Dragonfly Motel: Checking Into French Surrealist Horror

ZineQuest is often a sea of half-baked hacks, but Dragonfly Motel stands out by leaning into the high-concept weirdness of French surrealism. It is a refreshing break from the tactical infinity of modern d20 systems. Instead of counting hexes or optimizing action economy, this zine asks players to navigate the shifting architecture of a motel that functions more like a fever dream than a physical location.

Mechanically, we are looking at a system that prioritizes narrative momentum over heavy math. In a landscape dominated by the high crunch-to-fluff ratio of modern high-fantasy, Dragonfly Motel opts for a rules-light framework where the resolution mechanics reflect the instability of the setting. It is less about whether you hit the monster and more about how your character’s psyche holds up when the hallway they just walked down suddenly ends in a mirror reflecting a version of themselves they do not recognize.

The setting is where this project truly shines. Taking cues from avant-garde cinema, the motel is a liminal space that feels both claustrophobic and infinite. It avoids the tired tropes of cosmic horror, opting instead for a personal, unsettling brand of surrealism. If you are tired of the same old tavern starts, grabbing a specialized notebook to track the nonsensical clues of this world is going to be a necessity for your players.

At the table, this is going to be a polarizing experience, and that is exactly why it matters. It requires a group that is comfortable with ambiguity. There is no monster manual to consult here; the threats are environmental and psychological. For the GM, the challenge is maintaining the atmosphere without letting the lack of structure turn into chaos. It is a masterclass in tone over mechanics, proving that sometimes the best way to revitalize a weekly session is to throw the rulebook out the window and embrace the strange.