A great iteration of the Gumshoe system. Along with Bookhounds of London and Cthulhu Confidential this is one of my favorite books utilizing that system. The occupations are very interesting and very thematic to the setting as are the Drives. The game includes everything you need to start playing pretty quickly including really good chapters on constructing scenarios and campaigns as well as lots of information about the Edwardian setting. Very readable and an excellent entry point into Gumshoe investigative games.

This review is for the PDF and the printed version. Both versions of the gamebook are designed to be easy to read and are well-organized: either will serve as usable quick reference during game or game development. PDF downloaded immediately with no issue. Printed book arrived roughly 10 days after purchase.

The game itself is a must for anyone who is interested in narrative focused horror in a historic setting. Often, the trade off with narrative games is less robust game mechanics. I’m happy to report this RPG has found a happy medium between crunch and character. Casting the Runes uses the Gumshoe system made famous by Trail of Cthulhu. The designers have stripped-down Gumshoe here and there to fit the style of their game, while staying true to what makes Gumshoe so clever. The Sanity system is given an interesting tweak, and the monsters are not HPL Mythos based, but rather rooted in Gothic horror traditions. Magic in Casting the Runes remains dangerous and exciting. While having played in Gumshoe before helps one pick up the rules, it is by no means necessary. You can jump in without prior experience. The only mild critique I offer comes during the rules and character creation chapters. I would have liked more examples to help clarify rolls and character builds. This is just a personal preference, as this type of reinforcement has always helped me to make sense of things.

Don’t worry about having to be familiar with the source material, either. I wasn’t at first (I have since bought a collection of M.R. James stories because of this RPG, however). The writers do a fantastic job of bringing the GM up to speed on James and his style. Adventures are crafted in the Edwardian period (1901-1910) in which James set his supernatural tales. Casting the Rune really excels as a sourcebook here. It provides a treasure trove of information on this historical setting. In fact, I would recommend anyone planning on adventuring during this time period, no matter the system, to purchase this book for reference. The chapter “The Period” runs about 20 pages, but information on Edwardian society is peppered appropriately throughout every section of the book, to help provide an immersive feel.

In all, a fantastic game, and one I hope to soon unleash upon my unsuspecting players! But why take my word for it when you can have the word of one the world's most decorated authors of horror fiction? Ramsey Campbell has won four World Fantasy Awards, ten British Fantasy Awards, three Bram Stoker awards, and the Horror Writers' Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Campbell wrote the introduction to this RPG, and he says of this game: “Paul StJohn Mackintosh has developed this witty and erudite game whose dark playfulness is itself reminiscent of James. May it evoke nothing but pleasure!”