2023Chris Scaffidi, Mike Young
- Videos
- 23
- Creators
- 22
1 - 5 players90 - 120 minHeavy weight

2023Chris Scaffidi
Mainly reviews and playthroughs. What Lies Beneath is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 3 reviews, 1 how-to-play guides, 2 recorded sessions, 1 unboxings, and 2 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
You dream you're in a chapel. Small, high-pitched voices sing an ancient song. Yet a sense of unease washes through you. The core is more macabre. Dream yields to waking confusion. Dust, bones and dried death. A flickering torch. Underground. A crypt. You catch a wisp of a breeze, heavy with the stench of rot. You gag. Yet a breeze suggests a way out. You take the torch, determined to get out of here alive. Synopsis Structured as a branching narrative, What Lies Beneath invites you to direct the plot – but only if you master a unique combination of game mechanisms. Enjoy all the challenges of solo roleplay: Buffing your character: Gain items that unlock new powers Classic skill checks: Roll against thresholds to hit enemies Intellectual puzzles: Manipulate dice using limited actions Dexterity tests (optional): Flick dice at specified targets And when (not if) you die, you can spend experience points to boost your next character. Perhaps, this time, you will survive.
Learn to play
Review
What Lies Beneath has 9 videos from 7 creators: 3 reviews, 1 how-to-play guide, 2 playthroughs, 1 unboxing and 2 other videos. They date from 2023 to April 2024.
To learn the rules, start with "Tutorial & Solo Playthrough PREVIEW of What Lies Beneath - Solo RPG" by Tabletop For One, which runs 16 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "What Lies Beneath | A Choose Your Own Adventure RPG Game Preview | Coming to Kickstarter | Sponsored" by Always Board Never Boring. 3 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "What Lies Beneath Solo Playthrough: This Book is Deadly" by Table For One, one of 2 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Tapestry: Fantasies & Futures, Tomten, Gnomadic Gardeners and Dungeon Maker: Deluxe!, also by Chris Scaffidi.
2023Chris Scaffidi, Mike Young
1 - 5 players90 - 120 minHeavy weight
2023Chris Scaffidi
1 - 2 players10 - 20 minMedium weight
2023Ali Mahmood, Chris Scaffidi
1 - 8 players30 - 45 min
From BoardGameGeek:
You dream you're in a chapel. Small, high-pitched voices sing an ancient song. Yet a sense of unease washes through you. The core is more macabre. Dream yields to waking confusion. Dust, bones and dried death. A flickering torch. Underground. A crypt. You catch a wisp of a breeze, heavy with the stench of rot. You gag. Yet a breeze suggests a way out. You take the torch, determined to get out of here alive. Synopsis Structured as a branching narrative, What Lies Beneath invites you to direct the plot – but only if you master a unique combination of game mechanisms. Enjoy all the challenges of solo roleplay: Buffing your character: Gain items that unlock new powers Classic skill checks: Roll against thresholds to hit enemies Intellectual puzzles: Manipulate dice using limited actions Dexterity tests (optional): Flick dice at specified targets And when (not if) you die, you can spend experience points to boost your next character. Perhaps, this time, you will survive.
Designer
Chris Scaffidi
Artist
Jason Glover
Publisher
Fervent Workshop
Mechanics