Achtung Cthulhu: Seventh inning Slaughter. RPG review

*this was originally posted to the British Fantasy Society’s website. Also, I have no affiliation with Modiphius, and received no compensation for the creation of this review.

Peanuts! Cracker Jacks! Freakish rituals during the seventh-inning stretch! There’s even a chance of protecting Franklin Delano Roosevelt?  In Seventh-Inning Slaughter, a brand new mission for Achtung Cthulhu! 2d20, by Modiphius, Players will be tasked with preventing an ambitious Back Sun member from carrying out his horrifying scheme. 

This mission, one that incorporates historical events, is a very clever way to challenge newer players or keep experienced gamers on their toes. It’s very well-conceived, and the mission is a self-contained one-shot. Not everyone will like the linear design since there isn’t an obvious way to leave the mission if they want to. However, there is a clear beginning, middle, and end to this fast-paced adventure. Everyone will understand what’s being asked of them, and why. 

Right from the beginning, the pressure is on.  This mission is on a timer of sorts and the structure follows the progress of the game. The challenge will come with keeping up with the pace of the events as they unfold and feeling comfortable with any potential outcomes once a course of action has been chosen.

During World War 2, there was a women’s baseball league in the United States since many men were off fighting the war. It’s fun to see this get a nod in Achtung Cthulhu. There’s even a quick note early in the text suggesting movies players can watch for inspiration.

Where things might be problematic is that there is very little to help people understand baseball. The mission is organized by a succession of innings to keep track of time as it passes, but not everyone will understand what an inning is. Baseball is very much an American sport, and anyone outside of the United States might not understand the rules. 

Additionally, there aren’t necessarily maps for all of the sites in the game, but this maybe isn’t the biggest problem. Places such as the announcer’s booth aren’t particularly big, and maybe don’t need an illustration. Unfortunately, choosing not to include this kind of material, along with the absence of a rules primer for baseball, makes the mission feel a little incomplete. Seventh Inning Slaughter stands on its own, as a quick one-shot.  As a way to create an avenue into the Secret War that is the beating heart of Achtung Cthulhu, this is a great first step. It even was written with that in mind. The mission had a few holes, but the stuff that’s missing is largely inconsequential. The pace and lack of an explanation of the rules of baseball might make running this a bit awkward for some people. Ultimately, the mission fits the game and is a great entry point to Achtung Cthulhu 2d20.