Research in Liminal Horror through the lens of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

A pivotal part of any horror arc, in my experience, has the players engaging in some form of research. In Liminal Horror there is no roll to research, roll to investigate or roll to perceive. These actions are done as part of play, navigating the information provided by the Facilitator and describing what your characters do in order to search for information and clues.

Despite there not being a formal mechanic, it is still a fundamental part of play as Investigators, well, investigate. This can be seen in the first two entries into the Facilitator Principals:

INFORMATION

Information should never be hidden behind rolls.

Provide information readily and freely to facilitate critical thinking and clever play.

Elicit questions from players and give them direct answers.

SECRETS

Leverage the themes of dread, forbidden knowledge, and mutability of human flesh.

Provide information on the physical and tangible reality to players, but keep the true nature of things just out of reach.

Give Investigators opportunities to pull at threads, drawing them deeper into the tangled web of the weird.

You do not always need to know all the answers, especially if Investigators could not reasonably obtain them. Sometimes things are purely a mystery.

While listening the the podcast Midnight Mass Episode 121: A Nightmare on Elm Street (12/10/25) I was struck by how this action can be a fundamental part of the horror survival experience. On the episode cohost and filmmaker Michael Varrati was talking about how Nancy (one of the classic Final Girls in horror) sets out to survive her final encounter with Freddy. Nancy relies on research and information to fortify her chances against the horror that is Freddy Krueger. She uses the library to check out "Boobytraps & Improvised Anti-Personel Devices" (which is a reskinned Anarchist Cookbook).

The power of books and information cannot be undersold. This can be the thing that turns the Investigators from victims into Final Girls. They may not solve the mystery, but they may glean enough information to survive. When asking the question, does the Investigator have enough information to engage in a risky situation, research can make the difference between them being able to do an action or no.

Another great example of this is in the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (another seminal work that is of foundational improtance to a young Goblin Archives). I think those early seasons does a great job of reinforcing the importance of research and information gathering when battling the different Horrors or monsters that are at the center of Liminal Horror games. Every episode has the different members of the Scooby Gang engaging in all manner of research in order to best approach the central horror of the episode.

This work mirrors how many Liminal Horror parties can leverage resources to gain enough information in order to hopefully make it through, sometimes surviving, sometimes saving the day, and sometimes solving the mystery at hand (as the fantastic Sean McCoy put it: Survive, Solve, Save: Pick Two)

This central concept is explored in multiple research papers, including “Everyone Forgets That Knowledge is the Ultimate Weapon”: Information Seeking Practices in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Deborah Hicks (University of Alberta) and Caroline Whippey (Western University). This academic paper examines how knowledge truly is the ultimate weapon wielded by Buffy and the Scooby Gang. The authors coded the entire series. In the first season alone there were 2.9 instances of information seeking per episode by one of the core gang. "All of the main characters were involved in some part of the information seeking processes depicted, whether that was as an inquirer asking an known expert for help, as the known expert, as a searcher of both books and the Internet, or as the giver or receiver of unsolicited, or serendipitous, information." (p.3).

The authors determine four primary modes of information seeking. I think these can be great guides that mirror how players can seek information in Liminal Horror. The "Buffy Framework" has four modes within the model: active seeking, active scanning, non-directed monitoring, and by-proxy that often intersect through connecting and interacting. The examples from Buffy can be directly applied to Liminal Horror sessions.

Active Seeking: The Investigator's intentionally seek out informations i. This is often through "seeking out a previously identified source, conducting a known-item search, asking a pre-planned question, and planning or employing active questioning strategies." When Investigators go specifically to their contacts or information hubs in order to seek information relevant to their current endeavor. In Buffy they "often seek contact with a source to meet a specific information need, such as going to the library to speak with Giles regarding the occult. They also reconnect with previously used sources to meet new needs. For example, once Giles learns that Angel, a vampire with a soul, is a valuable source of information, he returns to him for future information needs." (p.3-4).

Active Scanning: The Investigators place themselves in situations and locations where they can gain information, and their skills in recognizing information pays off when they encounter it. " In Buffy, the characters often place themselves in the library, a place with multiple research resources. At times, they browse the stacks looking for information on a general topic. The characters are able to recognize a relevant resource when they find it." (p.4)

Non-directed Monitoring: When the Investigators engage in normal activities without the intent of gaining information, but info is gleaned anyway. "his occurs when characters monitor an information source, such as the newspaper, which may serendipitously provide them with information about the major problem in the episode. Serendipitous encounters also occur in interactions with other students at the high school, or with creatures that Buffy is fighting, such as vampire minions." (p.4)

By-Proxy: When Investigators engage with information that is held by an external party or contact. This control of the flow of information provides interesting opportunities for player/NPC interaction and intrigue. These proxies act as a way to engage with complex information through roleplaying relationships and interactions. "In Buffy, Giles often acts as a gatekeeper in his role as Buffy’s Watcher and occasionally in his role as school librarian. He provides access to particular research resources, as well as other people in his network. Willow also acts as a gatekeeper in terms of her computer hacking expertise. Buffy and her friends also obtain information from listening to other people’s stories or experiences. This often occurs when speaking to other students about an issue at hand." (p.4).

This framing provides an important variable for Facilitators to consider when structuring sessions, creating NPCs, and thinking about how information and clues can be scattered throughout the world. There is no one right way for Investigators to seek information, and providing multiple means at accessing that information leads to rich and dynamic play.

We could go on, looking at different horror films and how they leverage research to open up the world (Carrie learning about her psychic powers through the library) but I don't want this to run on forever. But if you have your favorite instances of research and information gathering in horror, please put them in the comments!!!!