1

THE
UNSEEN
WORLD

A solitaire gamebook of paranormal

investigation and horror set in modern Japan

Thomas P. King
THE
UNSEEN
WORLD

Thomas P. King
Encounter Tables.......................................... 33
Table of Abandoned School ............................. 33
Contents Shrine ....................................................... 35
Forest ....................................................... 37
Introduction........................................................5 Apartment Building.............................. 39
Materials .....................................................5 Old House ............................................... 41
Inspiration ..................................................5 Tunnel....................................................... 43
The Game ...........................................................6 River.......................................................... 45
Cases ...........................................................6 Docks........................................................ 47
Campaign....................................................6 Old Lodge................................................ 49
Starting a Game ...............................................7 Train Station.......................................... 51
Action Deck ..............................................7 Historic Street ...................................... 53
Challenge Deck........................................7 Disused Warehouse............................. 55
Character Creation ................................7 Small Shop.............................................. 57
Creating a Town...............................................9 Background ............................................ 59
Town Types............................................ 10 Castle ....................................................... 61
Town Locations.................................... 12
Haunt Locations................................... 13
Player Turns ................................................... 14
Actions ..................................................... 14
Tracking Time........................................ 14 © 2022 Thomas P. King
Making an Action Check ................... 14
www.thomaspking.com
Actions ............................................................ 16
Game design, layout, writing, and editing:
Rest at a Hotel ..................................... 16
Thomas P. King
Move to a Location............................. 16
Cover illustration (modified): “The Taro
Spend Evidence.................................... 16
Inari Shrine In The Rice Fields At Asakusa”
Buy Items................................................ 16 by Kobayashi Kiyochika
Common Items............................. 17
The original cover illustration is in public
Uncommon Items ........................ 18 domain in its country of origin and other
Rare Items ..................................... 19 countries where the copyright term is the
Food Items..................................... 20 Artist's life plus 70 years or fewer because
Research ................................................. 21 Kobayashi Kiyochika died in 1915.
Investigate .............................................. 26 This book uses photos from Pexels, Pixabay,
Encounters .................................... 26 and Unsplash which grant personal and
Closing a Case............................. 27 commercial licenses.
Spending Evidence ..................... 27 Character and Town Sheet background
Recruit...................................................... 28 photo (modified) by Kelly Sikkema on
Unsplash
Travel to a New Town ....................... 28
Final Case ........................................................ 30 Interior page background photo (modified)
by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Campaign End................................................. 31
Playtesters: Crazy BlueDwarf, Justine
4

Kakuriyo
The Unseen World, Kakuriyo, is
where kami and the spirits of the
dead dwell in Shintoism. It isn’t a
specific place, but encompasses all
the worlds beyond the visible,
physical world, Utsushiyo.
Introduction 5
This is not a game of hunting monsters—this tokens to track Willpower and Evidence.
is a game about the dead. The spirits that are You’ll need 13 tokens for Willpower, and
reluctant to let go and move on. The about 30 for Evidence. You can download
ghosts—yurei—that linger. character and town sheets at
You are a budding new paranormal www.thomaspking.com/the-unseen-world.
investigator. You’ve quit your day job,
perhaps foolishly, to pursue the disregarded
frontier of science. The place where logic and
Inspiration
reasoning collide with faith and mysticism. The Unseen World was heavily inspired by
Someone has to prove once and for all that several pieces of media. A major influence is
the spirit world is real. And there is no better Japanese horror, movies like Ju-On (The
place than Japan, a country where, even in Grudge), Ringu (The Ring), Pulse, and Dark
modern times, ghosts and fantastical Water. Books such as the original Ringu
creatures are considered a part of everyday series and Dark Water from Koji Suzuki, and
life. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa. Video games such
as the Silent Hill and Fatal Frame series,
Dread Out (Indonesian horror),
Materials Phasmophobia, and games by Chilla’s Art
You will need a deck of standard playing have also been a big influence. Real world
cards, a six-sided die, and a ten-sided die. influences include paranormal Youtube
You’ll also need to print the character and channels like Nuke’s Top 5 and BizarreBub.
town sheets. Optionally, you can also use
6 The Game
Your goal in The Unseen World is to acquire
evidence of the paranormal by investigating
Campaign
haunted locations. By collecting enough As you play the game, you are limited in the
evidence, you can prove paranormal number of Towns you can visit. This is
phenomenon is real. tracked by adding more difficult cards to the
Challenge deck, representing the physical
The general flow of the game will look
and mental wear that investigations have on
something like this:
you. When the last 10 has been added to the
• Create a town using a series of tables. deck, you are on your last Town. When you
• Explore the town to reveal NPCs (non- leave that Town, the campaign ends and you
player-characters) available, then determine your ending based on your total
research a haunted location of your Campaign Evidence (page 31).
choice.
Losing
• You must collect 3 pieces of
It’s possible (through poor management of
information from research (uncovering
money) to have no funds for a summon item.
the backstory of a haunted location)
In this case, your campaign ends
before you can attempt to investigate a
immediately.
haunted location and acquire evidence.
• Each haunted location represents one
case and is complete after you
investigate (resolving encounters).
• After completing an investigation and
spending any evidence you want to earn
money, you'll begin a new case by
researching the next haunted location or
traveling to a new town (and begin a
case there).
Japanese Yen
The proper management of your money is an Japan’s currency is the Yen.
important aspect of the game, as you'll have a The international symbol
variety of expenses along the way. Going for Yen is ¥, which is seen
broke, as in life, is bad, so try to be aware of most often in tourist areas.
your funds when looking to buy items. The written form in
Japanese is 円 and is seen
more often in local shops
Cases and markets less frequented
You are always considered to be on a Case by tourists. This game uses
which is the time spent Researching and 円 for Yen.
Investigating a Haunt Location. You are free
to move around Town, exploring or buying
items, before starting research or traveling to
a new Town. But the clock is always ticking,
so try to be efficient with your time.
Starting a Game 7

Skill: This is the value of your Aces. Skill

Action Deck begins at 1 and increases as you level.
Make a deck with the 2, 3, and 4 of each suit
Aces: You begin with 1 Ace but can earn
from a standard deck of cards. Add one Ace.
more by leveling up.
Shuffle the deck and draw a hand of 4 cards.
You will use these cards to perform Actions 円 (Yen): You begin with 10,000 円.
and to resolve Research Checks and Fear Willpower: How much fear you can
Checks (page 14). You may examine the withstand before you must end an
discard pile at any time. investigation prematurely. Willpower
begins at 8. Write your maximum
Willpower in the circle. Use the
Challenge Deck remaining space to track changes in
Make a deck with the 6, 7, and 8 of each suit. Willpower. You cannot recover
Add one 5. Shuffle the deck. If this deck ever Willpower beyond its maximum value.
runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a Evidence: You’ll collect Evidence during
new deck. You may examine the discard pile investigations and spend it to earn
at any time. money.
Campaign Evidence: A running total of all
Character Creation Evidence collected.
Name: Choose a name. Trait: A Trait gives you two abilities. You can
Tired: During the game, if the day ends and roll 1d6 for a random Trait or choose
you can’t or don’t pay to sleep at a hotel, one (page 8).
you become Tired. Inventory: You have 8 inventory spaces. You
Level: You begin at level 1. With each new have two starting items, a Low-end
level, you earn a bonus (see Level Camera (Visual, worth 1,000円) and
Bonuses below). Maximum level is 12. Cheap Recorder (Audio, worth 500
円). You can later upgrade your
Experience: You begin with no Experience. inventory by buying an Old Van.
When you have 10 or more Experience,
you level up and remove 10 Experience. Team Members: During the game, you'll be
able to recruit NPCs into your Team.
8

Traits
Result Trait and Abilities
1 O UTGOI NG
You have +1 starting Willpower.
When you Inquire in Town, your Push is +2.
2 L ONE R
Probe is a free Action, and you have +2 to this Fear Check.
When you Inquire in Town and make a Research Check with a Shy,
Mysterious, or Paranoid NPC, their modifier is treated as +2 instead.
3 R E SE ARC HE R
When you Search for Information, you have +1 to your Research Check.
The special action of the Laptop costs 3 Action cards (instead of 4).
4 M E D I UM
At the beginning of an Investigate Action, you may increase or decrease the
Activity level by 1.
You have +1 to Fear Checks during Investigations that use a Spirit Board.
5 S TRE AM E R
Your online videos are worth +5,000円.
When you Inquire in Town and make a Research Check with a Young NPC,
you have +2 to the Check.
6 W RI TE R
When you write a chapter, you write 2 instead of 1.
When you Inquire in Town and make a Research Check with an Adult NPC,
you have +1 to the Check.

Level Bonuses
Level Bonus
2 +1 Skill.
3 +1 Maximum Willpower. Increases your current Willpower by 1 as well.
Replace a 2 Action card (from hand, discard pile, or deck) with an Ace. If the
4 2 came from the deck, reshuffle the deck (don’t shuffle the discard pile in).
5 +1 Skill.
6 +1 Maximum Willpower. Increases your current Willpower by 1 as well.
Replace a 2 Action card (from hand, discard pile, or deck) with an Ace. If the
7 2 came from the deck, reshuffle the deck (don’t shuffle the discard pile in).
8 +1 Skill.
9 +1 Maximum Willpower. Increases your current Willpower by 1 as well.
Replace a 2 Action card (from hand, discard pile, or deck) with an Ace. If the
10 2 came from the deck, reshuffle the deck (don’t shuffle the discard pile in).
11 +1 Skill.
12 +1 Maximum Willpower. Increases your current Willpower by 1 as well.
Creating a Town 9
You’ll generate each Town randomly using and item slots empty; you’ll fill
the tables below. Don’t fill any tick boxes at these when you first visit a
this time, they’re filled during play. Location and generate NPCs and
1. Roll 1d6 for the Town Type. This items.
determines the number of Town 3. Roll 1d10 for each Haunt Location, re-
Locations, the Unique Location, and a rolling duplicates. For each Haunt
possible Unique Haunt (see Haunt Location, also roll 1d10 for the Aspect
Locations page 13). and again for the Activity level. Skip
• Record only the Town type and the these steps for the third Haunt Location
Unique Location (the Unique of the last Town in the campaign (see
Haunt only has a chance to be Final Case page 30).
included). Cross out a Town • A Location’s aspect only affects
Location slot on the Town sheet if that Location.
the Town does not use 3 Locations. • Ignore the Info slots. You’ll fill
Do the same for Haunt Locations these during Research.
if the Town uses only 2 Haunt
Locations. You begin each Town at Main Street, which
2. Roll 1d10 for additional Town is considered a Town Location with no
Locations, re-rolling duplicates. NPCs or items. You don’t need to record this
• Cross out any NPC and item slots Location and there is no need to return to it.
on the Town sheet not used by a From there, you can Move to a Location or
Location. Leave the other NPC Buy Items (see Actions page 16).
10

Town Types 1-3

Seaside Town – 3 Town Locations. 3 Haunt
1 Locations.
The clear waters mask the terrible stories you’re
already hearing as soon as you arrive. Ghost ships,
drowned men, lights. A man warns you to stay inside
at night.
Unique Town Location
Harbor. 3 NPCs. 2 food items and Takoyaki (500円),
Discard to recover 3 Willpower.
Grimy old anglers work their boats and stalk the
docks. But you can’t help but notice a
nervousness, a fear in them.
Possible Unique Haunt
Docks (page 47)
Mountain Town – 2 Town Locations. 2 Haunt
2 Locations.
An icy wind blows down every street, chilling the
homes and townsfolk’s bones. Or is it something
else? The old havens of nature have their own
spirits, and not all welcome humans.
Unique Town Location
Lodge. 2 NPCs. 2 uncommon items, 2 food items.
A variety of travelers occupy the lodge, even a
couple of foreigners. And the hearth is warm. Near
the main desk, you glance at a map that marks an
old lodge and a sign that reads, “Do not enter.”
Possible Unique Haunt
Old Lodge (page 49)
City – 3 Town Locations. 2 Haunt Locations.
3 The crowds are thick compared to most of the
places you’ve been. And with so many people living
in such tight spaces, it’s no wonder cities become
haunted.
Unique Town Location
Shopping District. 3 NPCs. 3 uncommon items, 1
rare item, 2 food items.
Tall shops are filled with goods of all kinds. You’d
expect the nearby station to be constantly thrusting
people out into the streets, but people seem to
avoid going near the station.
Possible Unique Haunt
Train Station (page 51)
In oder: Photos by Goat on Unsplash, Penny on Pixabay, Manuel Cosentino on Unsplash.
11

Town Types 4-6

Old Town – 2 Town Locations. 3 Haunt Locations.
4 You step out of one of the smallest train stations
you’ve ever seen, the only person to exit the train,
in fact. And after an hour, you’ve seen the entire
town and what’s here. Few buildings, many ghosts.
Unique Town Location
Antiques Shop. 2 NPCs. Items - Book of Folklore,
Book of Ghosts. The shop sells indestructible
Antique summon items (base cost +1,000円 each).
All manner of oddities and antiques are for sale. A
particular tengu mask draws your attention, and you
can’t look away despite a sickening feeling.
Possible Unique Haunt
Historic Street (page 53)
Industry Town – 3 Town Locations. 2 Haunt
5 Locations.
The oil and smoke are prominent in the air, the
blood of industry pumping strong in the heart of
factories. What ghosts might they have?
Unique Town Location
Pawn Shop. 1 NPC. 2 uncommon items, 1 rare item.
You may sell items here for half of their normal
value (rounded down).
This place has an odd assortment of items for sale.
It seems people will sell anything if they need
money, and others are plenty willing to buy.
Possible Unique Haunt
Disused Warehouse (page 55)
Farming Town – 2 Town Locations. 3 Haunt
6 Locations.
It’s quiet in the countryside. Even walking the
streets, barely any cars pass you by. You wonder if
this town even has any ghosts, it’s so peaceful. But
you know there are always spirits.
Unique Town Location
Family Farm. 2 NPCs. 2 food items. When you first
visit the Family Farm, recover 2 Willpower.
For a moment, it didn’t seem anyone was around,
but a thin fellow stalks out of the fields. When you
greet him, he only scowls and walks away.
Possible Unique Haunt
Small Shop (page 57)
In oder: Photos by Daniel Gregoire on Unsplash, Tmomozaki on Pixabay, Yada Pongsirirushakun on Unsplash.
12

Town Locations
Result Location
1 Library – Info. 2 NPCs. No items.
The place is so quiet, even your footsteps seem an unwelcome intrusion.
Pristine shelves line the walls, and ragged books fill the shelves.
2 Shopping Street – Shop. 3 NPCs. 2 uncommon items, 1 rare item, 3 food
items.
You pass small cafes and quaint shops and people going about their
shopping. A sudden shiver runs up your spine as you notice two old women
staring at you from inside a small dusty shop with nothing on the shelves.
3 School – Info. 3 NPCs. 1 food item.
You only just negotiate allowance onto the school grounds on the condition
that it is only during after school hours and with a faculty escort. A wiry old
man follows you around—silently. Ever silent and immune to questioning.
4 Cafe. 2 NPCs. 3 food items.
The warm and fragrant air of fresh food wafts all around. A young woman
whispers, “I curse you,” then takes a bite of her food. You make eye
contact and she cackles.
5 Museum – Info. 2 NPCs. No items.
Artifacts hang on display behind glass so polished as to be invisible.
Threadbare kimonos from a bygone era still hold their color. And as you
pass a suit of samurai armor, you are convinced you saw eyes behind the
mask, flesh and blood eyes, staring out, still thirsting for blood and battle.
6 Shrine. 2 NPCs. Item – Ofuda (1,000円), Discard at any time to re-roll an
Encounter (this replaces your current Encounter and Challenge card if
already drawn). The Ofuda counts as any summon item at the Castle.
A warm breeze dances among the leaves and branches. Your moment of
peace and serenity is broken when you hear a hiss and see a mangy cat on
the nearby roof. It growls and hisses again. At you.
7 Restaurant. 3 NPCs. 3 food items.
The food looks delicious, you almost want to take a picture. But you can
barely take your eyes of a strange set of triplets, women, wearing identical
outfits, eating identical meals, and chewing in unison.
8 Bookstore – Info. 2 NPCs. Item – Roll 1d10: On a 1-8, they have nothing
useful; on a 9, they have a Book of Ghosts; on a 10, they have a Book of
Folklore.
Many books line the shelves, new and old. As you reach for an old looking
book with an entirely blank cover in pure white, the storekeep yanks it from
your hand and retreats to the back room.
9 Clothing Store – 3 NPCs. Items – Stylish Jacket (8,000円), and Mirror (800
円).
A store clerk offers to help, and you point out a strange and tattered black
sash on display. The clerk has no idea where it came from.
10 Temple. 2 NPCs. Item – Yakuyoke Charm (1,000円), Discard during a Fear
Check to draw a second Challenge card. Choose one to resolve, discard the
other.
A cheerful monk shows you around the grounds, but anxiousness—fear—
replaces his cheer when he sees a stray dog with a mangy black coat of fur.
13

Haunt Locations
Result Location Aspect
1 Abandoned School (page Dark. -1 on all Fear Checks.
33) Everywhere is dark if the lights are out,
Empty halls echo with especially at night. But in some places, it’s
forgotten school days. more—the darkness is thicker and more alive.
2 Shrine (page 35) Angry Spirits. Your Ace value is 1.
The kami is not the only All lingering spirits are restless. The dangerous
spirit dwelling here. ones are those who seek bitter vengeance.
3 Forest (page 37) Cold. You cannot Probe at this Location.
The wild places in nature Even in the middle of summer, some places
are rich in spirits. never know warmth. Something unnatural keeps
them cold. You can feel the hate for warmth.
4 Apartment Building (page Intense. +1 Activity level.
39) Be it from many spirits wandering or from a few
Sometimes people leave spirits full of energy, some places are simply
behind more than material never quiet.
belongings.
5 Old House (page 41) Quiet. -1 Activity level.
Old places absorb the At times, people wonder if it was ever haunted.
energy of the living over But an occasional encounter with the dead
long periods of time. reminds them that spirits never leave.
6 Tunnel (page 43) Foggy. Costs 2 Actions to Investigate.
Rocks seal energy, and There is always fog. Some say the fog is the
every tunnel can become barrier between worlds, and entering it is
a tomb. unwise. Exiting it is uncertain.
7 River (page 45) Sadness. Lose 1 Willpower each time you enter
Water has a strange the Location.
effect on the dead. They Death is a sad affair for the living, but even the
collect here but cannot dead can hold on to such emotions. And their
cross. energy can cause these emotions to fester.
8-10 Town’s Unique Haunt None. Some places are just plain haunted.

Activity
Result Level
1-4 3
5-8 4
9-10 5
14 Player Turns
Taking an Action is one turn. Each Action
also passes the time. While taking Actions,
Making an Action Check
you may also have to resolve Checks. There are two types of Checks in the game,
Research and Fear. There are different
circumstances for when each Check is made
Actions and different modifiers that apply. When
Each turn, you have the following options. making a Check, follow these steps.
Each one costs 1 Action: Discard a card from 1. Reveal the top Challenge card. This is
hand or the top card of the Action deck. If the value you must meet or exceed to
you discard a card from hand, draw a card. gain information during a Research
• Rest at a hotel (page 16). Check or to maintain your composure
• Move to a Location (page 16). during a Fear Check.
• Spend Evidence (page 16). 2. You may play one card from hand as
• Buy Items (page 16). your base value (each Ace is equal to
• Research (page 21). your Skill value). Apply the modifier
• Investigate (page 26). below to your total based on the type of
Free Actions (no Action card cost) Check and the circumstance.
• Recruit (page 28). Sometimes, there is no modifier. If you
• Travel to a new Town (page 28). play no card, the Check automatically
fails and you must discard the top card
of the Action deck (Checks always cost
Tracking Time you time).
The Action Deck is not only how you do Research Check
things in the game, it tracks time. Each
Action you do will cost you time. Checks are • Inquiring in Town: The NPC
especially time-consuming. Personality modifier applies to
your total. This modifier is reduced
When the Action deck runs out, the day is by 2 (and can go negative) if the
over. Use the procedure below except during NPC has a “+” in their tick box.
an Investigate Action (page 26).
• Search for Information: If you are
1. Finish the Action you were taking if you at an Info type Location, you have
were in the middle of one (you cannot +3 to your total.
Push or draw cards until after the
Action since there is no deck). • Probe: You have +2 to your total
(or +3 if you succeeded the Fear
2. Shuffle your discard pile to form a new Check required first).
Action Deck and draw back to a hand
of 4 cards if you have fewer than 4 cards. Fear Check
3. You must then pay 5,000 円 for a place • Encounter: Many Encounters
to rest for the night. include a modifier that applies to
your total.
• If you do, recover 3 Willpower and
clear the Tired state. 3. You may Push by digging deeper, trying
to one last shot at collecting
• If you don't, you become Tired information during a Research Check,
(mark the tick box on your or finding your inner strength during a
character sheet). Fear Check. A Push is optional.
4. Begin a new day in any Location.
15
• To Push, draw the top card of the – If this drains the last of your
Action deck and add it to the Willpower, you must end the
Check, increasing your total. You investigation. If you were
may only Push once per Check. resolving a Probe, resolve the
4. You can use a single Team Member to Research Check as normal.
boost your total (with a positive You cannot Probe or
modifier) or reduce a Challenge card's Investigate until you recover
value (with a negative modifier). You Willpower.
may use each Team Member only once • Failing a Research Check. The
per Case. Mark the Member’s tick box NPC is unwilling to help your
when you use them. investigation or they know nothing
5. If your total is equal to or greater than useful. Mark the NPC's tick box,
the Challenge card, you collect the you cannot Inquire in Town using
information or overcome your fear. this NPC again in this Case.
Otherwise, you fail. You could not find After the Check, discard the Challenge and
anything useful or gave in to your fear. Action cards to their appropriate discard
• NPCs. If you succeeded a Research piles and draw back to a hand of 4 cards.
Check, write a “+” in the NPC's
tick box if you Inquired in Town. Check Example:
However, it is now less likely that Asuka is attempting to Research in Town. She’s
they know anything else of value. choosing to Inquire in Town and ask a Polite
The NPC’s modifier is reduced by NPC who seems like they can be helpful.
2. After using them to Inquire in Asuka first discards a 2 from hand to pay for
Town a second time, write an “X” the Action. Then, she reveals the top Challenge
in their tick box. They have card from the deck: 8. Asuka doesn’t have a 4
nothing more for you. available in her hand but she knows she will
have a +2 from her NPC and plays a 3 from
• Info Locations. If you used an Info hand. Her total so far is already 5. She only
type Location (regardless of success needs a 3 to succeed, and she knows there are
or failure), mark the Location's tick plenty of 3s and 4s left in the Action deck.
box. You won't be able to find Asuka Pushes and draws a 3. Her total is now
anything new at that Location 8 and the Research Check succeeds. This has
during this Case. also depleted her Action deck, which will be
• Probe. If you succeeded the reshuffled after she completes the Research
Research Check during a Probe, Action by rolling on the necessary table to get
gain the next two pieces of her first piece of Information.
Information (instead of one) for
this Haunt Location, then mark
this Haunt Location’s tick box with
a “–”. You cannot do a Probe here
again.
• Failing a Fear Check. Reduce your
Willpower by the Activity level of
the Location. If this was an
Encounter, you may only collect
Evidence of one type.
16 Actions
modifiers are for interacting with the NPC
Rest at a Hotel during Research, and they represent both the
Sometimes it is better to rest than wait for likelihood that the NPC knows something
the day to end and risk running out of good about the haunted location and the
cards to use on a Check. To rest, do the likelihood of them being willing to share that
following. information with an outsider. These
1. Pay 5,000円. modifiers also become useful if you recruit
the NPC into your Team (see Recruit page
2. Recover 3 Willpower and clear the
28).
Tired state.
If the Location sells items, roll on the
3. You may discard any number of cards
indicated item table(s) to determine which
from hand. Shuffle your Action discard
are available, re-rolling duplicates. Record
pile back into the deck and draw back to
each item and cost onto the Town Sheet.
a hand 4 cards.
4. It’s now the next morning, and you may
move to any Location as a free Action. Spend Evidence
Sometimes, money is simply running low
and something you were saving Evidence for
Move to a Location will have to wait for another time. You may
You may move to any Town Location or spend Evidence on one project with this
Haunt Location. Many Actions require you Action (see Projects page 27). Some projects
to be at specific Locations. Leave an arrow require specific details. Use the Activity level
mark next to the Location you move to on of the last completed Case’s Location and the
the Town sheet. Erase it when you move to current Town for the Town Locations.
another Location.
When first entering a Town Location, roll
1d10 three times (once each for gender, age,
Buy Items
and personality) for each NPC that works An investigator needs gear. To improve the
there or frequents the Location. Personality quality of your Evidence and increase your

Non-Player-Character Creation
Result Gender Age Personality
1 (M) Male Young Shy (-3)
2 (M) Male Young Mysterious (-2)
3 (M) Male Adult Crude (-1)
4 (M) Male Adult Smug (-1)
5 (M) Male Adult Skeptical (0)
6 (F) Female Adult Cowardly (0)
7 (F) Female Adult Curious (+1)
8 (F) Female Old Paranoid (+1)
9 (F) Female Old Polite (+2)
10 (F) Female Old Friendly (+3)
17
odds of making it through Investigations, Summon Items
you’ll need to kit yourself out. And there are You’ll need these items to summon ghosts at
many items to choose from. the beginning of an Investigation. At the end
You can only buy items at a Town Location. of the Investigation, there's a chance the item
You can buy any number of items in the same was destroyed. Antique summon items from
Action. As part of this Action, you can sell the Antique Shop (Old Town page 11)
items at a Pawn Shop (Industry Town page cannot be destroyed at the end of an
11). Investigation, but you may still discard or sell
them.
Each item takes up one inventory slot. If you
need to make room in your inventory, you Food Items
can remove items at any time. You may only These represent comfort food or
have one of each non-food item. exceptionally high-quality food; things you
Most items are active and provide their listed won’t find just anywhere. Roll 1d10 for each
benefit as long as they are in your inventory. food item a Location has for sale and refer to
Some items specify they must be discarded the food item list.
(removed from your character sheet) in order At any time during an Action, you may
to use them. consume one food item. You may only
consume one Food item per Action. If your
Common Items Inventory is full, you may consume a food
Common items are available in all Towns item when you buy it instead of putting it
and at all Town Locations. These ubiquitous into your Inventory (abiding by the consume
items are always nearby in convenience stores limit).
and shops and are considered within walking
distance. You can buy common items and Uncommon and Rare Items
items from a Location’s list in the same These items are harder to find. Roll 1d10 for
Action. each uncommon or rare item a Location has
for sale and refer to the matching list.

Common Items
Cost Item
500円 [Summon item] Candle.
500円 [Summon item] Incense.
1,000円 [Summon item] Mirror.
1,000円 [Summon item] Music Box.
1,500円 [Summon item] Spirit Board.
500円 [Food item] Junk Food. Discard to recover 1 Willpower.
500円 Local Bus Pass. Cannot be sold. Move to a Location is now a Free
Action. Discard this item when you Travel to a new Town.
1,000円 Flashlight. Ignore the Dark Aspect of a Location.
2,000円 Digital Thermometer. Data.
18

Uncommon Items
Result Cost Item
1 5,000円 EMF Reader. Data (+1 Evidence).
2 5,000円 Sage. Ignore the Angry Spirits Aspect of a Location.
3 8,000円 Digital Recorder. Audio (+1 Evidence).
4 8,000円 Upgrade Mic Attachment. Adds Audio to your Camera's
Evidence type. You can move this item to new Cameras.
5 10,000円 Bicycle. Move to a Location is now a Free Action.
6 10,000円 Camping Gear. Ignore the Travel by foot penalty. In Mountain
Towns and Towns with a Forest, you pay 1,000円 to rest
instead of 5,000円. Resting in a Forest recovers no Willpower.
7 10,000円 Mid-range Camera. Visual (+1 Evidence).
8 10,000円 Stylish Jacket. Ignore the Cold Aspect of a Location.
Appearance on the news counts +1 total Town Locations.
9 35,000円 Laptop. Research Check +1 when you Search for Information.
Once per Case, you may discard 4 cards (from hand or the
top of the Action deck, in any combination) to automatically
gain 1 Information.
10 80,000円 Old Van. Move to a Location is now a Free Action. Unlocks
the full inventory. Do not add this item to your inventory.
Mark the tick box for the Old Van.
19

Rare Items
Result Cost Item
1 5,000円 Book of Folklore. Adds 10% more 円 to your Blog Article,
Magazine Article, and each completed Book.
2 5,000円 Book of Ghosts. When you lose Willpower from Fear Checks,
you lose 1 less Willpower.
3 5,000円 Investigator’s Manual. Discard this item to increase or
decrease a Team Member’s modifier by 1 (to a maximum of
+/- 3).
4 10,000円 Cursed Doll. When you begin an Investigate Action, increase
the Activity level by 1.
5 10,000円 Pro Editing Software. Adds 5,000円 to your Online Video and
Full Documentary projects (after calculating money for the
project).
6 10,000円 Spirit Box. When you Probe, you have +2 to your Research
Check.
7 30,000円 Kimono. +2 to Research Checks when you Inquire in Town in
Old Towns and Farming Towns.
8 50,000円 High-end Camera. Visual (+2 Evidence).
9 50,000円 Professional Recorder. Audio (+2 Evidence).
10 50,000円 Thermal Imaging. Data (+2 Evidence).
20

Food Items
Result Cost Item
1 200円 Fruit Drink. Discard to recover 1 Willpower.
2 500円 Black Coffee. Discard this item to discard 2 Action cards
from hand to draw 2 cards, and each card drawn may come
from the discard pile or the top of the deck.
3 500円 Green Tea. Discard to gain +2 to a Fear Check.
4 500円 Mochi. Discard to recover 1 Willpower. Then discard a card
from hand to take an Action card from the discard pile.
5 500円 Onigiri. Discard to recover 2 Willpower.
6 1,000円 Bento. Discard to recover 3 Willpower.
7 1,000円 Latte. Discard to gain +2 to a Push.
8 1,000円 Milkshake. Discard to recover 2 Willpower and gain +1 to a
Push.
9 1,000円 Slice of Cake. Discard to recover 2 Willpower and gain +2 to a
Fear Check.
10 1,500円 Ramen. Discard to recover 4 Willpower.
21
you’ve previously investigated are no
Research longer available.
You have three options for gathering
• The next two pieces of Information you
information needed to Investigate a location.
acquire must also apply to the chosen
Inquire in Town: Attempt to get Haunt Location. The first piece of
information from a local NPC. You Information determines how the
must be at the Location of the NPC. spirit(s) died. The keyword it gives you
Make a Research Check using the ties into the second piece of
NPC's modifier. Information.
Search for Information: Attempt to uncover • When you gain Information again, roll
information online at any Town 1d6 on the Second Information table
Location or from an Info type Location. matching the keyword of your First
Make a Research Check; you have a Information. Record the new keyword.
bonus modifier if you are at an Info The second piece fills in some of the
Location (otherwise, no modifier). story.
Probe: Search the Haunt Location to look • The third time you gain Information,
for information. You must be at the roll 1d6 on the Third Information table.
Haunt Location and have at least 1 Record the new keyword. The third
Willpower. Make a Fear Check, then piece of Information instructs you on
make a Research Check. You collect two what item you must have in your
pieces of Information instead of one. inventory to summon the ghost(s).
• Once a Haunt Location has 3 pieces of
• When you succeed a Research Check,
Information, you cannot take the
roll 1d6 for Information, using the First
Research Action again until you
Information table if you have no Info
Investigate the Haunt Location and
filled in. Record the keyword onto the
begin a new Case.
Town sheet into an available Haunt
Location of your choice. Locations

First Information
Result Information
1 Murder. There was a gruesome murder, one that disturbed the entire town’s
peace for weeks, giving birth to all kinds of rumors.
2 Suicide. Supposedly, only the police saw the body. They declared it a suicide,
and most townsfolk quietly agree. But people will make up their owns minds.
3 Fire. A ravaging fire went out of control. People are still cautious around
flames, and it’s not difficult to find where in town the fire started.
4 Earthquake. Re-roll if Forest or River. A strong earthquake struck the region.
Only the oldest folks in town had any experience with a quake of that size.
5 Curse. All sorts of strange rumors involve a curse. Could it be real? You are
no stranger to odd events, but what could conjure a real curse? And how?
6 Unknown. No one knows for sure what happened. Not even the police. While
most townsfolk have forgotten all about it, pretending it never happened,
others still debate the truth, as if they can somehow solve the mystery.
22

Second Information (Murder)

Result Information
1 Family. You’ve heard the family name mentioned in town. It’s spoken with
an unpleasant sneer, and now you know why. What could it have been over?
2 Money. Debts are paid one way or another, and some collectors aren’t picky.
The town has no sympathy for this victim.
3 Affair. Something jogs your memory and you remember even reading about
the incident. It was an affair that turned violent and deadly.
4 Lover. The town is still disturbed by the reports. You can never truly know
some people or what they’re capable of or what drives them. For some, love
and murder are close, separated by only a thin, sometimes blurry, line.
5 Multiple. There was not a single victim, but two. The exact nature of the
murder was never answered. Two lives gone, but for what?
6 Murderer. When the job was done, the killer took their own life. What a sad
and desperate place one must find themselves in to end it all so horribly.

Second Information (Suicide)

Result Information
1 Bully. It’s a sad truth, but there are always wolves among the sheep in life.
And sometimes, it’s too much for some to take when the wolf never leaves
them alone. There are too many stories like this one.
2 Money. Some people can’t help themselves when it comes to spending
money. The town views the victim as an important life lesson to be learned.
3 Affair. No one likes to talk about it. They all understand that a heart broken
can sometimes never be mended. A few even say they would do the same.
4 Pact. The only thing people know for certain is that there were text
messages leaked to the papers about a suicide pact made with another
unknown individual. But only one body turned up. A pact unfulfilled.
5 Lost. The police say they saw the body and declared it a suicide, but the
people all agree that the body was never found. Was there evidence, then?
6 Spirit. Though most townsfolk think the victim was just crazy, others think
they were being hounded by an evil spirit, citing old folktales as proof.
23

Second Information (Fire)

Result Information
1 Arson. The investigation kept the town occupied for weeks until the police
caught the arsonist responsible. Then, the town debated the motive.
2 Accident. The town shares a sense of pity over the event. But they shrug it
off and say, “It can’t be helped.” Such is the way of things.
3 Many. When the smoke cleared, there was not one victim but a pile of
bodies. The town still bears its scars and likely will for generations.
4 Festival. It was meant to be a celebration, a time when they could shrug off
their worries. It became a blazing nightmare. The festival is small these days.
5 Pattern. There is one rumor still going around that is hard to believe but is
provable. The fire was on the same day as another fire ten years before. And
there was another fire ten years to the day before that. Going back 50 years.
6 Spirit. Officially, the fire had no identifiable cause, but the townsfolk carry
charms to ward off the evil spirit they believe was responsible.

Second Information (Earthquake)

Result Information
1 Destroy. Much of the town was leveled during the quake. Half of the buildings
to one-third were lost, depending on who you ask.
2 Many. When the townsfolk cleared the rubble, there were many dead. A small
memorial was put up in the park, and the people will never forget.
3 Summon. The strangest rumor still goes around that somehow the
earthquake was summoned. Could a rumor so persistent have some truth?
4 Dreams. The townsfolk prefer not to speak of it, and only do in hushed
voices, but many of them shared dreams of the quake just the night before it
happened. They still aren’t sure what to make of it.
5 Trapped. While most of the town was only mildly damaged, there were
several unfortunate people trapped for days waiting for rescue.
6 Missing. The town spent weeks digging through rubble. No matter how much
they looked, there were still an unsettling number of people still unaccounted
for. To this day, the bodies have never been found.
24

Second Information (Curse)

Result Information
1 Heritage. The victim’s family has a morbid history of deaths under similar
circumstances. The townsfolk avoid this family, believing them all cursed.
2 Magic. An odd rumor claims that, years ago, the victim had been practicing
black magic, and a botched spell brought about their own curse.
3 Midnight. That place has a dark history of deaths going back many years.
Supposedly, all the victims had gone there in the night. The townsfolk all
know now to avoid going there at midnight for fear of conjuring the curse.
4 Break. Old folk speak in whispers of the curse and that, as old tales claim,
there is a way to break the curse. But no two versions of the tale agree how.
5 Old. Everyone seems to be familiar with this curse. Some of the oldest locals
even recall legends, hundreds of years old, that speak of it.
6 Anger. Though not everyone seems to agree on the cause, the most fervent
believers claim that an evil spirit curses those who trespass on its land.

Second Information (Unknown)

Result Information
1 Police. Before anything concrete was uncovered, the police investigation was
called off, much to the confusion and anger of locals. People can still only
speculate what happened and why the police gave up so soon.
2 Suspects. There was no shortage of suspects, and two were notable
individuals in town. And yet, all of them were let off the hook. That was that.
3 Body. In the middle of the investigation, the police started asking around
about the body. It had gone missing in the night and was never recovered.
4 Evil. People are reluctant to speak of it, but they carry protective charms to
ward against evil and bad luck. The unofficial answer to the mystery is that
an evil spirit was the killer. And it could kill again.
5 Occult. The papers reported strange occult items were found at the scene,
but for “people’s safety” they refused to say what those items were.
6 Death. There was only one main suspect, a despised individual who had been
the bane of the town for years. But they too died shortly afterward.
25

Third Information
Result Information
1 Candle. According to some, you must light a candle at midnight in order to
summon the ghost. And it seems candles are popular around town. Do people
summon the spirit as a hobby, or is it just a dark novelty trend?
2 Incense. The self-proclaimed experts agree that burning incense is the best
way to summon the spirit. One “ghost hunter” claims that he spoke to it for
an hour using a particular scent, but he just happens to sell it on his website.
3 Mirror. The idea of communicating with the dead is frowned upon, and the
methods are difficult to ascertain. But it’s possible to do so with a mirror,
but you must call the spirit’s name to make it work.
4 Food. You are assured that an offering of food is the best way to summon
the spirit. This explains the odd amounts of rice often found scattered
around at the location. (discard any food item to begin the Investigate
Action, but gain no benefit from the item).
5 Music Box. Some say there’s a special tune you have to sing, but others say
that it must be played from a music box. Both sides agree it must be at dusk
in order to work.
6 Spirit Board. Supposedly, a spirit board is the best way to summon the spirit.
Many cultures around the world have their own variety of spirit board, and
you learn that any will do. But it must be in a dark space to work properly.
26
Encounters
Investigate Each Haunt Location has its own
To Investigate a Haunt Location, you must Encounters (pages 33-61). Each Encounter
have 3 pieces of Information filled in at that requires a Fear Check, and some have
Location, the correct summon item in your negative modifiers for especially terrifying
inventory, and at least 1 Willpower. events.
1. Roll 1d10 for an Encounter at the The Encounter also indicates how much
Haunt Location, suffer any immediate Evidence you collect and what type(s) it is
penalties, then resolve a Fear Check. As (Audio, Visual, or Data). Items can modify
long as you have Willpower after the the amount of Evidence collected.
Check, the Encounter is complete and
• You cannot collect or modify Evidence
you continue the Investigation.
type(s) not available in an Encounter.
• If you fail the Fear Check, lose
• You must have a matching item of the
Willpower equal to the Activity
same type to collect the Evidence (so
level, and you may only collect
you cannot collect Data Evidence until
Evidence of one type from this
you have a Data item).
Encounter.
• You can only benefit from one item of
• If your Willpower runs out, you
each type per Encounter.
collect no Evidence or XP from
this Encounter and must close the When you record the Evidence collected, the
Case (page 27). type no longer matters; it only matters for
determining which items help you.
2. Record all Evidence shown on the
completed Encounter. Also add the Use the Challenge cards to track how many
Evidence total to your Campaign Encounters you’ve completed, leaving them
Evidence. You also earn 1 XP for each set aside after resolving them. If the
completed Encounter. Challenge deck needs to be reshuffled, don’t
shuffle these cards back in.
3. Repeat this process until you have
completed a number of Encounters Encounter Example:
equal to the Activity level of the Asuka is ready to begin an Investigate Action.
Location or your Willpower has run She has 3 pieces of Info filled in at the
out. If you complete all Encounters, you Abandoned School (Activity 3), her full 9
earn 1 additional XP. Willpower, and the required summon item in
her inventory. She begins the Action by
4. Close the Case and spend Evidence.
discarding a card from hand and drawing a
If your Action deck runs out during this card from her Deck, then rolls her first of three
Action (even at the very end of the Encounters. The result is a 2. After reading the
Investigation), reshuffle your discard pile Encounter text, she begins a Fear Check, but
into a new deck, but discard the top 4 cards she has a -1 modifier from this Encounter. The
of the deck, placing them above the deck Challenge card is a 7. Asuka plays a 4, hoping
rotated 90º to indicate that the deck has to draw another 4 from the deck. Her only
cycled once. These are still considered in the modifier is the -1 from the Encounter. She
discard pile. It’s late at night but you push on Pushes and draws a 3. Her total would be 7, a
to complete your investigation; you do not success, but the modifier brings her total down
become Tired. If the deck runs out again to 6 which fails. Asuka loses 3 Willpower,
during the same Investigate Action, reshuffle bringing her to 6 remaining. Since she did not
the deck as normal, but you become Tired.
27
run out of Willpower, she can collect Evidence, 3. Clear all NPC and Town Location tick
but only of one type. She chooses Data since it boxes. You can use them again on the
offers more and she has an item that allows her next Case.
to collect Data Evidence. She also earns 1 XP 4. You must pay each Team Member 2,000
for completing the Encounter. 円. You choose who is paid first. If you
can’t pay the full amount, pay as much
Closing a Case as you can, then remove any Member
Once you have reached the end of an you didn’t pay completely; you cannot
investigation (by resolving all Encounters or Recruit them again.
losing all Willpower), the ghosts weaken and 5. Clear Team Member tick boxes, they are
activity subsides. available to use on the next Case.
1. Discard all Challenge cards used during
this Investigation. Spending Evidence
2. Mark the Haunt Location’s tick box on As you resolve Encounters, you collect
your Town Sheet. You cannot Evidence. At the end of each Case, you may
Investigate at this Location again. spend your Evidence on projects to earn
3. Determine if your summon item money. You do not spend Campaign
survived the night: Roll 1d6. Evidence; this just tallies up how much
Evidence you have earned across all
• If the result is less than the Investigations.
Location's Activity level, your item
was destroyed during a moment of Each project can be chosen only once when
high activity (remove it from your spending Evidence. To repeat a project, you’ll
inventory). Antique summon items have to spend Evidence at the end of the next
cannot be destroyed. Case or spend an Action while in Town. You
• If the result is equal to or greater can choose to save some Evidence for later;
than the Activity level, the item is you don’t have to spend all of it now.
intact and you can use it on
another investigation.

Projects
Evidence Project
Cost
3 Blog article. Gain 5,000円.
4 Chapter of a book. Limit once per Case. Add the item “Book: Chapters
(X)” to your Inventory to track how many Chapters you’ve completed.
When you have 6 Chapters, your book is complete: gain 120,000円 and
remove the book from your Inventory.
5 Magazine article. Gain 10,000円.
8 Online video. Gain 3,000円 x the Activity level of the Haunt Location.
10 Appearance on the news. Gain 6,000円 x the number of Town Locations.
20 Full Documentary. Gain 35,000円.
28
2. You recover all Willpower.
Recruit 3. Discard your hand, reshuffle the Action
You can attempt to recruit any NPC at your
discard pile back into the deck, and
Location into your Team. You have two
draw a new hand of 4 cards. Clear the
choices for recruiting an NPC.
Tired state if it’s marked.
• Play a number of cards from hand with a
4. Replace the lowest value card in the
total value of 6 or more. For every 20
Challenge deck with the next highest
Campaign Evidence you have, reduce
card available (9s, then 10s). Reshuffle
the required total by 1. This represents
the Challenge discard pile into a new
the time spent trying to convince them
deck. If you added the fourth 10 to the
that going on your investigations into
deck, the Town you travel to is the last
the paranormal is a good idea. After
Town of the campaign.
recruiting, draw back to a hand of 4
cards. 5. Gain a possible lead for your next Case.
Roll 1d10 on the Possible Lead table. If
• Pay 5,000円. For every 20 Campaign
you travel to a Town of a different type
Evidence you have, reduce this amount
than your lead, the lead is lost.
by 1,000円 (but not below 0).
6. After, choose how you wish to get to the
You must pay Team Members 2,000円 after
next Town using the Travel chart. Each
each Case. You can remove unused Team
option instructs you on how to create
Members at any time. If you have already
the next Town.
used a Team Member for their bonus, you
cannot remove them until after a Case. If you are traveling to your last Town of the
campaign, there are new rules that apply.
• The last Town will have 3 Haunt
Travel to a New Town Locations regardless of which Town
You are not required to Investigate a Town’s type you travel to.
Haunt Locations before traveling. When you • Do not roll the third Haunt Location
travel, you stop by home to rest up and when creating the Town. It will always
prepare for the next journey. be the Castle (see Final Case page 30).
1. You may buy up to 2 items, ignoring • You cannot Travel to a New Town
normal availability. You may only buy again. The Campaign ends here.
one rare item at this time.
29

Possible Lead
Result Lead
1-4 The lead is clearly just a rumor started by kids or fake investigators trying to
earn clout.
5-6 Your next Case at a Seaside Town or Old Town automatically starts with the
first piece of information.
7-8 Your next Case at a City or Mountain Town automatically starts with the
first piece of information.
9-10 Your next Case at an Industry Town or Farming Town automatically starts
with the first piece of information.

Travel
Cost Towns
0 By foot. As a penalty for moving slow, discard half of your Action deck
(rounded down). Create a new Town as normal.
800円 By car. Create a new Town as normal.
10,000円 By bus. Roll 2 Town Types (re-rolling duplicates) and choose one of them,
then create that Town as normal.
14,000円 By boat. Choose either a Seaside Town or Old Town Type, then create
the Town as normal, but it has 3 Town Locations.
14,000円 By train. Choose either a City or Mountain Town Type, then create the
Town as normal, but it has 3 Town Locations.
14,000円 By plane. Choose either an Industry Town or Farming Town Type, then
create the Town as normal, but it has 3 Town Locations.
30 Final Case
After finding so much compelling evidence •
and building a positive reputation, you've
been granted limited access to one of the
great castles to investigate. The last Case of
the game is the Castle (page 61), a dangerous
place full of history and ghosts. After you
Investigate the Castle, the game ends, so
begin this Case only when you’re ready.
• Don't roll for the Castle’s Activity level
or Aspect. Its Activity is 6 (cannot be
modified by items or abilities). The
Aspects are Cold, Dark, and Angry
Spirits.
• Don't roll for Third Information. When
gained, the Third Information is
“Daimyo. Beware the fourth floor.” No
summon item is required for this Case.
Castle Encounters
The Castle differs from other Haunt
Locations. It’s resolved as follows.
• The Castle is split into 4 floors. You
must start on the first floor with the
Start Encounter. Roll 1d6 for other
Encounters.
• After resolving an Encounter, you may
roll an Encounter on your current floor
or move to the next floor and roll an
Encounter there. You cannot resolve the
same Encounter twice (no need to roll
when only one Encounter remains).
• Once on a floor, you cannot move to
previous floors. Encounters become
more difficult as you move up the castle,
but give more Evidence. This also means
that if you complete the fourth floor,
the Investigation ends immediately, even
if you have unresolved Encounters left.
• You are still limited to 6 total
Encounters as per the Activity level. The
Investigation also ends as normal if you
run out of Willpower.
• Some Castle Encounters allow you to
discard summon items for a bonus. You
can use these bonuses at any time.
Campaign End 31
As you investigate spirits and the world
beyond the living, it takes its toll on you
mentally and physically. Before you reach
your limit, you must collect as much
evidence as possible.
As you travel to new Towns, you swap out
cards in the Challenge deck for more
difficult values. When you have added the
last 10 to the deck, the next Town is your
final Town. When you have completed the
Castle, the campaign ends. Your total
Campaign Evidence collected determines
how well you did in the eyes of your peers
and the world at large.

Campaign Evidence Score

Total Ending
0-249 Just some online weirdo: You're a kook and no one listens to you. The
comments on your videos and articles are full of trolls.
250-299 The small fry: Hardly anyone pays attention to your content after a
while. Magazines and news stop asking for interviews. Eventually, you're
down to a handful of devoted fans.
300-319 Investigator for life: You retire while you still can and watch all the other
investigators who will spend their life trying to prove it all. But you keep
the respect of your peers.
320-329 The role model: You become one of the more renowned paranormal
investigators that leads the way for the next generation. Someday,
someone might even have to portray you in a movie.
330+ The authority on the paranormal: You prove that the paranormal world is
real to the shock of the world. There will always be doubters, but finally,
the scientific community is taking it seriously. New research is being
developed. We’ll soon learn more about the spirit world in a month than
what humans have learned over thousands of years. You become
famous the world over and are put into the history books next to great
scientists and philosophers.

You can submit your final score at

www.thomaspking.com/the-unseen-world
32

Schools
In modern times, Japan has been having ongoing issues
with declining birthrates. For many towns, this means
there are no longer enough students to attend school, and
their schools have had to close.
Encounter Tables 33

Abandoned School Encounters

Result Encounter
1 Leaving a classroom, the darkness of the hall seems to move. You dare a
step further and a shadow blurs across the hall. Was that a child’s spirit? Or
your imagination? But why did its eyes glow, whatever it was?
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 You reach the end of a hall and look up and down the stairs to the other
floors, deciding which way to go next. A sudden pair of footsteps behind you
makes you flinch and turn around so fast you nearly fall over. You steady
your feet and feel a tug at your sleeve. It takes a yank to free yourself from
the invisible grasp.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 You come to the next floor and head down the hall, glancing into the
classrooms. One particular classroom feels off, and you poke inside for a
closer look. After a while of waiting, just when you’re about to leave, a desk
shifts a few inches. You look, and it lurches forward again.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 The halls are quiet. You can imagine the energetic voices bouncing off the
walls when this place was open. But the voices seem to leave your
imagination and fill the surrounding silence. There are voices coming from the
girls’ restroom. You approach, and the voices slip away.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
5 You head out onto the roof where a lively gust greets you. As you look out
over the school grounds, you drift into nostalgia for lost school days,
memories that linger like ghosts. A soft voice behind you brings you back to
the present. Only a faint perfume drifts away in the wind. No one is there.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 Your footsteps echo down the hall, and each time you stop, the silence
swells again. But a crackle from the loud speakers breaks the silence. The
distorted school chime rings from the speakers briefly before fading away.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 The hallway is dark and cluttered, and you step carefully, heading down
toward the end. The light in the last classroom turns on. You call out, but no
one responds. You brave onward, but the light turns off as you get to the
door, and you can feel the presence just inside, staring out at you.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 Outside, you look over the building and its many dark windows. Some
windows are broken. A sad sight. In a window on the east side of the building,
a tiny light flickers, small like a candle flame. A feeling of watchful eyes
comes over you. The light moves, passing into a wall and out of sight.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 You’ve been in the same classroom for almost an hour, hoping to get
something. When you get up to leave, you give the room one more check.
The shadow of a child is in one of the front desks, right next to where you
had been sitting. Its shape seems feminine but fades too quickly to tell.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
34

Terminology
Torii — the famous large (usually red) gates of Shinto shrines.
Kami — deities in Shintoism, usually localized to small areas.
Suzu — the large bells hanging in the Shinto shrines. There are also smaller
varieties.
Norito — Shinto texts and incantations.
Haiden — the hall of worship in Shinto shrines.
Honden — the hall dedicated to the kami in large shrines. Off limits to the
public.
Shide — the zig-zag paper seen used in Shinto shrines and rituals.
Gohei — wooden wands covered in shide, used in rituals.
Miko — shrine priestess.
35

Shrine Encounters
Result Encounter
1 You pass through the torii, always to the side to allow the kami to pass
through the middle. There’s a heavy thump behind you, and when you look, a
large shadow passes through the torii and up a tree in the blink of an eye.
The limbs looked long and animal-like. Was it just an animal? That quick?
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 After wandering the shrine grounds for a while, you take a moment to rest on
some steps. As the cold concrete loses its sense of comfort, a shriek makes
you jump back to your feet. It was close by, and you felt the sound seep into
your bones. The sound replays in your head, over and over. It was real.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 You take a moment to pay your respects to the kami at the haiden. As you
turn to leave, the air turns ice cold and the large suzu rope swings on its
own and rings the bell. You steady its swing and an unseen, icy hand touches
yours. You recoil and the rope swings again. The sound of the bell is now
discomforting, and it just keeps ringing.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 You step into the wide courtyard and scan the area for anything unusual.
The night air is slowly filled with low, steady notes. You recognize the Hi-Fu-
Mi norito, but there is no one else in the courtyard. You search the area
again just to confirm that you are alone. The notes continue to climb.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
5 The wind rustles the leaves on the ground. When all is calm and still again,
you hear the paper shide rustling from a gohei. It takes a moment to figure
out which room it’s coming from, but nothing is inside when you slide open
the door. The gohei sits motionless in its place. But the shadows are deep.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 After an hour of circling the shrine, looking and listening for anything, you
find yourself in front of the haiden again. You toss a coin into the donations
box and hear two claps next to you. You clap too, but there’s no response.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 Without access to the honden where the kami is enshrined, you circle around
through the same few buildings again and again. You come to a small outer
building, where you’ve been already, but now there is fresh incense smoke
rising in the air. There is no incense in sight. The smoke continues to rise.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 You circle the courtyard for what must be the eighth time. It’s impossible to
know when something is going to happen. Your patience is rewarded when
the faint outline of a shrine miko appears briefly, sweeping away the leaves.
In the slightest motion, you think she stopped and bowed before fading away.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 You sit down in an open building and wait. Patience is part of the job. When a
priest crosses the doorway, you get up to ask him a question. You follow him
to a room. But the room he entered is empty, and the doors are shut.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
36

Aokigahara
The Aokigahara forest near Mount Fuji is
infamous for the many suicides that have
taken place there over the years. Because
of these deaths, it’s considered to be
extremely haunted.
37

Forest Encounters
Result Encounter
1 For better or worse, no one from town has been on the path, leaving you to
work without evidence contamination. A terrible shriek peals from the
darkness for several long seconds. It’s just up the trail, and when you find
nothing there, you are reminded you are alone.
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 Now and then, you look up into the trees, but you’re not sure what you
might find there. The shadow-cloaked boughs give you a chill, but you shake
it off. Darkness does things to the mind if you look into it for too long. Then,
a black humanoid shape appears and crawls up a tree and out of sight.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 You walk out into a small glade and pace around its rim. It’s quiet. Almost
peaceful if not for the long, fingered shadows of branches. As you step into
the center of the glade, there are heavy footsteps behind you. They break
into a sprint and you brace yourself. Nothing happens. The sound is gone.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 The path, reaching its end, curves back toward town. In the distance off the
trail, the forest keeps going, far off into wild reaches. While you stare off in
wonder, deep in the thickest parts of the woods, strange lights dance
between the trees. One is tall, like an upright human shape, drifting along.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
5 You keep eyeing the trees, expecting something to be there. Perhaps worried
something will appear. One of the long, gnarled branches sways. But it isn’t
the wind; the other branches are motionless. The swaying intensifies as if the
branch is about to snap free of the tree in violent throes.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 You hike up the path and scan around for anything suspicious. It’s been
quiet for so long, you consider calling the investigation off. Ahead, the path is
clear. One more look behind before you go back to the hotel. Behind, there is
nothing. Then, a branch a few feet away lurches as if bumped by a hiker
passing by. You watch as a foot-like depression forms on the ground.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 One tree, separated from the rest, is darker and taller than the others. You
can’t take your eyes off of it. It takes a moment to notice an indistinct
shape hanging from a branch, motionless in the breeze. It catches no light.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 The wind has been off and on for hours, but it’s been quiet for a bit. A slight
rustle picks up again, but the branches aren’t moving. It’s not the wind. The
sound is someone whispering. You play it back and only hear, “No, no, no.”
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 For the third time, you head back down the path. You hear what could have
been a person calling out, but it was faint. You hear it again and go looking
for the source. It gets louder as you close in, but when you hear it right in
front of you, there is nothing there but a lone moss-covered boulder.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
38

Teru teru bozu

Teru teru bozu are small dolls
made of paper or cloth hung up
in windows or awnings to ward
off rain.
39

Apartment Building Encounters

Result Encounter
1 You shiver from the cold and check the doors along the hall. You leave
occupied apartments alone, but there is no shortage of empty ones in this
building. Ahead, a door creaks open. You stop. Footsteps rush through the
doorway and the door slams shut. From inside, a voice says, “Leave.”
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 You wander into one of the unlocked apartments, worried why these are left
unlocked. In the main room, all the windows along one wall are covered in
handprints. You approach and examine them, hesitant to touch them. Are
these old? A new handprint appears right before your eyes. Then a second.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 A man’s voice rumbles from an apartment. He talks alone as if on a phone
call, but he just as well might be talking to a ghost in this place. There's a
sudden crash on the next floor up. You call out, but no one answers. When
you get upstairs, you find nothing that could have made that noise. The
hallway is clear and tidy. The walls and doors then erupt into violent banging.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 This floor is dirty and smells of stale air despite the open walkways. The
doors are locked, so you wander up the stairs and find that this was the last
floor. After a quick survey of the roof, you head back down, only to find that
one door is now wide open and beckoning you inside. Another opens on its
own. In moments, the apartments are all open and filled with darkness.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
5 You stare into an open doorway, hesitant to enter the apartment. The inside
is dark, like a natural warning against entry. The only light is from a curtained
window in the far room. But something tall steps in front of the window. You
flinch when you realize that it’s moving toward the door.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 On the third floor, you see a teru teru bozu hanging outside an apartment.
It’s old and filthy and has probably been hanging for years. Without a single
breath of wind, it begins to sway on its own, and slowly rotates to face you.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 At the end of an apartment’s hall, you check the bathroom and linen closet.
When you move on, there are voices from the end of the hall, but you are
positive no one is there. You were just over there mere seconds ago. You
check anyway and find nothing. And again, the voices begin when you leave.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 You hear a cat’s meow and turn to find a cat sitting on the railing. You hear
it again but realize it’s the sound of a child mimicking a cat. It’s coming
from an open apartment door, but the inside is devoid of light. A child laughs.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 As you go to leave an apartment, the landline phone rings. Of course, you
pick it up and answer, holding your recorder close for the audio. A small
voice whimpers, “Can I come home?” A child, maybe? The line goes dead.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
40

Shoji
A shoji is a door or window made
of wooden latticework and
translucent squares or rectangles,
usually made of paper.
41

Old House Encounters

Result Encounter
1 There's a noise coming from the living room, a swishing, like quick
movements. You enter to check but see nothing, and the sound has stopped.
As you approach a door with frosted glass, a woman appears on the other
side. She stares a moment before fading. You open it to an empty room.
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 You sit for a while in the living room and begin dozing off. But the sound of
humming from somewhere in the room jolts you back awake. It stops. You
scan the room but find nothing. Your best guess as to the source is the
empty corner near you. The humming begins again, loud and clear.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 The chill of the bedroom greets you as you enter. This room is much colder
than the rest of the house. You feel for a light-switch but notice the
overhead light in the middle of the room. You step further into the room and
pull its cord for light. In the corner, a shadow—a person—fades into the wall.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 As you pace around the main hallway, waiting for something to happen, there
is a crash in the kitchen. You bolt inside and find a pan on the floor and
disturbed dust swirling in the air. This was set squarely on the countertop
when you last passed the kitchen. It couldn’t have fallen on its own.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
5 After wandering around outside, you head back in and hear what sounds like
a voice. You call out and wait in the dreadful silence. A voice, far away and
rippling like water, calls out in a low tone, “No.” You shake your head, not
sure what to make of it, and it says, “My house.”
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 Something feels off, and you realize there’s a noise like a buzzing coming
from somewhere in the house. You wander to find its source and recognize it
as running water. As you reach the bathroom, the water turns off before you
open the door. You open anyway to an empty bathroom. The sink is still wet.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 An old torn paper lantern hangs on the back porch. It’s a shame it was left
behind to deteriorate. While admiring its handiwork, it begins to move. It
sways more and more, but you realize there’s no wind at all. It stops as if
held tight. You reach out and the old lantern falls to the ground.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 You pass from one room to another, scanning every wall and corner,
inspecting every shadow. In one of the bedrooms, you notice the closet door
has been left open. You inch closer and reach out. The closet slides closed.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 Just for an experiment, you close all the shoji in the living room, though
some squares have torn paper. You wait and wait, challenging the ghost to
appear. A glow then glides on the other side of the shoji. You go to open the
shoji for a look, but the light disappears. Darkness closes in again.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
42
43

Tunnel Encounters
Result Encounter
1 You head deep into the tunnel, listening close to the echo of your steps. But
you stop when a rumbling starts. It intensifies like a coming earthquake, but
the ground is steady. Yet you hear rocks cracking and groaning all around. A
pained, human cry overpowers all other sounds, then—silence. Not even a
breeze. Your breathing is like thunder in the enclosing emptiness.
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 A frosty draft blows through the tunnel. Ahead, you see a light bobbing. You
call out to your fellow explorer, but as you get closer, it’s clear that nothing
is attached to the drifting light. It fades and something touches your hand.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 A loud buzz like that of a walkie-talkie gives you a jump. You look around but
are alone. A distorted, crackling voice fills the tunnel, and a clear voice
somewhere in front of you responds. Then all is quiet again.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 You walk up and down the length of the tunnel as hour after hour passes
quietly. At the far end, you leave the tunnel and look back in. For a moment,
you thought you saw a shape move. You go back in and catch a human form,
a dark shadow, cross the tunnel and into the wall.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
5 You stop when you see a branching tunnel that wasn’t there before. Daring
a look, you take the branch. It branches too, and you discover an impossible
labyrinth of branching tunnels. After a frantic backtrack, you return to the
main tunnel, one long tunnel with no branching paths.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 When you turn around to make another pass through the tunnel, the distant
exit is completely black. You head in to see what’s blocking the exit, but you
come to a wall of raw earth and rock. You turn back and find the entrance is
now the same. After several moments, the tunnel is back to normal.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 Detailed graffiti covers a maintenance panel. The strange slang and curved
writing are indecipherable. Faint whispering from the darkness draws you
from the vandalism. You search for its source and come to a wall. You lean
in close. The voices are for certain coming from the cold concrete walls.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 Low rumbling fills the tunnel. It grows and grows, and every muscle prepares
for a violent earthquake, but nothing happens. The rumbling fades. You ease
up, but the sound comes again. It comes and goes, almost like slow, heavy
breathing.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 You lean against the wall to rest and wait for something to happen, staying
ever alert. A brief, deep moan, almost a grunt, echoes down the tunnel. You
start after it, but a second sound comes from the other end. A third, longer,
deeper groan comes from above. Then a sigh travels the length of the tunnel.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
44
45

River Encounters
Result Encounter
1 You squat by the riverbank and peer into the water. The water is calm and
flows at a relaxing pace. A sudden splash disturbs the surface with ripples.
You don’t see what caused it, but when you look back down, several hands
reach out of the water, grasping wildly before receding.
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 An hour at least has passed with nothing happening. You test the water with
your hand. It’s cold. Colder than you’d expect. As you dry your hand off,
there is sudden and wild splashing. You don’t see anyone or anything in the
water, but you can hear the horrible choking sounds like someone is
drowning.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 The calm water surges as if something—a boat?—is in the water. You can see
the water distort, and a small canoe seems to materialize. Two men are in it,
both rowing, but when they look up at you, their eyes glow bright white.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 At the river bend, you have a seat on a large rock. Other than the gentle
sound of water and the white noise of bugs, it’s been quiet for a while.
Somewhere nearby, however, you hear footsteps kicking up rocks, heading in
your direction.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
5 You cross a small bridge to check out the other side of the river after an
hour of nothing on this side. Not long after, you hear a soft flute playing
nearby. You call out, and it stops. It begins again, but now on the other side
of the river. It had to have moved almost forty feet in seconds.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 Down the path that follows the river, you spot a small stack of stones, only a
foot or so high. Travelers make these towers to help the spirits of children.
And as you marvel at the careful stacking, you hear a child’s giggle.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 For several minutes, you’ve been watching a small animal of some kind, on
the other side of the river, wandering up and down the banks. You can’t
make out what it is in the dark. But when it grows in size, then silently slinks
into the water with no splash or ripple, you realize it was not an animal.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 With the sun set, the riverbanks are dark. For a moment, you think it’ll be
more difficult to gather visual evidence of manifestations. However, a soft
blue glow floats over the river, easily visible in the darkness—something you
might have missed during the day.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 As you pace along the river, you look out across to the other side. Someone
is there, standing on the riverbank. You stop for a better look, and they seem
to disappear as if they were never there at all.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
46
47

Docks Encounters
Result Encounter
1 The gentle lapping of waves calms you and seems to disarm the atmosphere
of the docks. You turn to head back to the main boardwalk and see someone
ahead. A dark shape, but they vanish. Screaming erupts all around you,
forcing you to shield your ears from the piercing cries.
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 As you pace up and down the pier, a dark figure appears for a moment at the
water’s edge. Your vision suddenly becomes clouded and you are
underwater. You are drowning and sinking deeper into the swallowing black
brine while the surface only gets further away. The hallucination ends, and
you find yourself back on the quiet pier, dry as a bone.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 While listening to the water, a sourceless voice whispers something. You lean
over the pier and realize it’s coming from the water. More whispers, like a
great crowd, come from the depths. “Swim,” they say. “Swim.”
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 There is one pier much darker than the others, as if the lamps are dimmed.
You brave a visit. As you reach the pier’s end, you feel something thick in
your throat. You can’t breathe or cough. You fall to your knees and vomit
out a lungful of water. The taste of ocean salt fills your mouth.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Visual Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 You’ve been watching a light out on the water slowly approach the docks.
What boat is out this late? Before it enters the range of the pier’s lamps,
you glimpse a vague outline of an old ship before it and its light disappear.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 Beyond the reach of the dock’s lamps, the ocean and sky become one in
complete darkness. While staring out into that unwelcoming void, the waters
glow. You seem to recall this phenomenon, but then human shapes, shadows,
swim around beneath the waves.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 You sit on a crate to rest for a bit and watch the empty piers. In between
the sound of waves lapping against the docks, there are now footsteps. You
think they’re heading toward you on the pier, but there are multiple sets
coming and going all around.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 An old ship is named with difficult kanji you can’t figure out. It must be an
old name. As you shrug it off, you hear a sound like soft laughter come from
somewhere. You follow it onto a pier. It’s coming from out on the water.
There’s no ship in sight, just open water. But the laugh is there, echoing.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 There’s an odd buzzing sound that’s been going for a while. You find the
source, a small radio in a pile of rope and tools, no doubt left behind by one
of the dock workers. As you go to turn it off, a voice comes through. The
words are jumbled and faint, and then whoever it is begins weeping.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
48
49

Old Lodge Encounters

Result Encounter
1 In the entry hall, dust and debris litter the floor, but you spot footprints
heading down the left hallway. You start down the hall but hear a voice from
behind you. What was it? Then a loud voice, so very loud, bitter, and crystal
clear, asks, “What are doing here?”
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 You slide open the door leading into a dark room, a room that seems to repel
light. Your instincts tell you to leave. Before you can decide, you feel icy
hands press on your chest. A human shape, a woman, flashes before you and
shoves you from the room. The door slides closed with a slam.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 The bottom floor has been quiet for the past hour or so. The sound of
footsteps above draws you to the second floor for a look. While the whole
building has been cold, the top floor is freezing. And electricity in the air
tingles your hand as you reach for the door to a room. Something is in there.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 A headache has been building for a while now, and you head outside for fresh
air. The headache intensifies, and you look back at the lodge to glimpse the
dark silhouette of a woman in the doorway. She vanishes instantly, fast
enough to make you doubt she was there at all. The headache, too, vanishes.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Visual Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 You go through the rooms one by one, making a quick sweep of the lodge.
Back downstairs, you catch a shadow passing by a shoji. You open it, not
surprised to find no one there. But there are footprints on the dusty floor.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 After making a methodical sweep of the building, you head outside through
the entryway. You spot what you thought were your footprints, but they’re
too small. You follow them back inside, and there is old, dusty luggage by the
door, traveling boxes used long ago. They definitely weren’t there when you
left, and you neither saw nor passed anyone outside.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 While pacing up and down the halls, you hear what sounds like talking in one
of the rooms. You call out. After a quiet pause, the voice picks back up.
There’s a woman here. She’s as clear as day. You ask what she’s doing
here as you open the door but are truly surprised to find the room empty.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 You take a minute to check the small communal bathhouse out back. It’s
cold and empty, even the water long gone. But as you leave, you hear a soft
splash of water coming from the empty bath.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 Sitting in the entranceway, you wonder what this place might have looked
like in its heyday. As you get up to move on, there’s a sudden scraping of
wood. You look around and find a stool behind the front desk. To be certain,
you move the stool against the floor and the sound is exactly the same.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
50
51

Train Station Encounters

Result Encounter
1 You follow a strange tapping noise coming from nearby. It’s hard to even
guess what it is. The tapping seems to come from somewhere on the tracks.
You then spot a shadow crawling at your feet. A voice whimpers, “Help me.”
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 You’ve been careful to keep clear of the tracks. Just as well, a train heads
down the tracks. You stay far off to the side, but suddenly find yourself on
the tracks as the train passes through you, knocking you to your feet. As
you get up, the train is nowhere in sight.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 A moment ago, you thought you heard a train pass on the oldest tracks. You
check the area to see what it was or if the phenomenon occurs again. You
hear it coming, but accompanying the train sounds is a sudden scream.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 The train lines overhead have sparked twice. Is something wrong with them?
You go for a closer look and see the arcs of electricity streak down,
illuminating a human shape. It rushes at you, and a powerful jolt courses
through your body.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Visual Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 On the waiting platform, you pass a man in a suit that gives you a look of
suspicion. You just give him a slight bow and leave him be. A moment later,
he cries out and bolts from the platform. You glimpse a white cloud of smoke
drifting across the tracks toward where the man was sitting.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 After a long walk down the tracks, you head back toward the waiting
platform. But ahead, something is all over the tracks that wasn’t there
earlier. As you close in, you realize it’s blood. And body parts. They fade
away as you go to touch it just to see if it’s real.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 On the waiting platform, a couple of women chat about how haunted the
station is. They hate taking the train here and often just call a taxi. They
stop as you all hear footsteps on the platform. The women leave when it’s
clear that no one else is there, just footsteps right in front of you.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 Things have been quiet for a while as you wait by the tracks. These go to
the old part of town where other ghosts must linger. You perk up when you
hear a train in the distance. The sound, loud and clear, passes by without a
train.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 After circling around the waiting platform, you take a rest on a bench. A
woman greets you and you say hello. But when you look up, she’s not there.
You search the platform, but you’re completely alone.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
52

Street Mirrors
In Japan, many streets with tight
corners have large round mirrors
installed to show around the
corner and help reduce accidents.
53

Historic Street Encounters

Result Encounter
1 After wandering the alleyways, you return to the main street. There’s a
distant noise, like people running. At the far end of the street, a mist builds
and coalesces into human shapes. Pale white figures are running at inhuman
speeds down the street. Toward you.
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 Of all the buildings on this street, one in particular gives you pause.
Something dwells there and its hate and anger spill out into the streets and
chilly night air. As you get closer for a peek, a black shape comes out of the
wall and scratches at you. You feel the burning claws reach inside of you.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 You round the corner and find a heavy mist filling the street. But only here,
like a cloud of smoke from an absent fire. Before you enter it, a shadow
forms and drifts out of the mist. It’s a mounted samurai in black armor atop
a black horse. The man’s eyes are empty, glowing white.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 A nearby temple bell rings. You’re not sure what the ringing is for, but it
sounds somehow off. Thin. Fragile. The sound is giving you a headache, and
it just keeps ringing. Gong. Gong. Nausea rises. Gong. Gong. It stops after
you wretch onto the cold pavement.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Audio Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 The street is quiet; the whole town seems to have gone quiet. But as you
pass a gutter, there’s a strange noise coming from the darkness below. A
scraping noise? Grunting? You can’t quite figure out what the noise is.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 You record the quiet evening for a bit and playback the audio to see if
anything is there. There’s a slow buildup of sound. It’s a crowd, a growing
bustle of people distorted in the recording. You can even make out their
wooden sandals clacking in the street. It all fades after about ten seconds.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 At the end of the street is a mirror, and you glimpse a hunched black shape,
almost formless, in the reflection. You turn around, but it’s already gone.
When you look back into the mirror, the shape remains. It doesn’t move,
thankfully. But it stands there, about ten feet behind you. Staring?
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 Halfway down the main stretch, one house feels—wrong. Something inside is
looking out, but you don’t see anyone in any of the dark windows. No lights
are on. You watch for a while, waiting, anxious. A light turns on and reveals a
shadow in the window. It disappears faster than any human can move. But it
was there, watching you the whole time.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 While filming the houses, someone opens their door to take out some
garbage. They shoot you a dirty look, but as they go back inside, you spot a
dark shape behind them. A shape standing in bright light but somehow dark.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
54
55

Disused Warehouse Encounters

Result Encounter
1 Despite how empty the place is, you hear a loud crash, as if something huge
fell to the floor. Even more unsettling is the scream that follows, still with no
visible source. But at your feet, pools of dried blood appear on the concrete.
Fear Check -2. 3 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Visual Evidence.
2 While wandering the main warehouse, you trip and fall. But there’s nothing at
your feet to trip on when you look. You shrug it off and try to get back up,
but something shoves you to the floor with incredible force. You look a
second time and see a dark shape hovering over you for a never-ending
second.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 While near the office, the air grows chilly—absolutely freezing. You move your
hand around the space to feel it, as if expecting something to be there.
There’s a flick noise, like someone lighting a cigarette. You stand still and
wait. Then, there is the unmistakable feeling of a tap on your shoulder.
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 A variety of cables and wires hang from the ceiling throughout the
warehouse, but you are certain the place does not receive electricity. Still,
you’d swear the cables and wires are always swinging when you near them.
And one suddenly catches around your neck as if it moved of its own accord.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Visual Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 The dark emptiness of the warehouse is discomforting enough, but the
echoes of your footsteps only make it worse. You stare down the length of
the building and notice a curl of smoke. As you approach, you watch as more
smoke seems to come from nowhere, in the air five or so feet off the ground.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
6 The office is even darker than the rest of the warehouse, and you’ve
resisted going inside, settling instead to peer through the window at the
strewn mess of abandoned things. But in your camera, you notice a man in
the room staring back at you through the same window.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
7 When you stop to listen, the warehouse is silent. But now and then, the
silence is broken not by your footsteps but by a cough from somewhere in
the darkness. Searching as much as you can, you find no source.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
8 A sudden grinding of metal alerts you, and you hear the bang of a warehouse
door closing. But they’ve been closed. You even check your footage to
confirm that all the doors have been closed since you entered.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
9 At the far end of the warehouse, you look down the building toward the
office and wait and listen. Your instincts tell you to keep waiting as minutes
pass. For half an hour, you wait until a deep voice from the far darkness
says, “Get out.” Your instincts say with certainty that it came from the
office.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
56

Maneki-neko
The maneki-neko is a popular
figurine of a cat with a raised paw,
usually seen in businesses. It’s
believed to bring in customers
and good luck.
57

Small Shop Encounters

Result Encounter
1 While in the shop’s front, you hear the TV turn on in the back. You go to
check it out but don’t see anyone or even the remote. As you watch, the
show on screen deteriorates into static. The screen goes black as the TV
shuts off, and a there’s a reflection of a dark figure standing in the doorway.
Fear Check -2. 3 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
2 You keep hearing a meowing, but it’s certainly not from a cat. You ask
who’s there, and the sound stops. But a strange grunt follows instead, a low
guttural noise. You feel a hot scratch rake across the skin on your back.
Lose 2 Willpower. Fear Check -2. 2 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3 There’s a thud and you see a decorative model on the floor. Another item
falls from the shelf. By the third, you notice that they all fall toward you as if
being thrown in your direction. More fall with increasing strength.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4 You browse the various items, considering buying one before leaving town,
when the lights go out, leaving you in pitch black. You reach out to find your
way to try the light-switch and brush against something furry. It hisses but is
much to deep too be a cat. You recoil and back up hard into a door frame.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 2 Audio Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
5 The wall clock has been the only sound, but you notice a light tapping sound
separate from the ticking clock. You check around the shop and find that the
tapping is coming from the wall. And the wall is unusually cold to the touch.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
6 After taking a moment to check some of your footage, disappointed to by
the lack of hard evidence, a deep laugh gets your attention. You pause,
hoping to hear it again. You hear it again from outside and are about to brush
it off when the laugh comes again from the back room, just beyond the door.
Fear Check. 2 Audio Evidence.
7 An old maneki-neko sits on the countertop. The paint is chipping and looks
like it’s been touched up before, perhaps several years ago. Just for B-roll
footage, you get a good shot of it, but you notice that its expression is
different in the camera view. Its friendly grin is instead an angry grimace.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
8 The past hour has been calm. You glance at the clock on the wall to see
what time it is. Later than it feels. You return to your work for a while. When
you next look, the clock has wound backward almost four hours.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
9 While examining some scratch marks in the entrance, you catch a motion out
of the corner of your eye. You look around the store but find nothing that
could have moved, not the way you thought it had, whatever it was. A small
black shadow then darts across the ceiling at incredible speed and
disappears behind a shelf. You try to look behind the shelf but find only wall.
Fear Check. 2 Visual Evidence.
10 Resolve the Background Encounter matching your First Information keyword
(page 59). Re-roll if you get this Encounter again during this Investigation.
58
59

Background Encounters
Keyword Encounter
Murder There’s a sudden dripping sound. At your feet, you notice a trail of
blood. Your instincts and curiosity are at odds, one telling you to leave,
the other telling you to follow it. You follow. It soon leads to a pool of
fresh crimson. There, standing before you, is a person covered head to
toe in blood. They ask, “Did you do this to me?” but soon disappear.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
Suicide The sound of someone crying has been starting and stopping. You
continue to search for where it’s coming from. The crying changes
into frantic choking. It sounds as if it’s all around you. A rope hangs a
few feet in front of you. The choking stops. The rope is old and
surprisingly real—not a hallucination. As you touch the rope, dried blood
from scraping the neck clings to your fingers.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
Fire You can smell the smoke before it appears. All around you, the smoke
accumulates, blocking all other light. But there is light. The bright
orange of a hungry flame. It grows, and the heat—there is no heat? As
you stare into the cold flames, a body engulfed in fire emerges,
screaming for help. They reach out for you. It all fades so fast, you
can’t believe it was there just a second ago.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
Earthquake Things around you begin to vibrate. A low rumble stirs from the ground.
You brace for an earthquake and wonder if it’s even real. The earth
opens in a great roar and swallows you. You paw at the darkness and
dirt as it crushes you. You wake on the floor. As you get up, what looks
like hands recede into the ground.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
Curse Strange shadows lurk all over this area. Shadows too large and too
deep. You dare a closer look into one of these shadows, just a shadow
on a wall, but it feels like it goes on and on. Someone crawls out of the
darkness toward you. They scream and cry out, “Help me!” Tendrils of
darkness wrap around them and drag them back into the abyss. You’re
now looking at an everyday shadow on the wall.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
Unknown You keep seeing someone walking around, but all you get is a glance at
them. They seem too present and fully formed to be a ghost, but you
can’t be sure. As you turn around, you almost run into someone. All
you hear when they disappear is, “You should leave before it gets you,
too.”
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 1 Audio Evidence.
1 Data Evidence.
60
61

Castle Encounters
Floor Encounter
Fourth You ascend to the last chamber. In the small room, a dark figure stands as
if it had been waiting and says, “Thou art trespassing.” It rushes you with
calculated moves, striking you with what appears to be a blade of shadow.
Lose 3 Willpower unless you discard a mirror or incense. Fear Check -2. 2
Visual Evidence. 2 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
Third Something feels wrong on this floor. There’s so little light. You enter a
1-3 windowless room, but the darkness still seems thicker than it should—
impenetrable. Nothing can break the infinite blackness of this room.
Lose 2 Willpower unless you discard a spirit board. Fear Check -2. 2 Audio
Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
4-6 The open doorway in front of you makes you apprehensive, more so than
usual. You enter the room and a dark shape leaps from the corner as if it
had been waiting to ambush you. Sharp pain sends you to your knees.
Lose 2 Willpower unless you discard a candle or music box. Fear Check -2.
2 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
Second The moonlight casts silver rays across the hall, doing little to light your
1-2 way. For whatever reason, you brace yourself before continuing. The hall is
freezing. Then, one by one, your equipment glitches and powers off.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 3 Data Evidence. Discard a spirit board
for +1 to the Fear Check.
3-4 As you enter a smaller chamber that may have been a person room, you
hear a soft scraping noise like a blade being sharpened. Before you find a
source, there’s a quick swoosh and a stinging pain across your chest.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 3 Audio Evidence. Discard a mirror or
incense for +1 to the Fear Check.
5-6 You get a wide shot of what may have been a meeting room, and a faint
glow appears. It spreads across the room. The glow takes shape, turning
into a group of pale figures in old kimonos. They all are watching you.
Lose 1 Willpower. Fear Check -1. 3 Visual Evidence. Discard a candle or
music box for +1 to the Fear Check.
First Empty weapon racks line the inner wall of the hallway with barred windows
1-2 on the outer wall. But you notice a black spear on one of the weapon racks.
It’s cold to the touch, and a sudden foul odor makes you feel ill.
Fear Check -1. 1 Visual Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
3-4 This place is full of strange sounds and deep shadows. You enter a large,
lightly furnished room and whispers seep out of the dark corners. They
crescendo into shouts and screams. They all say the same thing. “Run!”
Fear Check -1. 1 Audio Evidence. 2 Data Evidence.
5-6 The large gate into the keep stands before you, open and inviting. You step
through the threshold and into the keep’s darkness. Behind you, the door
shuts and locks. You try to open it, but you cannot leave.
Fear Check -1. 2 Audio Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
Start Just outside the main keep, you pass a well. There are strange moans
coming from inside, but it’s sealed. You look down through the screen
covering and a pale woman looks up at you before scurrying along the walls.
Fear Check -1. 2 Visual Evidence. 1 Data Evidence.
62
Name Tired (-1 to all Action Checks)
Level XP Skill Aces 円
Willpower Evidence

Trait Campaign Evidence

Abilities

Inventory

Old Van — Full Inventory, Move as a free Action.

Team Members
63
Town Sheet
Town Type Name
Location Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
Item Item
Location Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
Item Item
Location Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
NPC Item
Item Item
Haunt Locations
Location Activity
Info 1 Aspect
Info 2
Info 3
Location Activity
Info 1 Aspect
Info 2
Info 3
Location Activity
Info 1 Aspect
Info 2
Info 3
From ancient times to the modern era, the spirits
of the dead in Japan have been continuously
revered, researched, and feared. But there must be
a bridge between folklore and science. For a
modern paranormal investigator, finding that bridge
and proving without a doubt that the eternal spirit
is real has become your lifelong goal. Get your gear,
build a team, and get investigating. But beware, the
old folktales warn of the dangers of angry spirits for
a reason.
The Unseen World is a solitaire gamebook where
you will make your own investigator, travel from
town to town to find only the most haunted places.
You’ll research the tragic history of these haunted
locations and then brave the dark places where
ghosts dwell in search of paranormal evidence.
Gather as much evidence as you can. Show the
world of the living that there is a second unseen
world of spirits.

Mature Content
Contains stories of
Violence
Murder
Suicide

www.thomaspking.com