How to Create a Tabletop RPG Adventure Inspired by Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (All 4) is a cult British TV classic and it’s a masterclass in surreal parody. A send-up of 1980s/90s supernatural dramas like Twin Peaks, The Kingdom and The X-Files, it delights in clunky dialogue, ludicrous special effects, and storylines that spiral gleefully into the absurd.
Translating this singular style into a tabletop RPG adventure can lead to some of the most refreshing, hilarious, and memorable sessions your group will ever play. Here’s how to channel the warped brilliance of Darkplace at your gaming table.
1. Embrace the Absurd, Wholeheartedly
The beating heart of Darkplace is its commitment to the ridiculous. Every line, every monster, every plot point is played with utter seriousness—making it all the funnier.
- Setting: Choose a familiar genre and push it to extremes. A haunted hospital where the laws of medicine and reality are optional. A sleepy town plagued by supernatural nonsense.
- Tone: Treat bizarre events with deadpan seriousness. Encourage your players to act as if everything is perfectly normal, even as the world unravels around them.
2. Design Surreal, Over-the-Top Challenges
Forget logic. In Darkplace, the hospital is as likely to be invaded by broccoli monsters as it is by ghosts. Lean into the nonsensical:
- Impossible Spaces: A corridor that leads to the Cretaceous period, a supply closet containing a portal to a disco dimension, a break room where gravity works sideways.
- Creative Solutions: Craft scenarios where brute force won’t work, but a clever (or ridiculous) idea just might. Maybe the only way to banish a demon is to recite a recipe for spaghetti bolognese backward.
3. Invent Wildly Exaggerated NPCs
Characters in Darkplace aren’t just quirky, they’re outlandish caricatures, played with absolute conviction.
- Examples:
- The world-weary detective who’s allergic to clues.
- An ambitious surgeon obsessed with inventing the “ultimate sandwich.”
- The janitor who only speaks in cryptic haikus and seems to know everyone’s secrets.
- Performance: Encourage players and the GM alike to go big with accents, mannerisms, and melodramatic monologues.
4. Unleash Ridiculous Plot Twists
The more unpredictable, the better. Darkplace delights in left-field shocks that are both nonsensical and perfectly fitting.
- Twist Ideas:
- The true villain is a sentient vending machine.
- A patient’s mysterious illness is contagious—via interpretive dance.
- The hospital was actually built on an ancient game show set, and the only way out is to “win” the show.
- Execution: Drop hints that seem important but lead nowhere, then reveal the truth in the most melodramatic way possible.
5. Let Fun Be Your Guide
At its core, Darkplace is a loving parody. The joy comes from everyone being in on the joke and playing along.
- Encourage Player Buy-In: Invite your players to improvise, ham it up, and lean into the weirdness.
- Improvise: Be ready to run with your players’ wild ideas. If they want to defeat the monster with hospital-grade pudding, let them try.
- Keep the Pace Snappy: Don’t get bogged down in rules, focus on fast, funny, and unpredictable play.
Conclusion
A Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace-inspired RPG adventure is a recipe for laughter, unpredictability, and lasting memories. By fully embracing the absurd, crafting surreal challenges and NPCs, unveiling wild plot twists, and above all, prioritizing fun, you’ll create a session that stands out from the ordinary.
Whether your group is full of RPG veterans or newcomers, a night in Darkplace promises a unique and side-splitting experience.
“I know writers who use subtext, and they’re all cowards.” – Garth Marenghi
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