Hello hello!

Welcome to the very first devlog for The Unsettling of a House — the haunted-house journaling RPG where the building is alive, the walls have opinions, and you’re just trying to make it through the week without losing your only flashlight (or your mind).

Since this is the first official post, let me give you a proper introduction.

So… what is this game?

The Unsettling of a House is a solo narrative experience about moving into a home that does not want to be understood. You play as a new Resident, arriving with four other people — family, found-family, exes, roommates, coworkers, cult survivors, whatever constellation of chaos you choose. Together you settle into the House and quickly learn that settling is… optimistic.

You'll explore twisting hallways, uncover the tragedies left behind by past tenants, and try to understand which of the three Hauntings is burrowed deepest into the architecture. The House will push, pull, mislead, tempt, and reshape you. Sometimes gently. Sometimes not.

Gameplay centers around journaling Prompts that ask you to record what your Resident sees, does, fears, and loses. You’ll track:

• Aspects — the traits that shape you

• Artifacts — objects you cling to or discover

• Rooms — the spaces you claim (or flee)

• Characters — the people trapped here with you

• Damages — the marks the House leaves behind

Each prompt pushes the story forward, twisting your assumptions, eroding the familiar, and slowly revealing the Haunting. Whether you survive, escape, or become part of the House’s long history is entirely up to how your story unfolds.

A first look at the book

I’ve included some early screenshots so you can get a taste of the tone I’m building: clean black-ink illustrations, vintage etching aesthetics, mid-century Americana vibes, and a general sense of “this room has seen things.”

Layout is still in progress, but it’s finally starting to look like a real book — which is both thrilling and deeply spooky.

What’s next?

This devlog series will follow the House all the way through playtesting as I get ready for a digital release. Expect:

• More art previews

• Mechanics breakdowns

• Prompt teasers

• Occasional “why does layout do this to me” screaming into the void

Thank you for stepping through the front door with me.