Cthulhu by Gaslight: Investigators’ Guide by Barton, Hardy, Mason, McDonald, Ross and Wade

Game Review

Seth Stauffer

Eldritch horrors existed before the 20th century, and have lurked in the dark recesses of the planet and the psyche as long as anyone has cared to acknowledge them. Victorian England would have been no exception. Chaosium’s Cthulhu by Gaslight is a two-volume game set, situating gamers in the 19th century- focusing on London, England. Cults and secret societies are rife. The British Empire is vast; nationalism is rampant, but maybe more than just artifacts are being uncovered, studied, and exalted. More than Jack the Ripper stalks London’s alleyways, and only the bravest or most foolish investigators are invited to shine a lantern on the truth. 

This review is specifically about the mature-audiences-only Investigators book. Furthermore, it is not intended to be an accurate historical document. Even though it is almost 300 pages long, and focuses heavily on world-building,  it is not meant to be exhaustive since it primarily focuses on one city, London. The scope of the British empire permits many possibilities to expand this line of products, which is a positive thing for fans of this text. Beyond the substantial size of the book, there are several things I particularly enjoyed.

First, there’s an excellent, insightful, and succinct summary of Lovecraft’s writing philosophy (P. 14). Anything Cthulhu-related owes a debt to Lovecraft, but this book doesn’t dwell on this point. Lovecraft’s approach to crafting his fiction is handy for anyone sitting at a table for a session or more of Call of Cthulhu. This is just in the introduction and begins the text well.

Second, this book offers excellent and gameable insight into the “gaslight’ era. It’s loaded with useful content from cover to cover, including the presence and significance of social class, popular slang,  important historical sites, and even more. It was apparent that Chaosium’s team spent some time at the library loading up on research. Gamers will be the beneficiaries of this hard work.

Third, the book doesn’t veer off into history and world-building entirely, and there are great options for characters. The use of secret societies and exclusive organizations was excellent. Society was so polarized by social and cultural divisions in the 19th century that it makes sense characters would have individual affiliations distinguishing them from their peers, and not always for the best reasons. 

Chaosium’s website lists this as a game, but the rules are in the appendix. While I was reading through the book, I sensed that this was a supplement that could be its own game, rather than a stand-alone product. I believe this is owed to the structure of the book, rather than the substance. Had the rules been front and centre, then this concern would likely have been alleviated. 

For anyone who skipped directly to the conclusion, there’s a lot on offer in this book. It is a very comprehensive blend of fiction, history, and gaming. At two volumes, there is content here to a fault. Cthulhu by Gaslight is a robust product, and players will be spoiled with new material if they want to take on the 19th-century Lovecraftian horrors. It’s for people who wish to expand their options beyond the core rules, and scope of the original fiction.