Miasma Shadows of Medina

Unleash your inner storyteller and dive into the shadows of Medina Castle. In Miasma: Shadows of Medina, a gothic horror game for 1 to 4 players, you become a spirit guide crafting a haunting narrative of redemption, betrayal, and darkness.

Shape the destinies of your characters as you navigate the castle’s haunted hallways, confronting personal demons and buried secrets. Use Story cards to weave intricate backstories and dynamic interactions. As your tale unfolds, discover hidden artifacts, trigger unexpected events, and reveal supernatural twists that heighten the game’s suspense.

Watch the Trailer!

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Miasma evolves with its players, offering a gentle on-ramp for beginners and a puzzling labyrinth for those who journey deeper through its tiered system of play. Every session is a cinematic experience where choices carry consequences.

What Makes Miasma Unique?

In Miasma, storytelling is the lifeblood of the game. Every tale you weave stirs the castle itself—awakening cursed relics, uncovering long-buried sins, and reshaping the destinies of those who haunt its shadowed halls.

At its core, Miasma fosters connection, where players inhabit flawed, fragile characters whose lives entwine in unexpected ways.

It invites discovery, as Story cards, Events, Artifacts and other game mechanics require choice that uncovers buried secrets, hidden motives, and dark truths.

Finally, your stories will linger and be memorable, as every choice reshapes alliances, twists the story’s path, and leaves players haunted by what they revealed—and what they chose to hide.

Miasma’s unique community-driven CALEÑA framework makes storytelling effortless and engaging for every skill level. Each Story card offers built-in rewards that inspire daring choices, weave plots thick with secrets, and spark revelations that haunt the table.

From Easy to Immersive

Miasma’s three-tiered episode system lets players evolve from simple storytelling to full narrative immersion, gradually unlocking deeper mechanics and dramatic possibilities.

Three Levels of Episodes for Experiencing Different Gothic Horror Themes

Level 1 – Pure collaborative storytelling; learn characters, locations, and card types. Get started having fun in 10 minutes.

Level 2 – Introduces roleplay, Harbinger, Omens, Events, Essence, and Quests with Artifacts.

Level 3 – Narrative and Invocation cards deepen themes and empower artifacts for richer stories.

Miasma's scaling structure provides a great on-ramp for all player types—from casual storytellers to immersive roleplayers.

Each level draws players deeper into the shadows, layering new cards and mechanics that heighten intrigue, realism, and the ever-looming sense of dread. With each step forward, the stakes rise, choices carry greater weight, and the horror becomes harder to escape.

Limitless Replayability

Miasma offers 8 thrilling story-starter episodes and advice for crafting your own chilling episodes and tales. Dive into this gothic horror storytelling-roleplaying sandbox and experience the genre like never before.

• Modular deck system with Story, Ability, Artifact, Invocation, Event, Harbinger, and Narrative cards.
• Choose curated episodes from three levels or create your own twisted episode involving your favorite themes (undead/vampires, ghosts, arcane knowledge, human drama, etc.).
• No two games ever play the same!

Multiple Ways to Play

Miasma redefines storytelling and roleplay with four distinct play modes:

• Cooperative: Work together to save characters from the fog.
• Semi-Cooperative: Collaborate, but with recognition for standout players.
• Competitive: Dive into a darker story with shocking twists and player-driven rivalry.
• Solo: Face the fog alone, using a guided rubric to test your narrative skill and creativity.

Structure with Creative Freedom

• Use Character, Activity, Location, Omen, and Narrative cards to craft dramatic scenes. Story cards provide structure and contain master storyteller tips honed by dozens of writers through our community driven approach to game development.
• Include Story card requirements to unlock rewards—gain character abilities, influence and experience points.
• Your choices collaboratively shape the castle’s unfolding horrors—and the destiny of its inhabitants.

Dynamic Influence System

• Influence any character at any time by assigning new abilities that steer actions, mold behaviors, and sculpt demeanor.
• The player who controls most of a character’s abilities becomes their Spirit Guide, directing their quests, artifacts, and choices.
• Compete or collaborate—this struggle becomes part of the overall story.

Simultaneous Event Resolution

This dramatic storytelling mechanic adds strategy and unpredictability

• Each time a Location card is played an Event is triggered.
• Players secretly choose among 6 options, then reveal together.
• The most common choice becomes fate—but unique responses carry opportunities or special consequences.

See an Event Unfold!

Quests and Artifacts Shape the Story

• Win powerful artifacts through quests.

• Use them to influence Events, assist allies, or impede adversaries.

• Every item carries narrative and game mechanics consequences.

Artifact Invocations

• Invocations unlock powerful artifact rituals, like the Severance Rite for banishing demons, adding dramatic, game-changing moments.
• Choices matter—each Invocation offers unique results based on traits like Intellect, Charisma, or Willpower.
• Perfect for episodes where dark secrets drive the story.
• Artifacts now carry even more narrative weight, linking lore, strategy, and character arcs.
• Thematic and tactical—use Invocations to exorcise allies, resist evil, or embrace the darkness.

Narrative Choice

• Narrative cards spotlight pivotal moments—when secrets surface, bonds shatter, or destinies are sealed.

Dare the Darkness

Unleash the full horror of Miasma: Shadows of Medina through Omens carried by dark harbingers. Flip a character's fate as each omen takes hold, granting dreadful power at a terrible price. Will you banish the evil-or let it rewrite your story?

Safe Storytelling

• The Change Your Story card empowers players to instantly redirect any uncomfortable themes—no questions asked.

Who Will Love It?

• Roleplayers seeking rich character development and suspenseful drama.
• Gamers who enjoy a unique blend of strategy, narrative, and unexpected tension.
• Writers & Storytellers who want creative freedom and structure.
• Fans of Gothic Horror (like The Haunting of Hill House, Hell House, The Monk, The Fall of the House of Usher, Dracula).
• Educators & Workshop Hosts looking to inspire personal growth and collaborative creativity.

Horror Writers Association :: Halloween in July

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Join three masterful horror writers as they wield Miasma’s Level 1 CALEÑA framework to conjure a chilling tale—an experience of haunting stories and gothic roleplay you won’t soon forget.

From the Designer

Hi! I’m Stephen Schwartz. Miasma: Shadows of Medina is inspired by gothic greats like Hell House, The Pit and the Pendulum, Dracula, and The Haunting of Hill House. I wanted to capture what makes those stories unforgettable: flawed characters, buried secrets, and choices that haunt us.

Miasma lets you create those chilling moments in a supportive, creative space. It's design emphasizes collaboration through events and its Story cards filled with advice from dozens of writers—making it easy for you to create captivating and thrilling narratives.

Whether you're new to storytelling or a veteran roleplayer, Miasma gives you the tools—and the freedom—to craft something powerful, haunting, memorable, and deeply human.