Crude Oil: A Noir TTRPG

“The police won't listen. There's no grizzled private eye to save you this time. You're on your own, and you have a case on your hands.”

Crude Oil is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by classic noir tropes. Take on the role of a stereotypical character in a crime movie. Fill the hole left behind by the detective, and solve his crimes while being caught between the role you were made to fill and the person you could be.

The primary goal is to solve crimes in a collaborative manner with your fellow players, guided by the narration of the ever-present Game Master. 

Underlying this is the true core of the Crude Oil – your characters are a stereotype that is being resisted, and you must control the rules of this stereotype to succeed without losing your sense of self. Should you achieve this, you will slowly ‘win’ pieces of your true identity hidden under the layers of the noir genre; your name, your background, your motivations beyond the obvious, and your relationship to the ever-present shadow of the missing private eye. It is a battle to claim your own identity rather than letting it be defined by other people or the story being told. 

You Will Need:

• A Copy of This PDF
• Printed Character Sheets (1 Per Player)
• 2-7 Players
• A Flippable Coin

Optional:

• 1x 4-Sided / 8-Sided Die / 10-Sided Die
• Notebooks for Note-Taking

Features:

• 6 Roles with Unique Skills, Flaws, Enemies & More
• Map of The City with 12+ Defined Locations
• Detailed Breakdowns of All Mechanics & Rules
• Customisable Crimes -- Each Case Is New!
• 1 Premade Case: Washed Up
  
  
  

Created for Noirvember 2026.

Additional:

This is the only official page for the game. The characters and narrative within are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. 

Do not reupload or repost it on other platforms.

Fanworks are beloved and encouraged, as are comments and support!

No AI-generated materials were used in the making of this game at any stage. The developer expressly prohibits any entity from using the game or its contents for the purpose of training AI technologies. The developer reserves all rights to license use of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

This TTRPG is Currently in Beta Testing. Tried it and Have Feedback? Comment Below!