I already posted it to ITCH but since ITCH reviews are like impossible to see I'm gonna post it here. The following is my review for the STELLAR mystery module by @anim-ttrpgs for their flagship TTRPG "Eureka." The module was just released today it's called Murder at the Belle Nuit If you are one of those people who think modules are all railroaded beats with little player input PLEASE read my review and give Eureka and MatBN a chance!!
Where do I even begin, huh? The initial play test of Murder at the Belle Nuit was my first ever ACTUAL game of Eureka. That's right I'm not a fake fan anymore! And god. What an experience. What an AMAZING first experience with the system. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
I think, many of us when we hear the phrase "oh this module has an amazing story" we get a little worried right? Thanks to years of corporate interest and a sort of total loss of the plot for the entire hobby and genre of TTRPGs we all hear "module with an amazing story" and we think "oh okay so it's a total railroad that should have just been the designers short story." That is not the case for Belle Nuit. Think of your favorite story heavy video game, how it couldn't have worked in any medium but the virtual medium it's presented. That is Belle Nuit. It is a game module, and it is amazing, and it would not be nearly as amazing in any other medium. I'll admit, my experience with modules is limited - but I can tell you this much, no module has convinced me of their importance and potential to the medium of TTRPGs quite like Murder at the Belle Nuit.
That's enough build up, let's get into it - Murder at the Belle Nuit drops the PCs(Player Characters) into an Agatha Christie whodunit full of colorful NPCS you will GENUINELLY WANT your PC to interact with. Each of them full of idiosyncrasies and incompatibilities - with the impetus to detangle truth from lay placed entirely upon your PCs. It uses to its full potential the stellar investigative mechanics of the game, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy’s, to amazing success. Social skills to wring and glean what truths your pcs can out of the compelling characters which populate the Hotel Belle Nuit. Knowledge skills to piece together clues from what's left behind in the various scenes of interest. Physical skills to keep your PCs alive just in case their snooping lands them in hotter water than they prepared for. A ticking clock to keep pressure on the investigators, a recurring space for meal scenes, nearly every mechanic is on display. Most importantly of all plenty of points of interest to accrue investigations points on, so when it matters the most - your PCs won't miss what matters.
There are no dead-ends in Belle Nuit. Everything your PCs can possibly learn while searching for the truth tells them something about the greater mystery. Every “red herring” is worthwhile, every twist a gratifying revelation. Like the works of Agatha Christie every detail is a piece of the puzzle - but once it's complete, will you find as pretty a picture as you hoped? Most importantly, at the end of the day, the PCs must have the confidence in their convictions if they hope to bring the story to a happy end.
This is not a story which would remain as excellent, compelling, and memorable in any other medium. Like Eureka is a triumph of TTRPG design, Murder at the Belle Nuit is the triumph of module writing the game needed. This is no railroad, not an ordered series of clues leading the players by the nose to its conclusion. It is an active situation, an ongoing scenario with no singular path forward. It is player action which drives this story, it is player choice which shapes each beat. In the center a concrete truth lies in wait to be uncovered, a compelling and static answer which ties it all together, lines everything in place. No other game on the market can demand so effectively an immersion in the considerations of the whodunnit mystery, no film or video game could present such a quagmire and leave the players asking “how the HELL are our characters going to figure this OUT!?” They must arrange their own victory, for left to its own devices this case will play out in bitter tragedy.
If you’re reading this, I am begging you: BUY this module. It’s pay-what-you-want, but PLEASE. Spend the money. It’s worth it, and the team needs if it they’re going to have any chance of continuing to put out STUNNING content like this.
Murder mystery module for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy. 3-8 sessions.
