Dread is a storytelling-focused horror role-playing game designed to create tension, suspense, and emotional investment through a unique mechanic: a Jenga tower instead of dice. Players take on the roles of characters in a horror scenario—such as survivors in a slasher film, explorers of a haunted space station, or campers in the woods—where their fates depend on the stability of the tower.

At the start, each player answers a set of open-ended, personality-driven questions about their character (rather than rolling stats), which helps define motivations, fears, and flaws. Whenever a character attempts something risky or uncertain, the player must pull one or more blocks from the tower. If the tower stays standing, the action succeeds—but if it collapses, the character is removed from the story, usually in a dramatic or fatal way.

This simple but nerve-wracking mechanic makes every pull physically mirror the rising tension in the story. As the tower grows shakier, the group’s dread intensifies, creating a cinematic, edge-of-your-seat experience. The game works best as a one-shot session lasting a few hours, emphasizing atmosphere, storytelling, and character choices over rules or combat.