Betrayal Video

After completing each game, I interviewed every player. I asked them a variety of questions regarding the board in the game as well as the impact the board had on their characters. Here is a video of some of those responses:

 

Haunted Pittsburgh - Green Man's Tunnel - Writing

As I walked up to the tunnel that's quite literally been haunting my mind for months, I remembered the legend. That there once was a man, just minding his own business who walked the road at night and accidentally created the legend of Green Man's Tunnel. 

His different looks were the only reason why he ended up as this legend. He changed his daily walk schedule because people felt uncomfortable looking at him, and he didn't want to deal with that. So he walked at night and even then, he still ended up as this haunted legend.  

He just wanted to take a walk and now he will forever be known as a not-true legend. 

I've tried to grasp how humans have no regard for other people or their feelings, but I never can quite manage just how mean people are. So let's move on. 

The real problem I have is this tunnel and the hellish Corvette Tunnel next to it. 

As I was taking these pictures, all I could hear were the horns of the cars cautiously driving through the Corvette Tunnel. Within moments of taking pictures, I forgot about the Green Man and the people the mean people who inevitably started the legend. I was fixated on the blaring noises of those horns. 

I thought once again about the lack of signs warning drivers to honk before entering the tunnel, but how it was an unspoken rule amongst every driver who passed.

It was fascinating. That people so easily adapt to these unspoken rules. That we don't stop to question the rules that are handed to us or even the stories that people tell. We just accept it and continue on with our lives, holding that information in the back of our heads.

The Green Man's Tunnel is a legend, but its one that many Pittsburghers remember. They don't quite know all the details, but they get the gist of the story.

This is something we often thought about or considered in class. The fact that people just accept legends. They just go along with them and keep that general knowledge (although the details are often skewed).

Some people visit this spot to remember the legend. But for the most part, people drive by and forget about the story unless it's brought up in conversation. You can Google this location and see pictures of the "Green Man" and read about the legend. It'll take you to this weird blocked off tunnel next to Corvette. What you don't get to see is the residential areas that are nearby, that do not think twice about the legend in their day-to-day lives.

What I realized from this experience, is that it's not just legends. There are other things we learn that we keep in our minds and go along with. Again, the details may change (like some people hold their horn down all the way through the tunnel while others periodically honk as they drive through).

Overall, people accept what they are given. They adapt to the rules and legends and culture they learn until it becomes apart of their routine. It is what you make of those experiences and stories that change the way you lead your life.

With that, I'll leave you with a (semi) positive picture. This is one of the few spray paintings I saw that were good (there were a number of not-so-great symbols throughout the tunnel).

Betrayal Game 3 - Guillotines

Haunt 34 Scenario - "Guillotines" 

This is a hidden traitor scenario. The traitor was not revealed until the end of the haunt (although as we eventually learned, the traitor would only TRULY have to reveal themselves if they prevailed).

Intro for heroes and traitor:

"Your head starts spinning. Gradually, you lose consciousness. 

You awaken. How long has it been?

As you struggle to your feet, you head a recorded voice.

'Hello. You don't know me, but I know you. I want to play a game. The door to this mansion will open in an hour, but none of you will be alive by then unless you're good at finding things.' 

'You will note that you each have a steel collar attached to your neck. This collar contains a blade held in place by a powerful spring. Whenever a timer attached to one of these devices goes off, the wearer will end up considerably shorter.'

'Keys have been hidden throughout the house. It takes two keys to unlock each collar. Once you've unlocked them, you'll be free to go. Of course, some keys may be in rather inaccessible locations.'

'Let the game begin.'"  


What the traitor hears:

"All the other people in this house were witnesses to your mother's traffic accident. Her car caught fire, but they were too afraid to drag out her unconscious body before the fuel tank exploded. Now you have a chance for revenge. Your collar doesn't work, but the others don't know that. Will they have courage to help you the way they didn't help her?" 

Players

• Christian, 21
• He grew up in a suburban area.
• Occupation 
• Full-time Student 
• IUP 
• Fun Fact 
• He’s a photographer 
• Scary Movies
• He likes them in theory. 
• "Being on the verge of death reminds me how alive you are."
• Saw is his favorite movie. 
• Scary Books
• He's not sure if he likes them because he's never read one. 
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood? 
• "I didn’t do anything because I lived in the middle of the woods. The house is isolated but the town is not. Not much of a risk taker because I didn’t do anything." 
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live? 
• He'd want to live in NYC because he was born and raised around there.
• He has frequently played Betrayal at House on the Hill.
• Character 
• Madame Zostra
• Age: 37
• Height: 5'0"
• Weight: 150 lbs
• Hobbies: Astrology, Cooking, Baseball
• Birthday: December 10th
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 4 (Close to bottom)
• Knowledge: 4 (Middle)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 4 (Middle)
• Speed: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Played as a hero

Photo Credit: Katelyn Ley 

• Courtney, 21
• She grew up in an urban area. 
• Occupation
• Full-Time Administrative Assistant 
• Fun Fact
• She likes makeup
• Scary Movies
• She does like scary movies. 
• "I like being on edge." 
• Oculus is her favorite because "she really tried that demon." 
• Scary Books
• "No, because if something is about to go down I’ll stop reading." 
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood?
• "You’d think it’d be opposite because I hate people. I grew up surrounded by white people and watched my area be gentrified. I have a distrust of white people because of that."
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
• "I’d stay in Pittsburgh. I’d travel but be stationed somewhere I know." 
• She has frequently played Betrayal at House on the Hill.
• Character 
• Professor Longfellow 
• Age: 57
• Height: 5'11"
• Weight: 153 lbs
• Hobbies: Gaelic Music, Drama, Fine Wines
• Birthday: July 27th
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Knowledge: 5 (Close to top)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Speed: 4 (Middle)
• Played as a hero, but was the secret traitor. 

• Katelyn, 21
• She grew up in an urban, although she referred to it as "the ghetto."  
• Occupation
• Full-time student  
• IUP
• Fun Fact 
• "I like cats."
• Scary Movies Horror Films
• "I’m a horror junkie because I love a bad ending. Scary movies aren’t scary. I don’t have a favorite scary movie." (This is when I realized that she did not believe scary movies and horror films were synonymous, so I rephrased the question)
• Her favorite HORROR FILM is Jeepers Creepers. 
• Horror Books
• She does like them. 
• She likes the series because of the author. 
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood?
• "I’m not a loud person. Likes loud spaces, but not loud people. I’m an only child."
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
• "Anywhere in Europe that isn’t England. Europe is colder, but they are the leading group in architecture and interior design."
• She has frequently played Betrayal at House on the Hill.
• Character 
• Jenny LeClerc
• Age: 21
• Height: 5'7"
• Weight: 142 lbs
• Hobbies: Reading, Soccer
• Birthday: March 4th
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 4 (Close to top)
• Knowledge: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 4 (Close to bottom)
• Speed: 4 (Middle)
• Played as a hero

Results

The heroes prevailed:

"As the last collar is released, the doors to the mansion open and you feel a cool breeze blowing through the hall. But who did this, and why? If enough people enjoy grisly torture, perhaps there'll be a sequel or five..." 

What made this haunt so interesting was the secret traitor. You weren't quite sure who you could trust, so you tried to base trust on the decisions they made throughout the game. We did not believe Courtney to be a traitor because she was actively trying to get a key for her own collar, while Katelyn spent the time exploring after she got her key, instead of helping the other heroes.

The heroes almost did not win. The way in which the keys were placed left us all to a game of chance, in which every dice roll had to count in order for the heroes to win.

Betrayal Game 2 - The Stars Are Right

Haunt 14 Scenario - The Stars Are Right

Hero's Intro:

"The bookshelves of this old mansion are packed with sinister tomes. Horrible titles speak of evil, death, madness, and the names of Things That Should Not Be. Why did your companion bring you to this macabre collection? What forbidden knowledge would she hope to gain?

Your questions are answered when rhythmic chanting echoes through the corridors. The cult that inhabits this house is shouting to summon an ancient creature - and the loudest voice is that of your traitorous companion. The traitor is here to complete the ritual by bringing the cultists everything they need...including human sacrifices."


Traitor's Intro:

"Separating yourself from your friends, or victims as you like to think of them, you greet the zealous followers of your cult. Slowly, rhythmically, you begin to stamp your feet and chant. The others join in. Louder and louder your voices grow, praying to all that is evil and unholy that your sacrifices will be accepted tonight. The cult is praying that your dread god will appear before you...and bathe in the blood of your friends." 

Players 

• Dylan, 17
• He grew up in a suburban area
• Occupation
• Full-time student 
• High school
• Fun Fact About Them:
• He once spent $2500 on a game called Smite. 
• It is a free-to-play game, but he made in-game purchases 
• Scary Movies
• He does not like them because they're boring. 
• Scary books
• He does not like them, because he does not spend his time reading. 
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood?
• "It was fun, people around."
• He doesn’t really remember much
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
• United Kingdom 
• "I like it up there."
• This is his first time playing Betrayal at House on the Hill
• Character 
• Peter Akimoto
• Age: 13
• Height: 4'11"
• Weight: 98 lbs
• Hobbies: Bugs, Basketball
• Birthday: September 3rd
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 4 (Middle)
• Knowledge: 4 (Close to bottom)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Speed: 4 (Middle)
• Played as a hero

• Ryan, 19 
• He grew up in a suburban area, like his brother Dylan. 
• Occupation
• Full-time student 
• School
• CCAC 
• Fun Fact
• He likes history. 
• Focus on war history
• Scary Movies
• He likes scary movies.
• "I feel that they can be emotionally engaging. I’m thinking of the Shining." 
• "The Shining is my favorite because it really terrified me more so than any other movie."
• Scary Books 
• He does not really like them, besides Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood? 
• "I didn’t talk to a lot of people so I guess that carried on. I was engaging until I got an Xbox. It wasn’t isolated, I knew people on the street."
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live? 
• Japan.
• "No country, culture or people in the world can compare to that of the Japanese (well in the past). There’s so much you can see in terms of culture."
• This is his first time playing Betrayal at House on the Hill
• Character 
• Professor Longfellow
• Age: 57
• Height: 5'11"
• Weight: 153 lbs
• Hobbies: Gaelic Music, Drama, Fine Wines
• Birthday: July 27th
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Knowledge: 5 (Close to top)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Speed: 4 (Middle)
• Played as a hero

Results

The traitor prevailed:

"The house shakes and glass shatters as the universe screams. A wound rips through time and space, and through it, your god is reborn. Drenched in the blood of your friends, your god is beautiful and terrible, a wonder and a blight. The world is laid bare before him, and all within it are his children, his blood...his sacrifices."

The board was not set up in favor of the heroes, as they had to travel a lot on limited speed in order to pick up paint cans. Meanwhile, I had not only my character but two additional cultists that were able to collect items for sacrifice (including human sacrifices).

Betrayal Game 1 - Perchance to Dream

Haunt 13 Scenario - "Perchance to Dream" 

Hero's Intro:

"Wake up, wake up! Why won't the dreamer wake up?

One of your fellow explores has fallen asleep in the bedroom. You poke and prod, and then deliver a stinging slap. Nothing wakes the dreamer. In a terrible place like this, this can't be good.

The dreamer thrashes, crying out, "Come back! Don't do it!" Must be a nightmare."

Traitor's Intro:

"Your body has entered a new place - a very, very bad place - but a place where, you discover with a thrill of anticipation, you have a measure of control!

This is your chance to change everything. The thought seeps us from the back of your mind. Take a break; rest for a while. Why not lie down and take a little nap? It's such a nice bed...

The eyes of your fleshy cage close, and for the first time, your subconscious eyes open! Time to set your dreams free. Let the screaming begin." 

Players

• Larry, 39
• McKees Rocks, PA. 
• Suburban/urban. 
• Occupation 
• Medical courier for Quest Diagnostics  
• Education
• University of Pittsburgh, 
• Interdisciplinary studies with a specialization in children’s literature and child development 
• Fun Fact 
• Plays the drums
• Scary Movies
• Occasionally likes them (annihilation freaked him out). 
• Favorite scary movie is The Thing.  
• Scary Books
• "No, the detailed description of scary things is unsettling."
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood? 
• Instilled a blue-collar sensibility in him 
• Lived in a small house, little to no privacy (it was hard to find time for yourself)
• Often went outside and walked around the block 
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?  
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the house he already lives in. 
• Made a very good purchase, good sized backyard for dogs, good neighbors etc. 
• This is his fourth time playing Betrayal at House on the Hill
• Character 
• Brandon Jaspers
• Age: 12
• Height: 5'1"
• Weight: 109 lbs
• Hobbies: Computers, Camping, Hockey
• Birthday: May 21st
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 4 (Middle)
• Knowledge: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 4 (Middle)
• Speed: 4 (Close to bottom)
• Played as a hero

• Jessica, 38
• South Side Slopes
• Urban
• Grew up in the same house several generations of our family lived in
• Grandma was born next door
• Great aunt lived across the street
• Occupation 
• Director of the Writer’s Center at La Roche College 
• Education
• La Roche College - Secondary English Education
• IUP - Masters in English Generalist
• IUP - Ph.D. in English Composition 
• Fun Fact 
• "I like to play video games but technically when they market to small children, they are marketing to me."
• Scary Movies
• "No not at all. I don’t like to feel scared. I don’t see the point of spending money or time to feel scared when I don’t find it pleasant."
• Scary Books
• "Not really. I don’t like horror but I like murder mystery, serial killer, police drama. Scary in that vain, like “who done it” just not supernatural...more like understanding human psychology."
• How do you believe the area you grew up in impacted your childhood? 
• "From a poor neighborhood, especially at the time. It made me have a certain sort of work ethic. I wanted to improve the situation."
• A certain anxiety about money. 
• Feel at home in her own skin, secure.
• In terms of love, understanding, feeling history → having a place in the world. She loves the house. 
• Common knowledge in the family that the house was haunted by grandparents. Not a negative haunting, a here to protect us type thing. Very much at home. 
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?  
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the house she already lives in. 
• Similar reasoning to Larry. 
• She wanted to buy her childhood home. However, she is glad to have found her own thing. 
• "If you feel very secure in a home, feel more like it'ss yours than it is theirs." 
• In terms of it being more "her" home than Larry's. There would have been a constant tension. 
• This is her third time playing Betrayal at House on the Hill
• Character 
• Jenny LeClerc
• Age: 21
• Height: 5'7"
• Weight: 142 lbs
• Hobbies: Reading, Soccer
• Birthday: March 4th
• Mental Traits
• Sanity: 4 (Close to top)
• Knowledge: 3 (Close to bottom)
• Physical Traits
• Might: 4 (Close to bottom)
• Speed: 4 (Middle)
• Played as the traitor

Results

The heroes prevailed:

"The roaming nightmares lose all cohesion and vanish. The dreamer ceases thrashing, but gives voice to one final scream in a deep, hellish voice: "NOOOOO! Don't make me go back!"

Your friend wakes, blinking, and in a normal voice says, "I had the strangest dream."



This house was set up in favor of the heroes. It was easy for Larry and I to get to the room that the traitor was located in within just one or two turns. Part of the reason why we won also dealt with Jessica's misunderstanding of some of her rules as the traitor (which happens from time to time in this game).

Betrayal - Introduction

The upcoming posts will be related to one of my honors projects. This project is attempting to record and look at the response on the board game Betrayal at House on the Hill.

As we analyze how setting has a psychological impact on characters within the horror genre in the Haunted America course, I thought it was important to take a look at how Betrayal intertwines the mental traits "sanity" and "knowledge" into the board game.

From the moment we started the course, I knew this board game was a perfect way to explore how a physical setting can impact a person's mind and spirit.

This is my favorite board game and with fifty scenarios, the game is never the same.

I have seen the house the explorers build kill characters before the monsters do. I've also seen a variety of events that can either help characters or seriously damage them. They've dug up skeletons, answered telephone calls from creepy old ladies who either leave a positive message with them or hurt them, and I've even seen the character's future self reach through mirrors to hand helpful items without being prompted.

This game is a mess of things that change the physical and mental traits of each character. You're left to face the betrayal of a friend as the haunt begins, and you watch as the game turns from one of exploration to one of survival. It reminds me a lot of the Haunting of Hill House (which is why I believe the names must be so similar). 

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For those who are unfamiliar with the game, here is a (somewhat) short description:

Betrayal is a board game where the setting is never quite the same. Each game starts with four standard rooms (what is essentially a hallway and a staircase) and is built upon throughout the duration of the game. This means that the setting of the house is never the same, as room tiles are drawn randomly.

The player's first objectives are just to explore this "haunted" house with their friends. This game starts as a cooperative game, but while players build the house they find items and trigger events and omens that eventually start the "haunt."

The haunt is the turning point of the game, as someone in the group becomes a traitor. The game then turns competitive, with the traitor reading one set of haunt rules and heroes reading another. There are fifty possible scenarios, so you never know what scenario you'll be placed in.

For more information, view the following video from "Teach the Table." 

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These blog posts will profile seven different players who each have different levels of expertise in the game. With three different games and three different scenarios, each player experienced something different within the game.

I will begin by outlining the scenario of each game and then by highlighting the players. Following that, I will be posting short video interviews with the players about their experiences and the outcome of each game.

Haunted Pittsburgh - Green Man's Intro & Corvette Tunnel

One of my honors projects for my Haunted America course is focused on "haunted" locations here in Pittsburgh. I chose to visit Green Man's Tunnel which is relatively close to places I have become acquainted with over these past few years.

According to Popular Pittsburgh, the legend of Green Man's Tunnel is as follows: 

"The Green Man was a laborer who was either struck by lighting or electrocuted while working on the railroad in the South Park area. Some versions of the legend say he died, and his ghost haunts the area at night. Others say he was horribly disfigured and only comes out at night. Most versions agree that he glows green.

There is a railroad tunnel along Piney Fork Road in South Park Township known to the locals as “Green Man Tunnel." Since legend says Green Man was an electrocuted railroad worker, many believe that his spirit haunts the former train tunnel."

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When I first visited Green Man's Tunnel in March, I did not realize that the tunnel we drove through was not actually the tunnel in the legend. My boyfriend and I drove through a one-lane, two-way tunnel that requires drivers to hold down their horn as they go through in order to avoid a collision with anyone coming in the opposite direction. I took pictures of that tunnel as shown below:

What I found out in follow-up research is that this tunnel also is associated with a local urban legend. The tunnel is known as Corvette Tunnel and according to Popular Pittsburgh,: "A girl was killed drag racing in her Corvette down Piney Fork Road. They say at night you can hear screeching tires and screams. There is also a legend that a man drowned his wife in the creek that runs parallel to the road. It is said that if you walk into the tunnel the ghost of the woman will grab your legs and beg for help."

There is no documentation of either of those incidents. 

It was weird to watch the fluidity of this tunnel, considering the strange placement on the curve in the road and the inability to see who is coming towards you. People stopped and drove through with caution, as though every movement they made had been practiced time and time again. There was no disruption of traffic until we drove up, not quite understanding the way in which this tunnel works.

In fact, as we drove back to my boyfriend's house in Jefferson Hills (which is nearby), we realized that many tunnels in South Park are like this. With an eery one-lane, two-way tunnel that only brings a slight hint of fear and uncertainty to drivers unfamiliar with the culture of these tunnels.

As we drove back, I thought a lot about the construction of these tunnels and how the "locals" might respond to drivers who do not understand the way in which these tunnels work. 

I also began to draw parallels between these tunnels and the way in which our own culture works in terms of "hauntings." The tunnel holds so much unknown in this area; without honking, you would not receive warning of head-on collisions. You cannot know what is coming without someone taking the initiative to make noise. The eerie silence leads you to believe that there is safety, but even then, you must make noise to make yourself known. 

I also took note of the juxtaposition of nature in that area alongside the tunnel. It had snowed that week and it was clear on the bare branches of the surrounding trees. The creek that also goes through the tunnel continued to flow, much like the traffic, through the tunnel.

The tunnel opened my mind to a new portion of Pittsburgh, one in terms of driving culture but the second being in relation to why this tunnel might hold a haunted reputation. There is a certain level of fear associated with tunnels like these, where you do not know what could be coming silently around the bend. You cannot tell until it's already upon you, and if there is a "Green Man" haunting this area.  

However, this legend has been proven not to be true. The Green Man that people believe they see was actually a man known as Raymond Robinson or Charlie No Face.

According to Popular Pittsburgh, he "was severely disfigured at the age of eight years old after being injured by an electrical line on the Morado Bridge outside of Beaver Falls, PA."

"Robinson lived in Koppel with his relatives and spent the day making doormats, wallets, and belts for money. He avoided going out in the day due to his disturbing appearance, but enjoyed walking along Route 351 at night."

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I will make a follow-up post regarding the Green Man's Tunnel which will contain updated photos of the "real" Green Man's Tunnel, which is located on the other side of the hill featured above. It will also contain my brief memoir which will accompany the new photos.