The invitation arrived through a tuxedo-clad driver of a black hearse. Theatrics aside, you were presented an opportunity that was too alluring to pass up, to be among the first to lay eyes upon the newly renovated Price Sanitarium during a Halloween party hosted by famed actor Charles Durman. The night promises cash prizes and good-natured scares. But be warned, something much more horrid than ghosts haunts this building tonight.

Locked In is an Halloween scenario for Liminal Horror, suitable for a session or so of play. The famous actor Charles Durman is looking to drum up buzz for his new Murder Museum and Haunted Sanatorium tour and has taken to hosting a "haunted house" costume party on Halloween night. Take the role of the unfortunate souls that end up trapped in a building who must fight to survive the night once an unknown horror is unleashed. 

First Fright Edition

In order to be ready in time for the Halloween 2026 season, Locked In is releasing in a preliminary state. The scenario is fully useable and ready for the table as is, but has not been copy edited, is lacking some design elements, and is not formatted for booklet printing. As we prepare the scenario for a future print run, some additional changes will be made and the files here will be updated accordingly.

This early access version is also available to the paid subscribers of the Liminal Horror patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LiminalHorror

Touchstones

If you’re looking to compare the experience to other types of media, here are some of the pieces of inspiration for this scenario:

• House on Haunted Hill (1958)
• Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
• Clue (1985)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Psycho (1960)
• Halloween (1978)
• In a Violent Nature (2024)
• The Mafia/Werewolf social deduction game (1986)
• Night at the Museum (2006)

Can This Be Used Beyond Halloween?

While the scenario gains an additional dynamic through the Halloween framing, those aspects can be stripped out and reframed if you'd like to use the scenario at a different time of year or are trying to integrate it into a campaign. Included in the zine is a bit of advice on how to do so. As with all the official releases, bend and break it to fit your table's need!

What is Liminal Horror?

Liminal Horror is a rules-lite, adaptable survival-horror roleplaying game about normal characters and their struggles against the things that go bump in the night. The game focuses on surviving the weird and investigating horrors while blending simple, old-school inspired rules with modern, narrative first principles. Survival is NOT guaranteed and those that do make it through the night are often forever changed. 

A table-ready version of the core rules for players and facilitators can be found for FREE through either of the links below:

• A downloadable demo is available on this project page.
• A free pdf can be downloaded at https://goblinarchives.itch.io/liminal-horror
• A free web-based version of the rules is available at https://liminalhorrorrpg.com/
• The Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition is available here in print and digitally (currently on pre-order from Backerkit)