Fade to black
Fade to black as a term first emerged from theatre and then film, where lights on stage would be dimmed or the screen darkened until it looked black, to indicate the end of a scene. This terminology has been borrowed by other forms of literature. Over time it has come to not only describe the technique of ending a scene, but also to the implications created in the imagination of a reader by choosing to end a scene at a point at a point of unresolved tensions. It has been especially associated with romance or gore due to the use of the technique to censor films and soften their ratings, as a response to the Hays Code[1].
In roleplaying, Fade to Black is when players or GMs cut away from describing or acting out horrifying or romantic elements that roleplayers may feel uncomfortable playing out explicitly[2]. This can be used to manage and limit Bleed when a player feels strongly about a scene element affecting the characters, and adhere to agreed-upon boundaries of desired play.
Example games
- The TTRPG Monsterhearts 2 details Fade to Black as a roleplaying technique in 'Chapter 3: Keeping Your Heart Safe', its section on safety tools for playing the game.
See also
References
- ↑ S.T. Arsheep, What is a Fade to Black Romance? blog post, retrieved 6th March 2026.
- ↑ Keep on the Heathlands, 2017, X Card and Fade to Black Mechanics', blog post, retrieved 6th March 2026.
External links
- Fade (lighting technique) - Fade to Black on Wikipedia