Proposed short-block games

This page is for games that are on offer for the next short block. The Proposed Long Block games are on a separate page. If ideas in here sound interesting to you, please contact the GM in question.

These are the proposed short block games for Block 3: 22 September – 6 October 2026. Because many short-block games are organised ad hoc on the night, this is necessarily incomplete.

Week 1

(Including pitches for the next long block.)

Five A Side

Passion, victory, and friendship

Fight with Spirit is a sports drama rpg about a team growing up together and fighting for their passion. In this game, you’ll hone your skills, face down rivals, and strive to take your team to the national championships. Along the way, you’ll explore friendships, feelings, and the fleeting nature of your time together.

Fight with Spirit is built to tell sports stories inspired by anime such as Free, Run with the Wind, and Chihayafuru, as well as high school movies like Bring it On and Remember the Titans.

Take your team to the top

Play a high school or college sports team battling your way through a major tournament. Your relationships, motivations and team will change as you grow, learn, and connect, on and off the court. Your team will win ultimate victory, or they will find defeat. But it is love, hope, and passion that are the real stakes on your journey, as you grow up together and share the moments until school ends.

For this game, I thought we'd play a school five-a-side football team, but we can do a different sport if people would like. (I've done volleyball and water-polo; no knowledge of the actual sport required.)

GM: Neil Smith
System: Fight With Spirit
Players: 2–4
Weeks: 1–3

Metro Mayhem

Metro Mayhem is the introductory scenario from the starter set of the INVINCIBLE rpg, based on the award-winning comic book series and Amazon prime animated series of the same name.

This scenario is set shortly after the [SPOILERS]massacre of the Global Guardians by Omni Man[/SPOILERS], and the Global Defence Agency is still reeling from those events. New Heroes are desperately needed. The GDA has learnt that the Mauler Twins, fresh off yet another escape from Stronghold Penitentiary, have managed to acquire the DNA of a dangerous kaiju, and are attempting to sell clones of the dangerous beast on the open market to whomever can afford it.

The GDA have asked you to investigate the plans of the Mauler Twins, and (if at all possible) put a stop to their nefarious plans. Can you prevent the mass manufacture of giant living weapons of mass destruction? Can your heroes impress the leaders of the GDA enough to be permanently recruited? Can you shine as the next generation of heroes capable of defending the Earth from all manner of adversaries?

GM: Martin Goodson
System: INVINCIBLE (Year Zero Engine)
Players: 3-5
Weeks: 1-2 (but likely to be one week unless things spill over)

The Alluvium Affar

It's a beautiful day: Bluetime at this time of year is always nicer than usual. You're in a yellow autopod (stolen of course to enhance the experience) soaring through the air over Candle Bridge (Crow's Foot, Doskvol). Behind you is a psychedelic bloom of colours: an Anomaly Eruption: an explosive Tear in reality. As the Anomaly Eruption overtakes your autopod, the paper with the drop-off point on it vanishes at the same time as your memory does: the first half of the score is unmade. In the backseat is a canister pulsating with a vicious glowing liquid pulsating in a kaleidoscope of colour: Pure Alluvium - liquefied quantum instability in physical form; and the dead body of Brigadier Colwick, a high ranking Imperial Military Commander - you don't know why he's in the back, but it'll make getting paid so much harder now that your client also no longer exists. Welcome to Blades '68: strap in and get your shag carpets in order: it's gonna get weird.

A note on tone and safety

The tone for this game is "Yes." In all seriousness, this is a game that draws from Spy Fiction (James Bond, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, No one lives forever); Weird Tales (such as Disco Elysium, Deathloop, 1984, Thunderbirds); Crime Capers (The Italian Job); the Venture Bros; Team Fortress 2 and the forbidden touchstone Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. It's a game that has dark elements (Hulls are robot slaves made from people's souls; and this is a spy story) but the focus on said elements can be as soft or as hard as needed (because just look at the 60s IRL and the FORBIDDEN TOUCHSTONE). Safety tools will be provided regardless.

GM: Alex Crossley
System: Forged in the Dark
Players: 3-6
Weeks: 1-3 (Week 1 will include crew creation)

The Great Ivydale Bake-off

The Mouse Guard protect and maintain The Territories, lands where cities of mice dwell safe from their many predators. Their authority comes from Lockhaven where its Matriarch Gwendolyn lives. This is where this adventure starts, a patrol of guards must escort a precious cargo to Ivydale where a baked goods contest will be judged. A simple mission with no obvious complications...

Mouse Guard RPG is a tactical story game based on the comics of the same name. You roleplay a mouse of the Mouse Guard: Escorting goods, protecting settlements, and tackling massive predators. The tone is Peter Rabbit meets Attack on Titan. The rules have incentives to act out your beliefs and instincts and sabotage your dice rolls for character development.

For the keen, making a character is literally a multiple choice quiz. Here's an online tool for it.

Relevant wises: Lockhaven-wise, Path-wise, Shortages-wise, Escort-wise, Grain-wise, Harvest-wise, Herb-wise, Recipe-wise, Tall grass-wise, Trail-wise, Transport-wise

Relevant skills: Baker, Cook, Pathfinder, Scout, Hunter, Loremouse, Survivalist, Apiarist, Insectrist, Scientist, Labourer

Pregens will be available.

GM: Aaron Steed
System: Mouse Guard 2e
Players: 2–4 (could squeeze 5)
Weeks: 1–3

Week 2

Continuing from the previous week:

Five A Side

Continuing from week 1.

The Alluvium Affar

Continuing from week 1.

The Great Ivydale Bake-off

Continuing from week 1.

Week 3

Five A Side

Continuing from week 2.

The Alluvium Affar

Continuing from week 2.

The Great Ivydale Bake-off

Continuing from week 2.