Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Easier to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Enter a Victorian manor as a team of visitors—or the hidden spirit itself—in a tense horror game of clues, fear, distance, and uncertain allegiance.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Hidden Roles
Players conceal team, loyalty, or identity information from one another.
Area Movement
Move pieces between connected regions rather than along individual spaces.
Action Points
Spend a limited allowance of points across several possible actions each turn.
Deduction
Combine clues and exclusions to identify hidden information.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Finale Ending
End the game when a specific timing or state condition is reached.
Read the full game description
The Presence is an asymmetric Victorian horror game in which most players explore a haunted manor as visitors while one player embodies its spirit. The visitors investigate rooms, manage light and fear, gather items, and try to understand the spirit’s intent. The spirit moves unseen influence, reveals clues, and may be either a vengeful enemy or a tormented ally. Because the spirit’s loyalty is not known at the outset, cooperation is shadowed by deduction: every warning, manifestation, and choice may protect the group or guide it toward disaster.
