Horrible Housemates:
The Unwelcome Guests of Gloom

It's said that fish and guests smell at three days old ... this crew just didn't get the hint. They're the new "wandering" characters for the Gloom card game, making their debut in the Unwelcome Guests expansion. They can attach themselves to any family, and switch loyalties whenever they see an opening somewhere else. Designer Keith Baker describes just a few of their tricks.

Unhappy Holmes
Meddling Kid

His positive scores make him a pain, but he moves frequently. He can also create a fascinating situation when someone kills their last character and he shows up to investigate. The Investigation icon makes him potentially useful if you’re actually playing with Unhappy Homes.



The Poor Relations
Miserable Masses

They’re a roadblock. You can’t kill them (except with Body Thief or A Suspicious Disappearance), so you want to foist them onto someone else. By giving them a mystery icon, they become vaguely useful -- and more importantly their silhouette matches the Woeful Widow and the Mysterious Uncle.



Whiskers
That #@*! Cat

Whiskers is a guest you WANT in your family, but since he doesn’t follow anything, you’ll have to actually do something to get him. His useful ability is somewhat balanced by the fact that his negative scores allow your opponents to kill him quickly ... though you still get -15 points. Placing the Beast icon in the mystery slot means that he’s more likely to hold onto it, and it also makes his card silhouette match Unhappy Holmes (to hold a little mystery when you’re dealing them out).



The Woeful Widow
Brokenhearted Bride

Her ability isn’t quite as useful as Whiskers’, but she can’t be immediately killed by your enemies. She doesn’t move often -- Murder icons are rare -- but she does move. Her original name was "Linda Lovelorn" with "The Woeful Widow" as a subtitle, but as with the Poor Relations and Loathsome Uncle, I kind of like the non-specific name.



The Loathsome Uncle
Malevolent Mooch

Like Whiskers, he’s putting a story icon in the mystery slot to keep it around longer: even if he contracts consumption, he’s still thinking about food. His special ability is very evil, but it gives people a solid reason to want to steal him from you -- or kill him off. It also creates interesting situations where cards that normally hurt you are actually weapons.