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Public Access
A roleplaying game of analog horror, based on the Brindlewood Bay mystery system!
Public Access is a tabletop roleplaying game about a group of people in 2004—the Deep Lake Latchkeys—who find themselves investigating strange mysteries in and around the town of Deep Lake, New Mexico. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Deep Lake was the home of a notorious public access television station called TV Odyssey, the history and fate of which—the station literally disappeared—is the source of much speculation in certain corners of the internet. As the Latchkeys conduct their investigations in Deep Lake, they will become increasingly aware of the central role TV Odyssey plays in everything that’s going on, and will have to face whatever terrible truth lies at the heart of the infamous station...
Your purchase includes the following PDFs:
Rulebook (Spreads)
Rulebook (Singles)
Character sheet
Latchkey Moves sheet
Reference sheet
TV Odyssey campaign sheet
Odyssey tapes
8 mysteries: The House on Escondido Street, Slumber Party Summoning Circle, The Deep Lake Lurker, Xxaagreus, Starlight Kingdom, Greetings Travelers, The Whisper, Convergence
Public Access is a tabletop roleplaying game about a group of people in 2004—the Deep Lake Latchkeys—who find themselves investigating strange mysteries in and around the town of Deep Lake, New Mexico. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, Deep Lake was the home of a notorious public access television station called TV Odyssey, the history and fate of which—the station literally disappeared—is the source of much speculation in certain corners of the internet. As the Latchkeys conduct their investigations in Deep Lake, they will become increasingly aware of the central role TV Odyssey plays in everything that’s going on, and will have to face whatever terrible truth lies at the heart of the infamous station...
Your purchase includes the following PDFs:
Rulebook (Spreads)
Rulebook (Singles)
Character sheet
Latchkey Moves sheet
Reference sheet
TV Odyssey campaign sheet
Odyssey tapes
8 mysteries: The House on Escondido Street, Slumber Party Summoning Circle, The Deep Lake Lurker, Xxaagreus, Starlight Kingdom, Greetings Travelers, The Whisper, Convergence
- GenresHorror
71 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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September 12, 2025I adore tabletop roleplaying games. They're my favourite hobby and on certain days I might even go as far as to say that they're my favourite storytelling medium. But it does feel like the medium only has a few genres that it cycles between; fantasy, spacefaring sci-fi, Lovecraftian horror, and urban fantasy make up the majority of games you'll find. And it's not that I dislike those genres; the campaign of Heart: The City Beneath I'm currently running has been a delight, I'm desperate to run Die and Spire and The Wildsea, but I always look at those genres and want something... more. Something different.
Public Access is a horror game, but it's not of a type I've seen before in a TTRPG. It's a horror game about voices in flickering static, about VHS tapes that reveal the secrets of the universe, about nostalgia and trauma and a small town that's the key to everything. It's weird, and the thing it reminded me of most was the film I Saw the TV Glow. The "writer's room" approach, where players frequently get input into descriptions is really interesting, as is the mysteries mechanic. I really hope I can get to run it someday.
Public Access is a horror game, but it's not of a type I've seen before in a TTRPG. It's a horror game about voices in flickering static, about VHS tapes that reveal the secrets of the universe, about nostalgia and trauma and a small town that's the key to everything. It's weird, and the thing it reminded me of most was the film I Saw the TV Glow. The "writer's room" approach, where players frequently get input into descriptions is really interesting, as is the mysteries mechanic. I really hope I can get to run it someday.
May 27, 2023
Public Access is a tabletop roleplaying game of analog horror, VHS nostalgia, and profound loss. As the Deep Lake Latchkeys, 2-4 players investigate the mysteries of Deep Lake, New Mexico, and inch ever closer towards discovering what happened to a public access television station the Latchkeys all remember from their youth but that no one else seems willing to even acknowledge. Having run a couple of sessions, I found the game design to be incredibly elegant (based on Jason Cordova's groundbreaking Brindlewod Bay) and it very effectively captures the vibe of its myriad inspirations, from suburban paranoia to EPCOT to Jack Chick D&D Satanic Panic and more.
It is worth noting, however, that there are a couple of very deliberate choices that some may find off-putting. This game asks more of the players than a more traditional roleplaying game. With it's writers' room approach, players have the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to building the shared world the game inhabits.
Pushing even further in that direction, the mysteries do not have canonical solutions. Part of the investigation is formulating answers to questions using Clues and rolling the dice to see how correct you are (from "not at all, try again" to "nailed it, now how do we stop it?!"). This can be a deal breaker for some who want a definitive solution rather than participating in its creation.
Public Access is not a game book full of rules for every circumstance and exhaustive lore spelling everything out for the Game Master. This is a toolkit and toybox full of evocative bits of prose and very helpful suggestions to bring it all to life for those who are willing to take the plunge. Highly recommended, but resist the temptation to hack it or nudge it into something more familiar before trying it as written. Trust the build. It's something special.
It is worth noting, however, that there are a couple of very deliberate choices that some may find off-putting. This game asks more of the players than a more traditional roleplaying game. With it's writers' room approach, players have the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to building the shared world the game inhabits.
Pushing even further in that direction, the mysteries do not have canonical solutions. Part of the investigation is formulating answers to questions using Clues and rolling the dice to see how correct you are (from "not at all, try again" to "nailed it, now how do we stop it?!"). This can be a deal breaker for some who want a definitive solution rather than participating in its creation.
Public Access is not a game book full of rules for every circumstance and exhaustive lore spelling everything out for the Game Master. This is a toolkit and toybox full of evocative bits of prose and very helpful suggestions to bring it all to life for those who are willing to take the plunge. Highly recommended, but resist the temptation to hack it or nudge it into something more familiar before trying it as written. Trust the build. It's something special.
April 19, 2026
Spooky mystery game, hope to run it someday!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews