Cthulhu Hack

Investigation and Revelation in Lovecraft’s Dark Universe

Fast, fear-filled storytelling using simple rules and dwindling resources.
The horror comes not from knowing, but from discovering too late.

Get the PDF Buy in Print

 

What is Cthulhu Hack?

Cthulhu Hack distils the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft into a stripped-down investigative game inspired by old-school play. Everything you need fits on a single sheet: roll to discover, save to survive. Your knowledge and sanity are your greatest resources—and they are always in short supply.

The game uses two core mechanics:


 

How It Plays

Stories of mystery and madness unfold quickly. Players uncover clues by describing how they search or question. No roll decides success. When you roll, you determine how close the truth skews into your backstory, family, experiences and what you hold most dear—until something breaks.

Designed for one-shots and campaigns alike, Cthulhu Hack is a versatile system that can be used to run classic adventures and modern horror stories, suitable for any period or setting.


 

The Books

Cthulhu Hack Second Edition cover

Cthulhu Hack: Second Edition

The complete rules for fast, flexible horror investigations—updated with new options, entities and magic, original artwork, and expanded adventure Save Innsmouth.
 

PDF Print
From Unformed Realms cover

From Unformed Realms

Create horrors beyond imagination with quick generation tables for creatures of the Mythos and the strange investigations that ensnare you in their grasp.
 

PDF Print
The Haunter of the Dark cover

The Haunter of the Dark

An ENNIE-nominated guide and scenario inspired by Lovecraft’s final story. Includes tools for turning tales into investigations, guided by a structured framework and an annotated version of Lovecraft's Haunter.
 

PDF Print
Conditions cover

Cthulhu Hack: Conditions

Expands the lightweight mechanics of Conditions from the Core Rules and provides Game Moderators with a trove of situational states to deepen their narratives.
 

PDF
Island of Ignorance cover

Island of Ignorance

A historical backdrop and setting of 19th-century penal colony Australia, designed for a one-off or campaign play. Includes adventure seeds an an introductory investigation.
 

PDF Print
Nocturnal Rites cover

Nocturnal Rites

A Pay-What-You-Want jumpstart introduction into the dark revelations of Cthulhu Hack, including core mechanics, two pregenerated characters and a short investigation.
 

PDF
Mother's Love cover

Mother’s Love

Three investigations spanning the modern world, each revealing humanity’s fragile place in the embrace of the mother of rebirth and change, Shub-Niggurath.
 

PDF Print
The Dark Brood cover

The Dark Brood

A selection of content bringing the fecundity of Shub-Niggurath front and centre to your game and loosing her mindless progeny upon the world.
 

PDF Print
Forgotten Duty cover

Forgotten Duty

A visit to the University of Navarra—located in Pamplona, Spain—in search of a rare book—the chronicles of a monk who claimed to have witnessed visions of other worlds—leads to a grim investigation. A modern-day investigation.
 

PDF Print
Thro Centuries Fixed cover

Thro' Centuries Fixed

A mystery unfolds as the characters wake in unfamiliar surroundings bereft of any hint of their lives before this moment. A modern-day investigation.
 

PDF Print
Three Faces of the Wendigo cover

Three Faces of the Wendigo

Explore the dark heart of myth through three chilling tales of hunger, winter, and transformation spread across three centuries.
 

PDF Print
Valkyrie Nine cover

Valkyrie Nine

Recovery stat& has b&&n activated, initiali$ing all maintenance and repair units. Corrupted network conn&ctivity m&an$ state data = 0%. Correct the problem.
 

PDF

Join the Investigation

Find more resources, adventures, and discussions at JustCrunch.com, Discord or follow on BlueSky.