The questionnaire

The questionnaire is fundamental. It sets the tone, builds the drama, and allows you to manipulate (yes, that's the right word) the players in the desired direction.

Four categories of questions

a) Personal projection

Force the player to become emotionally invested.

• "Why will you never be able to forgive your father?"
• "How do you cope with the fact that you survived when the others died?"

b) Narrative levers

Gain tools you can exploit during play.

• "How did you get your police badge after three failed attempts?"
• "What promise did you swear never to break?"

c) Disguised inventory

Weave key items in naturally.

• "Why is your phone already dead?" (the player thinks "oh, I have a phone!" -- yes, but you've already signaled its limitations!)
• "What keepsake do you always carry with you, and why?"

d) "Neutral" questions / to exploit later

Create doubt and raw material.

• "What's your cat's name?"
• "What song has been stuck in your head since this morning?"

The mechanism

The player thinks "that's odd, why that question?" -- and that's where the game begins. As soon as they wonder "Why is my character afraid of the dark?", their brain does the rest. Human nature and the psyche are remarkable.

Question #13: always "What is your name?"