMD FX-6300 (3.5 GHz) ; Memory: 8 GB RAM ; Graphics: 2 GB, GeForce ...Missing: platforms | Show results with:platforms
[51]
Call of Cthulhu | Cyanide Studio
Release date: 30 Oct, 2018 ; Developer: Cyanide Studio ; Publisher: Focus Entertainment ; Genres: Adventure, RPG ; Follow Call of Cthulhu.
[52]
Call of Cthulhu Review - IGN
Rating 8.6/10 · Review by DM SchmeyerOct 30, 2018 · Call of Cthulhu is a dark ride through a mad, cosmic horror nightmare with a paranormal detective story as your vehicle.Missing: Stéphane Picq
[53]
Endings - Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game Walkthrough
Jan 1, 2019 · Edward's sanity must stay high during the campaign in order to get this ending. You must try to avoid most options that will lower your sanity.
[54]
Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game Reviews - Metacritic
Final verdict: It was a solid 7/10 for me, but I'd knock it down to a 6 because of the bugs. Is this game for you? If you love Lovecraftian worlds and ...Critic Reviews6.8
[55]
Video Game Review: 'Call of Cthulhu' - Variety
Oct 31, 2018 · It all feels very roughshod and clunky. Overall, the disregard for detail in “Call of Cthulhu” undermines the depth and cohesion of game's world ...
[56]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer
Mar 6, 2025 · Check out the reveal trailer for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, an upcoming psychological thriller game inspired by Lovecraft's universe from ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[57]
Lovecraftian Horror in Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - Xbox Wire
Oct 23, 2025 · Learn how developer Nacon brought the ontologically indescribable creations of H.P. Lovecraft to life in Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss.
[58]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss launches April 16, 2026 - Gematsu
Oct 23, 2025 · Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss features mind-bending environments that defy the laws of physics, pushing the boundaries ...Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics<|separator|>
[59]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss on Steam
14-day returnsAs an investigator of the occult, unravel the mysteries of the deep. Test your wits and sanity in this thriller inspired by the master of Providence.
[60]
https://www.nacongaming.com/en-US/cthulhu-the-cosmic-abyss
[61]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a first-person psychological ...
Mar 7, 2025 · Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and it will be coming to PC in 2026. So, let's see what this new game is all about ...
[62]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss | Reveal Trailer : r/pcgaming - Reddit
Mar 6, 2025 · That's a real nice CG video. Wonder what the game is.
[63]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - Official Release Date Trailer - YouTube
Oct 23, 2025 · Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - Official Release Date Trailer | Galaxies Showcase 2025 ... Timecop (SNES) - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN). Cinemassacre ...
[64]
'Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss' Ascends April 16, 2026 [Trailer]
Oct 26, 2025 · 'Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss' will arrive on PC and consoles next April. In addition, players can sign up for the next playtest this month.Missing: reception | Show results with:reception
[65]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss gropingly squeezes its gelatinous green ...
Oct 24, 2025 · First-person undersea scare-o-puzzler Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss launches April 16, 2026, as announced during the Galaxies showcase.
[66]
The terror of reality was the true horror for H P Lovecraft | Aeon Essays
Mar 25, 2024 · In his letters, he referred to his philosophy as 'cosmic indifferentism', which he also called 'cosmicism'. He derived the three main tenets of ...
[67]
[PDF] Unveiling Existential Dread in Cosmic Horror: A Comparative Study ...
May 31, 2023 · Essentially, cosmicism is a philosophy that emphasizes the insignificance of humanity in the face of the vast, indifferent cosmos, suggesting ...
[68]
The Paradoxical History of Cosmic Horror, from Lovecraft to Ligotti
Apr 10, 2014 · To appreciate the cosmic mystery that Lovecraft so obsessively tried to convey and conjure to hideous life in his stories, we are invited to ...
[69]
Stephen King's IT: Why Pennywise Is Basically A Lovecraft Monster
Nov 19, 2020 · King's evil creation shares many similarities with the horrors created by author H.P. Lovecraft. In fact, Pennywise is basically a Lovecraftian ...
[70]
August Derleth: Cthulhu re-myth - Into the Gyre
Aug 13, 2020 · What Derleth does – in codifying the Mythos – makes the fictional universe smaller and safer: the exact opposite, surely, of Lovecraft's ...
[71]
Exploring the evolution of the Horror Genre - The Gale Review
Feb 2, 2023 · Exploring the emergence and evolution of the Horror Genre, from early literature to modern cinema, using Gale Primary Sources.
[72]
Cosmic Horror and Literary and Cinematic Existential Dread
Sep 16, 2025 · Uncover cosmic horror's roots in literature & film, from Lovecraft to existential dread. A terrifying look at meaninglessness.
[73]
[PDF] Influences of the Eugenic Imagination in Horror Fiction of the Fin de ...
I believe that disability studies has much to offer horror studies, not the least of ... science. By whom should this research be ... practices beyond scientific ...
[74]
From Lovecraft to the Fear of the Unknown: Silent Hill f and Fatal ...
Oct 13, 2025 · This game used Japanese elements to be scary, including setting it in a haunted Japanese mansion and featuring a physically weak female ...
[75]
The 20 Best Lovecraftian Horror Movies - Paste Magazine
Oct 1, 2025 · All the best Lovecraftian horror movies, from Re-Animator and The Color Out of Space to The Call of Cthulhu or The Void.
[76]
Coon vs. Coon & Friends - Full Episode | South Park Studios Global
Nov 10, 2010 · ... Cartman who now has the dark lord, Cthulhu, doing his bidding ... South Park © 2025 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. Comedy Central.
[77]
The Call Of Ktulu by Metallica - Songfacts
The Call Of Ktulu by Metallica song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position. ... inspired by the story The Call Of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft.<|separator|>
[78]
The Annotated Pratchett File v9.0 - The Colour of Magic
Terry Pratchett's work is full of references, allusions, parodies and in-jokes. Hundreds of such references have been collected in the Annotated Pratchett ...
[79]
https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-for-president/
[80]
Every Lovecraft Reference In The Fallout Games - TheGamer
Mar 27, 2025 · Next, as we already mentioned the local Children Of Atom worship an energy based otherworldly entity, and having a cult following something odd ...
[81]
Mansions of Madness Second Edition - Fantasy Flight Games
This fully cooperative game takes you and up to four other players on a harrowing adventure through the dark and desolate halls and alleyways of Arkham.
[82]
H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon | The only convention that ...
Event Listing. Fri, Dec 5 2025 to Tue, Dec 9 2025. H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival Streaming Edition 2025. Eventive. Portland, OR. Tickets Not Yet Available ...Portland, OR · Providence, RI · Tickets · Events