GUMSHOE

GUMSHOE is a system for designing and playing investigative roleplaying games and adventures, emulating stories where investigators uncover a series of clues, and interpret them to solve a mystery.

In a GUMSHOE game, the player characters discover something which triggers their investigation, and then the Game Moderator (GM) narrates them through a number of scenes, during which they use their Investigative Abilities to gather the core clues they need to move the narrative forward. They must then put the clues together to uncover the secrets behind the mystery.

GUMSHOE One-2-One

This is a new iteration of GUMSHOE, designed for one player and one GM. You can find out more about it here.

Quickshock GUMSHOE

QuickShock GUMSHOE, as seen in The Yellow King Roleplaying Game, streamlines the GUMSHOE game system, condensing combat and simplifying investigative spends. Effects of physical injuries and mental shocks become an ongoing element of the story, as players deal with their dire ongoing effects and strive to remove them.

GUMSHOE Labs

GUMSHOE Labs games expand the boundaries of the baseline GUMSHOE game system in surprising and innovative ways. The first such game, Ballad Hunters, collapses investigative and general abilities into one category, amplifying the power of any single ability test to radically redirect the story.

GUMSHOE links and resources

• A summary of the GUMSHOE system rules
• What’s Your GUMSHOE Size? – How to choose the GUMSHOE game that best suits you
• GUMSHOE 101 for players – A one-page cheat sheet for new players, by Kevin Kulp
• GUMSHOE 101 for GMs – A one-page cheat sheet on how to run GUMSHOE, for new GMs, by Kevin Kulp
• GUMSHOE 102 for GMs – A two-pager on how to design adventures in GUMSHOE, by Kevin Kulp
• Monster Squad Control – A two-page GUMSHOE game designed for online play, by Tom McGrenery
• The GUMSHOE System Reference Document – The nuts and bolts of the system, for professional game designers who want to create their own GUMSHOE settings
• The Pelgrane Press Community Use Policy – The official policy for fan-created works
• All articles about GUMSHOE

GUMSHOE Games

Any RPG which uses the GUMSHOE system redefines it for that setting, and so there is no “GUMSHOE book”. Each of the RPGs below contains the full GUMSHOE rules for creating characters and playing in that world, as well as guidance on designing your own investigations for that particular setting.

Follow the links below to find out about our GUMSHOE games:

• Ashen Stars
• The Esoterrorists
• The Fall of DELTA GREEN
• Fear Itself
• The Gaean Reach 
• Lorefinder
• Mutant City Blues
• Night’s Black Agents
• Swords of the Serpentine
• TimeWatch
• Trail of Cthulhu
• The Yellow King