NY by Night
Vampire actual play set in New York City.
NY by Night is an American actual play web series in which cast members portray vampires using the fifth edition of Vampire: The Masquerade. The show is set in the World of Darkness after L.A. by Night and between the visual novels Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York. Three seasons were announced before the first season premiered on July 1, 2022.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Horror
- Urban fantasy
- Actual play
- Creator
- Jason Carl
- Based on
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th edition
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 16
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
Facts from the source article.
Premise
NY by Night is a sequel to L.A. by Night and uses the fifth edition of Vampire: The Masquerade. The show is set between the events of the visual novels Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York, with Carl noting that players of those games might recognize familiar names and faces. The first season follows four Anarch members who chafe under Camarilla rules. Season two focuses on Camarilla Kindred maintaining power. Season three brings these storylines together as the coteries collide.
Production
NY by Night first aired in July 2022 as a production from Paradox Interactive, the company behind the World of Darkness franchise. Before the first season even premiered, three seasons had already been announced. The show features a layout where all players at the table are visible at once. Polygon’s Em Friedman described this simultaneous display as a key draw for actual play. Jason Carl noted that the live-to-tape format relies on players’ improvisation and role-playing to feel authentic. The series streamed every Friday at 7 p.m. Pacific on the World of Darkness Twitch channel. Subscribers could watch the VOD immediately, with free access on YouTube the following Monday. The aftershow Club Auspex followed each episode. Production on the third season was put on hold. In 2025, several cast members launched Project Ghostlight, an independent actual play group. Carl left Paradox in December 2025.
Reception
Em Friedman for Polygon in 2022 suggested that even non-players should watch NY by Night, calling it a leap forward for non-Dungeons & Dragons actual play. Friedman noted the show introduces a city playing by much older rules and expects more struggle for survival compared to L.A. by Night. The three-season structure was described as an ambitious experiment in narrative structure. Polygon included NY by Night on its 2023 list of best actual play podcasts that don't use D&D, praising Carl's use of geography and history. Polygon also included the third season on its list of best new actual play series coming in 2023.
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