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Uncanny Valley in Vivarium: A Lesson for GMs
🕑 Added 2024-03-18 13:30:01 +0000 UTCEver wanted to bring the unnerve that the Uncanny Valley effect can cause? Looking to creep out your players with something almost humanoid, but obviously not? In today's bite-sized post, we'll explore how 'Vivarium' unsettling use of the uncanny valley can inspire fresh, engaging narratives in your TTRPG campaigns.
Spoilers below for the movie Vivarium
The Trap is Set
Vivarium follows a couple, Gemma and Tom, who are looking to find a new place to stay. Their real estate agent leads them to a sprawling suburban neighborhood in which all the houses look fairly identical. Once there, the couple finds themselves trapped, unable to escape no matter what they try. The creepiness increases as the movie progresses, a notable point where the two receive a child in a box with instructions “Raise the Child and be Released”. Now there are a lot of interesting horror elements in this movie, but I was drawn to the child. Just as the cuckoo chick foreshadows the nature of the child in 'Vivarium,' this concept leads us directly into the realm of the Uncanny Valley in TTRPGs.
Cuckoo Birds
The movie starts off with a short segment showing a Cuckoo chick. For those unaware, cuckoo birds engage in brood parasitism, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. Once hatched, the cuckoo will force out the other chicks in the nest, using its foster parents to grow and develop. This served as foreshadowing, as the child in Tom and Gemma receive is much the same.
Growing fairly quick (looking to be a child of double digits after little more than 90 days), the child displaces some unnerving behavior. Besides rapidly growing, the child starts to mimic what it hears Tom and Gemma say. Whenever the child is hungry, it lets out a ear piercing screech (reminiscent of a baby bird). It obviously grasps the concept of what it is to be human, but it cannot entirely act human. This alien behavior, while distinctly not human, offers a rich vein of inspiration for creating similar unsettling encounters in the world of TTRPGs.
Uncanny Valley
Many creatures in tabletop role playing games can use their abilities to seem human, despite being very much not. Faeries may be able to appear human, but their morality often differs greatly than the beings they mimic. The same goes for Angelic beings, though they often tend to be more rigid. And creatures that seek to mimic humans for malicious purposes will often seem unsettling or alien, seeding the hints to the players that their new found companion might be something quite different than what they think. This unsettling blend of the familiar and the alien in 'Vivarium' serves as perfect inspiration for introducing similar elements into our TTRPG narratives.
Tips for Playing an Uncanny Creature
Here are some quick tips for anyone looking to play up alien creatures that feel just a bit too human.
- Ambiguous Motivations: Unlike typical NPCs or monsters with clear goals, creatures inspired by the child in "Vivarium" should have motivations that are difficult to decipher. This ambiguity adds to the uncanny nature, leaving players unsure of the creature's intentions. For instance, a character inspired by the child might assist the party in their quest without clear reasons, leaving players to wonder about its true intentions. Can your players navigate the murky waters of an uncertain ally-ship, and how might this uncertainty shape their journey?
- Disconcerting Knowledge: These creatures might possess knowledge or insights that they shouldn't logically have, hinting at their otherworldly origins or abilities to gather information in unexplained ways.
- Inhuman Logic: When faced with choices or moral dilemmas, the creature’s decisions should reflect a logic that doesn't align with human reasoning, perhaps valuing things differently or showing concern for seemingly trivial details while ignoring major issues.
- Unearthly Desires: The desires or needs of these beings can be a source of discomfort or confusion. For instance, a creature might express a longing for items or experiences that have no apparent value or evoke a sense of disgust or fear, similar to the boy's unnatural hunger cries in "Vivarium."
- Manipulation of Human Behavior: Just as the child in the movie mimics human actions to a disturbing effect, these creatures could mimic or manipulate human behaviors or social norms but always miss the mark slightly, creating an eerie echo of humanity without understanding its essence. How would your characters react if their trusted guide began acting just slightly off, echoing the child's imperfect mimicry?
- Distorted Reflections of Humanity: Use these creatures as distorted mirrors, reflecting back the aspects of humanity in twisted or exaggerated forms. This could be through their actions, speech, or even their physical form subtly shifting to become more unsettling over time. What mirror would your uncanny creature hold up to humanity, and how might that reflection alter your game's narrative?
Adventure Hooks Involving Uncanny Beings
Now let’s take the inspiration from Vivarium and turn it into action with these adventure hooks, which draw from Vivarium’s use of the uncanny valley.
When I watch movies, I am constantly looking for inspiration that I can bring back to tabletop roleplaying games, and I found some excellent horror in Vivarium. The film’s use of the uncanny valley created a tense atmosphere of confusion and distrust, which are excellent for bringing to your TTRPG. Have you ever introduced an uncannily human creature into your games? Share your stories and how it transformed your game's atmosphere in the comments below.
