I expect many Clark Ashton Smith fans will also have an interest in the decadent literature and 19th century gothic atmosphere in general, so I'm just leaving this link to the download here so anyone who wants to give this a try can download, play and hopefully enjoy it. This game is sort of a Huysmans/Lovecraft mashup as far as the themes and atmosphere are concerned. Purple prose abounds. The game is set in 19th century Paris where the protagonists are two decadent poets trying to outdo each other in decadence.

You can download it (.zip file containing PDFs of the board, cards and pieces, manual) here:

[aasgier.wordpress.com]

All you need apart from the printable material are three differently colored tokens and one dice.

'La-bas' is a two player game where players attempt to become the most decadent poets of 19th century Paris, while being hunted by a supernatural entity. It was inspired by weird tales such as those by H.P. Lovecraft, Robert M. Chambers and Algernon Blackwood and by the lifestyles of decadent artists of the 19th century. And of course by the novel La-Bas by J.K. Huysmans.

This is how it should look after some cutting & pasting

LaBas

Short description
- 2 player game
- Both players are being hunted by a supernatural entity, being found results in possession which changes the gameplay as long as the possession lasts
- The goal is to get the highest score
- A game can last between a few minutes to more than an hour
- Both luck and strategy play a part in the game
- More or less horror themed, but also quite funny (depending on your sense of humor of course)

A lot of work went into designing the game so I hope people will play and enjoy it. Recommended for Lovecraft fans, lovers of decadent literature, connoisseurs of the weird and people who enjoy 19th century atmosphere.
One of my next projects is a board game adaptation of Hodgson's The Night Land.. :)

That actually sounds rather interesting. I do love the notion of 2 Decadent poets trying to out-do each other--if only such a scenario could be real!

Incidentally, La Bas is the next novel I want to read by Huysmans. I've only read 'Against Nature' thus far.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 6 Nov 14 | 01:32AM by K.A. Opperman.

Hey thanks!
Yes, what can be more nihilistic and decadent than having a contest to see who's be the most decadent!
To be honest, I never read La-Bas, but I am familiar with the themes and story and while I was developing the game I suddenly realized that it was starting to reflect a lot of the plot so there you go..
My only regret is that there is no chance for salvation for the protagonists in the game. We played it once while listening to some Exuma (quite dark voodoo music: [www.youtube.com]) and the combination of playing a game about damnation and that music really creeped us out :)