Set in the world of Cthulhu: Death May Die and inspired by the books of HP Lovecraft, Dark Providence is a competitive game in which players take on secret roles as Explorers and Cultists from the most influential cities in the United States during the Great Depression.

As the Cultists explore the vulnerability of the nation with the aim of remaking it, the Researchers take the opposite side, standing against this dark prophecy.

Each player's secret role determines how they will score points at the end of the game, however, this is not a cooperative game. Throughout the game, players use influence to bid for the right to claim asset cards, control cities, and collect myth cards. Each newly acquired asset card improves the players' deck and thus the resources and actions they can perform during a turn.

In an effort to keep their identities secret and avoid madness, players perform a multitude of actions, such as persuading hired agents to their side of the battle, assassinating other players' agents, gathering additional help from myth- cards, blocking other players from claiming cards, and sealing or protecting gates, among others to gain victory points.

At the end, only the player with the most victory points from the dominant side of the battle wins the game!