Ten Candles

10 Candles · Ten Candles TTRPG

Ten Candles

Ten Candles is a tabletop story of inevitable loss, told in the glow of real candles. You play ordinary people in a world engulfed by darkness. Together, you shape their final hours, testing small hopes against what lurks in the night. The ending is certain. Everyone will fall. What you choose is how they face it and what they leave behind. A session feels quiet and cinematic, with hushed table talk, mounting dread, and surprising tenderness amidst the scares.

It is a great fit for horror enthusiasts and drama lovers, perfect for Halloween gatherings, retreats, or an intense team evening. Beginners are welcome, and veterans will find rich character work. Adults only, due to mature themes. A professional Game Master manages tone, safety, and pacing so you can focus on choices and character. Meet our Game Masters and arrange a night you will remember.

How to play Ten Candles

Play uses a pool of six-sided dice and candlelight. The Game Master sets the scene and asks what you do. When the outcome is uncertain, you roll a handful of dice equal to the number of candles still burning. At least one 6 means you succeed and describe how. If not, the Game Master explains what goes wrong, and the story shifts toward the next scene as the darkness closes in.

Between scenes, a candle is extinguished and new truths about the world are spoken aloud. The dice pool shrinks as hope does. You bring a grounded character idea, a quiet space, and comfort with tense horror. The Game Master provides the candles, dice, scenario prompts, and safety tools, and keeps everyone steady while you make difficult choices.

Ten Candles is designed for a single 2 to 3 hour session. There is no long campaign, although your Game Master can run an anthology of linked one-shots with new characters. Online play works too, using virtual candles and shared audio. See our online play platforms for options.

Three friends at a D&D table taking a selfie, wearing elf ears, surrounded by character sheets and colorful dice.
Three friends at a D&D table taking a selfie, wearing elf ears, surrounded by character sheets and colorful dice.
Top-down view of a purple twenty-sided die with the gold number 16 visible. Twenty-sided dice are best known from dnd.
Top-down view of a purple twenty-sided die with the gold number 16 visible. Twenty-sided dice are best known from dnd.

Common questions

Do we need to know the rules in advance?

No preparation required. A professional Game Master teaches the rules in minutes and helps you create a grounded character at the table. When outcomes are uncertain, you roll six-sided dice, using more dice as more candles are lit, making the process straightforward. The emphasis is on choices, atmosphere, and describing what unfolds. If you have never played a roleplaying game before, that's perfectly fine. The Game Master explains safety tools, supports quieter players, and keeps the group engaged so you can immerse yourself in the story.

How many players are there and how long does a session last?

Ten Candles works best with 3 to 6 players and runs for about 2 to 3 hours, including a short break. Four or five is ideal for table time. Your Game Master will pace scenes so that the last candle falls close to your target end time. If you have a larger group, consider using two parallel tables or running back-to-back sessions. A quiet space with low lighting is beneficial. The Game Master will bring the materials and set up quickly, then clean up carefully.

How frightening does it become, and is it suitable for children?

It is adult horror with themes of fear, loss, and difficult choices. There are no graphic details unless your group requests them, and no jump scares are necessary. Content boundaries are established together before play, and the Game Master checks in during the session. They can create a moody and somber atmosphere or a sharper and more intense experience, depending on your preferences. To find a style that suits you, you can explore different GM playstyles and choose someone whose tone aligns with your group.

What should I do if my venue prohibits real candles?

Open flames contribute to the atmosphere, but your event takes precedence. If the venue prohibits candles, your Game Master can use LED candles or a shared on-screen candle tracker, along with soft lighting and sound cues for scene transitions. If real candles are permitted, they will be placed in small, stable holders on non-flammable surfaces and managed safely. Regardless, the encroaching darkness and diminishing dice pool still create the tension the game is renowned for.

What makes Ten Candles distinct from D&D?

Ten Candles is not about winning or levelling up. It is a single-session story about ordinary people confronting the end. There is no tactical grid, character builds, or loot. The rules are straightforward, using a simple dice pool that diminishes as the lights go out. Conflict is resolved within the narrative, not through lengthy combats. If you enjoy the roleplay aspects of D&D, this emphasises that side and gives everyone a chance to guide the narrative.

Can we play online and still maintain the atmosphere?

Yes. Your Game Master uses virtual candles, shared audio, and video to maintain the hush and rhythm. They will suggest camera and lighting setups that keep faces visible while the room grows darker, and will manage timers and scene framing so you still feel the closing-in tension. You can read more about our supported tools on online play platforms. Online play is a great option for remote groups or offices with policies against open flames.

If everyone perishes, what makes it enjoyable to play?

Knowing the end allows you to focus on the journey in between. The tension arises from how your characters decide to utilise their limited time, what they strive to safeguard, and what truths they uncover. Small victories are significant. Instances of bravery or connection resonate deeply. Players often discover it to be unexpectedly heartfelt, even amidst the dread. The reward is a complete story crafted together, shared in a single evening, that you will discuss afterwards.

Booking Form


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Genres you can play in Ten Candles

What players have to say

  • Tom was brilliant! He was really great with the kids and very patient with his explanations. It was a wonderful evening and definitely worth doing again! The children asked the next day when we would be doing this again.

    Danny

  • First of all, I want to say that Sebastian was really great as a DM. For his first run as a booked DM, he did an excellent job. The 3 stars refer to the following: 1. We were disappointed that the adventure was labelled a One Shot yet wasn't a complete story. Discovering that there are two more parts wasn't very positive for us, as it meant there was no satisfying conclusion to the story. 2. As new players, it was difficult for us to understand the English character sheets in such a short time. In German, it would have been much easier. Even receiving the character sheets a few days in advance would have been helpful for preparation. 3. More guidance would be beneficial. Especially for beginners, a more linear one shot would have been preferable. We wasted a significant portion of the adventure time doing unnecessary things because we didn't fully understand how the game worked. Overall, I think the StoryForgers concept is really good and I see a lot of potential in it, especially for introducing new players to D&D. I hope you don't take my feedback the wrong way but see it as honest criticism. Best regards, Mario

    Mario

  • Bryan was exceptional. We had a group with varying levels of experience, and he managed to keep everyone engaged and involved. His positive attitude made the game enjoyable for all. I really appreciated how he could clearly explain what was needed from our less experienced players while keeping our more seasoned players on their toes with his deep knowledge of the game. Everyone in our party had a fantastic time thanks to Bryan.

    Jeremy

  • Dayron was fantastic. Well-prepared, punctual, and had a brilliant sense of humour.

    Corey

  • Dayron was fantastic; he provided a brilliant experience. Thanks!

    Casey

    The Merry Meeple

  • The game was really engaging. I got a game as a present for my boyfriend, who is very keen on it, and he was very pleased and appreciated Leonardo's professionalism. I don't have much experience with DnD, but I found the game to be quite straightforward and enjoyable.

    Marina

  • Baptiste was an excellent GM who adapted well to our group and helped us progress in this one-shot. However, there was one issue with the character sheets provided, as they were not complete or clear. Some of the French translations were rather approximate. For instance, our cleric was missing spells, including a healing spell, even though they were meant to have some.

    Pierre

  • Rachel was fantastic; my daughter and her friends left the game saying it was the most fun they’d ever had, and my daughter wanted to sign up for another session with her straight away. She was friendly, and her approach let the players fully immerse themselves in the game by giving them control over how they wanted their actions to unfold. I would definitely work with her again.

    John

  • A nice and clear first experience with D&D. Amber was able to explain and guide the game effectively, allowing us as players to quickly get into the flow and focus on the story. Collaborating with my colleagues to devise attack routes was an enjoyable activity and provided great insights into each other's characters, thought processes, and differences. Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable session.

    Jens

    Triodos Bank N.V.

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