October Hall of Fame Inductee – Call of Cthulhu

Given the time of year, it seems fitting to make a game that is synonymous with tabletop horror our October Hall of Fame inductee – Call of Cthulhu. When Call of Cthulhu was first published in 1981 by Chaosium Inc., it brought a fresh and terrifying new perspective to role-playing games. Created by Sandy Petersen and based on H.P. Lovecraft’s stories of cosmic horror, Call of Cthulhu used Chaosium’s Basic Role-Playing system and emphasized character vulnerability and psychological tension. This innovative system allowed players to investigate the unspeakable while contending with their fragile sanity, rather than focusing solely on combat. The game quickly became a fan favorite, offering an experience unlike anything else in the role-playing world. It pioneered the shift from traditional heroic fantasy to horror-based storytelling, where players faced mysteries more terrifying than any monster and shifted the concept of winning from traditional victory to surviving the psychological horror and maintaining sanity in the face of cosmic dread. Its sanity mechanics influenced numerous other games, giving rise to new ways to explore fear and uncertainty within a narrative framework.

Over its seven editions, Call of Cthulhu has been translated into more than 15 languages, reaching a global audience eager to explore the mysteries of the Great Old Ones. The game has inspired a wealth of spin-offs and spiritual successors, including Trail of Cthulhu, d20 Cthulhu, and Delta Green, along with many Lovecraft-inspired video games that carry its legacy forward.

It is with great pride that the ENNIE Awards inducts Call of Cthulhu into the Hall of Fame. Its influence has spread far beyond the tabletop, leaving an indelible mark on role-playing games, popular culture, and the way we tell stories of fear and madness.