What Happened in Skinner
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- Kaitlyn Gaskill
- Annika Bennett
- Aaron Blanton
- Katrina Braun
- Sam Morrison
- Aaron Blanton
- Katrina Braun
- Teddy Tenenbaum
- Estelle Olivia
- Chelsea Lutz
- Kayla Coleman
- Rebecca Ana Peña
- Ethan Crystal
- Sam Z. Morrison
- Estelle Olivia
- Rebekah Kennedy
- Daniel Olson
- Vico Ortiz
- Evelyn Giovine
- Jean Tafler
- Justine Cotsonas
- Joseph Dean Anderson
- Leah Khambata
| What Happened in Skinner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Language | English |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Aaron Blanton, Katrina Braun |
| Written by | Season 1
Season 2
|
| Cast and voices | |
| Starring | Season 1
Season 2
|
| Production | |
| Length | 40-60 minutes |
| Publication | |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Related | |
| Website | http://whathappenedinskinner.com |
What Happened in Skinner is an Ambie Award-winning horror fiction podcast and alternate reality game created by Aaron Blanton and Katrina Braun.[1] The story focuses on a mysterious occult religion called Auremana, and takes place on the fictional island of Skinner, Oregon.
In October 2021, several seemingly related creepypasta stories were posted on the NoSleep subreddit.[2][3] Reddit users suspected the posts belonged to an alternate reality game (ARG), and began following the clues in the stories. They were led to a series of in-universe websites centered around a mysterious entity called Auremana, and an island called Skinner, Oregon.[4]
The players, guided by a fictional user named Marlowe Verne, established a Discord server, working together to decode encrypted messages and seeking out physical clues dropped in Seattle, Los Angeles, and London.[5]
On November 5, 2021, a short film called Skinner 1929, presented as an authentic livestream, streamed on YouTube.[6] It featured two hosts, Greg Skinner and Susan Wylde, who played the disturbing contents of a 1920s home movie Greg had found in his nightstand. During a power outage, Susan, unaware that the stream was still broadcasting, confessed that the footage involved an occult religion called Auremana, and that she was one of its members. Shortly afterward, the two were violently attacked by an unknown assailant.
After Skinner 1929 streamed, Marlowe Verne revealed to the ARG players that she knew Susan and Greg. She announced that she was going to Skinner to investigate, and would record her experiences and present them online as a weekly podcast, recruiting the help of the ARG players along the way.[7]
Podcast (Season 1)
A 12-episode fiction podcast chronicling Marlowe's investigation debuted on November 9, 2021. It ran on a weekly release schedule until its season finale on January 27, 2022.[7]
The podcast follows the true crime format, similar to other fiction podcasts such as Limetown.[1] During the run of Season 1, the ARG continued alongside the podcast, with the real actions of the players depicted in the events of story.[8]
Podcast (Season 2)
A second season premiered on October 20, 2024. Set in New York City, it follows a new host, Cam, as they examine a recovered diary from the late 1800s in an attempt to solve a series of mysterious present-day deaths in the New York coven of Auremana.[7]
Season 2 follows a dual narrative format, with one plot line following Cam's investigation, and the other dramatizing passages from the 1890s diary.[7]
On March 31, 2025, Season 2 won the award for Best Indie Podcast at the 2025 Ambies.[9] On October 15, 2025, it was announced that Season 2 had won a Bronze Signal Award.[10]
Production
The series gained attention for its innovative format and low-budget production.[1] Its creators, a group of five friends, produced the show at home in their spare time, relying on virality instead of a marketing budget to bolster the show's success.[8][11]
Skinner 1929 had played at several film festivals ahead of its online release, including the North Bend Film Festival[12] and the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.[13] It won the Director's Prize for Unique Concept & Execution at FilmQuest.[14]