Play Scared: A LitRPG Horror/Comedy [BOOK ONE COMPLETE, Female-Lead, Survival, Skill Progression]

As soon as Nora decided to rejoin the world, maggots exploded from the ground and the apocalypse began. Typical. Sitting at a cafe, Nora Price is catching up with a close friend she'd ghosted for far too long, when a demonic invasion tears the city of Chicago apart. Nora wakes up in The Grindhouse, a survival game designed to harvest human fear hosted by an imp in a powder-blue tuxedo. In Zone 1, a suburban slasher nightmare where a masked killer roams the streets, Nora plays recklessly. But to protect her allies, a self-aware NPC and her best friend (now a killer doll), Nora has to do the one thing she's avoided for years: actually try. Survive all thirteen horror-genre themed Zones, and she frees the Earth of this demon's clutches. Fail, and humanity stays his fear farm until there's nothing left to feed on. Welcome to the Grindhouse, where your fear is food, and the gamemaster is very hungry. Anti-piracy line: If you are reading this on any platform other than Royal Road or Amazon, this has been pirated/STOLEN. If the author who wrote it has any name other than ShawnD or Shawn DePasquale, it is STOLEN. Please report this book if you are reading it ANYWHERE other than Royal Road. Thank you for your help fighting piracy. Cover by Lara Zanatti Reis Releases: BOOK ONE IS COMPLETE. Book Two will run Mon, Wed, Fri until further notice starting August 24, 2026 What to expect:- - Horror/survival RPG mechanics. Scavenge, craft, and manage a limited inventory! MC must control Fear and keep Lucidity in check!- Imps, demons, monsters, and a plethora of horror-genre inspired creatures!!- A dude gets turned into a killer doll!!!- Progression that builds across the series.- Horror-comedy. It gets violent and graphic, so if that's not your thing, be warned. - Book Two is currently being written. The series arc is mapped out. What not to expect:- An OP main character. Nora survives through stubbornness and bad decisions.- Easy wins. That's a snooze- Harems. - Much romance.- A power fantasy.