The games you can register to play at
Go Play 2024
Click on the game titles below to read more about each game!
The games that were played at Go Play 2024
Role Playing Games (RPGs):
Hiding from humans and Decepticons alike, the Autobots keep the location of their bases a tight secret. Many layers of concealment have been added for this very purpose and have been successful for many many years.
But the Decepticons have been persistent and have discovered an Autobot research base. Even now, they've begun their mission to infiltrate it and steal or destroy the important data that the Autobots have stored here. The Autobot sensors have detected the Decepticons descending on the base, even now.
----
No previous game knowledge is required. This game contains violence between robots, in the style of 1980s cartoons.
Rating: PG. some brutality, bot on bot violence
----
About your game master:
I'm JC and I love learning to play new and interesting games. Each new game teaches me something more about the craft of being a GM.
It was one of those times in super villain infested Pinnacle City, when life imitates art(ifact) - at the swinging hot spot, Club 706.
Club 706 belongs to Thaddeous Faust AKA ""Brimstone"". Terrifying and powerful, he's the demonic lord of crime of crime in Pinnacle City (like if ""Hellboy"" became the ""Kingpin"" from Marvel). His huge, opulent, retofuturistic nightclub is the centre of the city's nightlife and the base of Brimstone's black magic market operation. It's all fun and games until someone loses an artefact ... a particularly dangerous artefact that could do immense damage in the wrong hands.
The superheroes of Pinnacle City are about to find themselves in a desperate race against time to retrieve the artefact before things get even further out of hand.
When things go down at Club 706, any good superhero is in for a hell of a time – literally.
----
This action packed ""Prowlers and Paragons Ultimate Edition"" adventure is designed as an introduction to this fast, and fun superhero game system and its default setting of Pinnace City.
Prepare to deals with diabolical criminals, colourful supervillains, clockwork soldiers and more! No experience with the game system or even roleplaying games at all required. Lots of customisable pre-gen characters will be provided.
Rating: M. Low Level Superhero violence
----
About your game master:
Hi my name is Tom, and my pronouns are he/him. I’ve been running tabletop roleplaying games for over 35 years (a scary thought to be sure). I love GMing a variety of games for a wide range of people, across all experience levels.
People like Go Play organiser John say I am known for my fast-paced, fun player driven adventures and for the many evocative voices of my characters.
You are a Prolebeariat, a working bear who can no longer bear the conditions the ruling class has created for you. For far too long you have been beaten down by the cruel hands of your mysterious Beargeoisie overlords. After years of mistreatment and abuse, you have one option left: revolution!
Can you free your ursine brothers and sisters from the yoke of oppression? Will you take all the freedom you can bear?
----
Down With The Beargeosie is a rules light comedy RPG about rising up against the man, I mean, bear. A hack of the popular Honey Heist rules, Down With The Beargeosie is easy to pick up and suitable for players of all skill levels – just bring your sense of fun and get ready to strike a blow for all bear-kind.
Rating: PG. potential for bugs/insects, revolution is a pretty big theme in this game
----
About your game master:
Hi, I’m Robin, your friendly local game designer. I love making games of all stripes, most notably those with rules-lite elements. I hope you can join me at the table for GoPlay 2024!
A killer is on the loose, stalking their victims from the darkness. One by one they fall. One by one, the survivors' terror rises.
But you don't know this at first. Everything seems normal, perhaps even wonderful, until one falls. The killer is stalking you. Will you be the next to fall, or will you remain standing at the last, triumphant over the menace.
----
The Final Girl is a horror movie roleplaying game emulating beloved horror films where characters are picked off one by one. Create the cast, kill them off in style, and find out who will Survive to confront the killer. No player experience is necessary.
Rating: MA15. Splatter film gore horror
----
About your game master:
I love indie and narrative games, especially those with little or no preparation require
A generation ago, Nammu's spectacular fluorescent reefs succumbed to a mysterious sickness and the planet's infamously decadent undersea health spa was entombed in a forest of desiccated coral. Now, with funding from an enigmatic benefactor, the reef and the resort are on the verge of resurrection. As a skeleton crew of scientists and hospitality hands prepare to resuscitate the coral and welcome back the galaxy's wealthiest tourists, an ominous encoded warning ripples through the seas of Nammu. Whatever happened here, it was for a reason.
----
Mothership is a working class sci-fi horror RPG with light rules and high lethality. This scenario riffs on the waterlogged psychological sci-fi of Solaris, the neurotic psychosocial resort drama of White Lotus, and anything you bring to the table.
Rating: MA15. Mothership is a horror game for mature audiences and has mechanics for trauma, stress, and panic. This scenario may include violence, drowning, body horror, harsh language, sexual references, and drug use. We'll use lines and veils for specific content and all boundaries will be respected.
----
About your game master:
Dan C has been playing and running RPGs since the 1990s, and is partial to gritty science fiction, high drama, and weird horror. His favourite games include Call of Cthulhu, Nights Black Agents, Over the Edge, and Good Society. He likes lightweight, player-facing rules, long walks on the beach, and gazing into the abyss.
A breakout in the shield super-prison facility “The Raft” leads to a race across the globe in search of stray super criminals and answers as to who organised the superpowered jailbreak in the first place… and why?
You've been brought together with many of the world's greatest superheroes to clean up the mess and get to the bottom of the mystery. It's not just a battle ahead of you, but a secret that could topple powerful, trusted people.
----
This cinematic superhero adventure is set in one of the many “what if” timelines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and (in true MCU style), repurposes a classic comic event with an action packaged cinematic lens.
Players will be able to choose from their favourite MCU superhero (with any “multiverse/alternate timeline twists” they wish to make to them) as they deal with the breakout crisis and recent fallout from various recent MCU multiverse shenanigans.
The system will be the easy-to-learn, flexible fun “Prowlers and Paragons Ultimate Edition”. So prepare for bombastic action, meta-pop culture references, and fun twists on beloved MCU characters.
No experience with the system/setting or even roleplaying required.
Rating: M. Superhero action violence
----
About your game master:
Hi my name is Tom, and my pronouns are he/him. I’ve been running tabletop roleplaying games for over 35 years (a scary thought to be sure). I love GMing a variety of games for a wide range of people, across all experience levels.
There is an amazing diversity of games (and people!) in our little hobby, and I’m always on the lookout for new gaming experiences. One of the best ways I’ve found to experiment with different games is through running them at conventions like Go Play!
I’ve been involved with Go Play for well over a decade, and it’s consistently been a true gaming highlight of my year. The welcoming and fun-loving community and the mind-boggling selection of awesome systems on offer never disappoints. Hope to see you all there!
The year is 1943 and Paris has fallen to the Nazis. Hilter's zeppelin floats above the Eiffel Tower as the Fuerer looks down upon the people of France and laughs at their misery. As if his storm troopers weren't enough, Hitler's Übermenschen put down the resistance easily with their unholy and horrific powers. Truely, the French never had a chance and soon Hilter's forces will cross the channel to bring their horrors to Britain.
But not if the vampires of F.A.N.G. have anything to say about it! Recruited from the strangest corners of the allied countries, this rag-tag group of vampires have been stuffed into armoured coffins, rattling against each other as their bomber approaches the city limits of Paris. It's five minutes to go time, five minutes until the coffins drop into the unsuspecting lap of occupied Paris.
The Nazis will never know what hit them, bit them, sucked down their blood and threw their head away. Eat the Reich!
--
In Eat the Reich you play a team of vampire commandos are coffin-dropped into occupied Paris and must cut a bloody swathe through Nazi forces enroute to your ultimate goal: drinking all of Adolf Hitler’s blood.
Eat the Reich plays like a schlocky b-grade action horror film, complete with violence, tons of fake blood and a straightforward plot. Mow down Nazi soldiers with your guns, flip their cars with your vampiric strength, quench your thirst with their blood, and blow up their bases with their own rockets. Vampires may be the horrors that go bump in the night, but you get to let loose because Nazi's are even worse!
It's a “big, gross, stupid evisceration party”.
The game is simple to learn and has a quick and punchy action system. Players do not need to know anything about specifics of the setting or the system, but may want to bring a large handful of your best D6's to roll.
Please note: In the effort to make all my players as comfortable as possible, there will be a quick discussion of Lines and Veils before the game. The vampires, Nazi's, blood and violence are integral to the game - just about anything else can be obscured or removed to maximise everyone's enjoyment.
Rating: R18. Cartoonish Gore and Violence, Political (Anti-Fascist), Supernatural, Horror, Blood and blood drinking, Historical inaccuracy.
----
About your game master:
I have been a GM for over 30 years and have run many types of systems and settings in that time. I prefer games with a focus on story and character, and with rules that focus on moving the story forward and putting the characters center stage. I'm an easy going GM who want's everyone to have fun, and want's each player to get a chance to have their character shine.
The city of New York is on edge. A series of disappearances leave authorities crippled, and whispers in the criminal underworld point to an unprecedented alliance between two powerful figures as the source.
As crime rates soar, and the city’s heroes stretch their resources thin trying to maintain order, Daredevil—the Man Without Fear—uncovers critical information that points to the Kingpin himself, Wilson Fisk, as one of the individuals involved. Armed with this information, Daredevil assembles his close allies, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Misty Knight, to help him investigate.
What will they uncover? Who is the other mysterious party? And what nefarious plan is Kingpin hatching?
A Marvel Multiverse adventure for up to five heroes as they set off to prevent an all out war on the streets of New York.
----
This scenario is ideal for beginners. No player preparation is required and you'll be given the pre-gen characters that you can see in the scenario description.
Rating: MA15. Drug Use, Addiction, Street Violence
----
About your game master:
I’ve been playing and running games since 1984 with a broad spectrum of experience in the hobby after getting started with Top Secret by TSR. Since then I’ve written for both Fantasy Flight Games and Edge Studio in their Genesys and Legend of the Five Rings RPG and have been playtesting their different game lines for even longer!
My mantra for gaming is that “If it looks good on film, it makes the cut” which draws me to systems that focus on narrative play instead of those with crunchier rules sets. But it’s not all about the crunch! I love to role play too and really get into the characters I create. I aim to provide a good mix of character development coupled with convoluted conspiracies, intrigues, and mysteries in every game I run. Ultimately a game’s success relies on everyone at the table (not just the GM, DM, or narrator), and so I like to find balance with everyone’s likes at the table to ensure the experience is a positive one.
A thousand years ago twelve giant mecha - called Thrones - were built to fight a cataclysmic war. Possession of a Throne bestows wealth, power and authority over whole star systems...and you're going to steal one.
----
Game system: Stealing the Throne
Recommended to players who are familiar with collaborative storytelling games.
Stealing the Throne is a storytelling game of giant mecha heists. Build a Throne, invent its fiendish defences, and then take them apart one-by-one with your crack team of thieves. The game is run with no GM and all players collaborating to choose which Throne we’re going to steal, and where the heist is going to take place. As we make decisions about the Throne, we’ll learn a little about its history, its capabilities, and why we want to steal it. In the game, all the players will take rotating roles as thieves, security and even traitors as we tell a grand story filled with action to bring a cast of characters and their place in the world to life.
Rating: M.
----
About your game master:
I've been DMing for the last 8 years, starting with D&D and branching into many other genres. I have a great love of short adventures in simple systems that require little preparation. The games I run thrive on player input, collaborative storytelling and the rule of cool to build a shared story. I've really enjoyed running one-shots around Brisbane over the last few years and found several systems that I'm always excited about. Some of my all time favourite games include Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, Into the Odd, Mothership and Kids on Bikes to name a few. I'm very excited for Go-Play this year.
On a warm spring day its a wonderful day in the botanical gardens, with music, food and general enjoyment. However one group can not stand by this. The local Geese, who have taken it into their own mouths (because they don't have hands) to, for want of a better term, wreck up the place.
You take on the role of one of these geese, as you try to cause as much chaos and mischief as you possibly can.
----
Rating: PG. Comic violence. potential mild violence towards animals.
----
About your game master:
Hello. I'm Riley. I have been GMing RPGs since I was a kid, and have always had a love of storytelling, acting and games. I GM as a conversation, often asking for input from my players. My style of GMing has always been influenced by my background in improv, and I try not to say no to ideas if I can help it. On top of this, I also try to make my table a comfortable environment for those who play.
Gather round apprentice witches and pay attention. As you know witches cannot live forever, nor can we allow our knowledge to end with us. This is why every witch takes several apprentices, who live and study with us in the wilderness far from civilisation for as long as is necessary.
Apprentices, today’s lesson is about crafting Witch's Tea, a magic brew to still the mind and focus your power. Sounds simple, right? But a day in the life of a witch is never simple, and gathering the ingredients might not be so easy!
Not only will you face challenges in your task, but you’ll be vying for the attention and praise of me, your teacher – whose unwavering support and encouragement you’ll need if you are to complete your apprenticeship and become a full fledged young witch.
----
System: Fledge Witch
Fledge Witch is a cozy RPG about a witch's apprentices discovering the power of magic. This is a ‘low stakes’ game from Japan, where we explore the everyday lives of witches. You’ll play as apprentices as the head witch (the GM) in a collaborative, wholesome, and heartwarming game which is suitable for all ages and skill levels, with a simple and intuitive mechanic that is easy to learn.
You’ll build bonds with the other apprentices and the witch (with helpful tables to roll on if you need inspiration!) and draw on these to roleplay your way through the session.
Rating: G
----
About your game master:
Hi I’m Shane (He/Him) and I mostly run indie games where we create the story together through the choices of the characters. I love the way collaboration at the table can develop incredibly creative and enjoyable shared stories.
I’m currently dabbling in Japanese games which have a whole different design approach, bringing into focus the heartwarming, slice-of-life views of characters while often introducing supernatural and magical elements into their stories.
This is a game where the players build an imaginary setting, riven with conflict. We begin by filling a well with concepts, and use those to build the powerful factions within the world. Then we build crisis points the world has reached. The world is then primed for stories and games to occur.
----
Game System: The WorldWell
The WorldWell is predominantly a worldbuilding game, and the aim is to produce something dynamic starting from a high-level.
The default genre is Strange Fantasy and there are 4 Steps in the worldbuilding process: The Well (concepts), Factions, Fractures, Falls.
Factions will butt heads, with specific characters being the face of that, which we will discuss and narrate at a high level, to fully develop the world.
Don't miss this new game from Tin Star Games, in its gaming convention world debut!
Rating: M. We will discuss what topics need to glossed over or avoided completely in order for each person to have the best possible game.
----
About your game master:
Peter has been attending Go Play since its inception. He enjoys building collaborative and dramatic settings that shine a light on dark corners of the real world. At his table, you can expect to give and receive creative suggestions, and jump in and out of character regularly in order to consider what will make for the best story.
Ten years ago, humanity lost a war with the TITANs, god-like AI that have killed or captured 95% of humankind. And then the TITANs disappeared, leaving the solar system in chaos.
But don't worry, it can always get worse.
We have become truely trans-human, able to upload our consciousness to different bodies, or “morphs"" as they are known. We can choose bodies of flesh, steel or digital information. Unfortunately, that also leaves us exposed to the exsurgent virus: a way that the TITANs could hack, well, us. And there are so few of us left.
But you want to make things better - that's why you joined Firewall, right? A loose collection of kind-of-aligned cells trying to protect what's left of us from whatever's trying to finish us off for good. And today, Firewall is pitching a fit about the group ""Long Live Degenerate Art!"" (LLDA!)
LLDA! are a nomadic Scum swarm (a fleet of many small spaceships) that have verged away form their usual trip to Venus, instead launching themselves toward the sun. Strange transmissions have been broadcast from LLDA! that contain keywords and text patterns linked to weaponised memes deployed by the TITANs and suspected of causing multiple mass suicides during the end of the war. Firewall is concerned that something is very wrong amid LLDA! and you are the group of Firewall agents sent to investigate the mystery of LLDA! Hundreds of lives hang in the balance as you race to discover what is going on. Can you save LLDA! before they meet a fiery death?
And should you?
----
Eclipse Phase is the hard sci-fi roleplaying game of transhuman space, with a robust system that handles player characters swapping between different morphs in a solar system on the brink of collapse.
Pregenerated characters will be supplied and the rules can be taught on the day.
Rating: MA15. Body horror, philosophy of mind, juvenile humour
----
About your game master:
Paul Douglas is the identity assumed by a collection of neuroses, variously self-destructive impulses and game ideas that has haunted the Brisbane RPG community since the early '90s. In that time, it he had run everything from cute games about cats and unicorns to Cronenburgian body horror and has only a vague idea what his nex
The Starlight Dragon is the largest, most prestigious tavern in all the Astral Plane. Everyone who's everyone - adventurers, socialites, scoundrels - comes here to relax, commiserate, and celebrate. What makes this Tavern so special is not just the atmosphere (albeit magical of sorts), the ale or the delicacies on the menu. The most delicious part of The Starlight Tavern is the music. At the heart of this floating tavern are the bards, the true reason for its existence. Enchanting royals, inspiring scholars all who hear the sweet joyous sounds of the heart are forever changed .
Tonight it is your Bard troupe's turn at the big stage to make your mark, to become revered amongst legends. You are all experienced Bards a tight troupe of maestros, you made it this far on your pure talent right? Nothing can shake your nerves, your spirits are high and so is your charisma. Fame and fortune await the bards who can hold the spotlight and bring coins into the right pockets. What's the worst that could happen?
----
Please bring along a level 10 character. If you do not have one, one can be provided for you.
Level 10 Bard characters no multiclass, any race is ok. Add to your inventory 3 uncommon items and 3 common items of your choosing and 400GP.
This DnD one shot is suitable for intermediate to experienced players.
Rating: PG. Some fantasy combat
----
About your game master:
I'm Bec and I've enjoyed running RPGs for various ages and for neurodiverse children. Although I started with D&D, I love games that allow space for everyone at the table to improv through collaborative storytelling, with just the right amount of dice to add to the fun. If you are looking for high fantasy mischievous, this is the game for you!
The year is 1943.
Europe is in flames.
You are a unit of crack vampire commandos with a single objective: drink all of Adolf Hitler's blood and fatally destabilise the Nazi war machine.
----
EAT THE REICH is a tabletop roleplaying game in which you, a vampire commando, are coffin-dropped into occupied Paris and must cut a bloody swathe through nazi forces en route to your ultimate goal: drinking all of Adolf Hitler's blood.
This over-the-top, ultraviolent game is designed to be played from beginning to end in one to three sessions of carnage, blood magic, meaningful flashbacks and hundreds upon hundreds of extremely dead fascists. It tells one story, it tells it loud, and it tells it brilliantly. Think Wolfenstein crossed with Danger 5 and you're not far off the mark.
Rating: R18
High impact violence. This is a very violent game in which the players rip
nazis to shreds and drink their blood for occult power. This will be a game will have strict expectations set and safety rules (x-card, traffic lights and lines and veils).
----
About your game master:
I have been running and playing TTRPGs for the better part of 15 years. I was involved for a number of years running weekly one shots at local Brisbane libraries. As an amateur game designer, I love to play as many different systems with as many different people as possible. I prefer to play games that are ‘play to lose’ that provide an interesting shared experience.
History of the Empire, Year 528, reign of the 23rd Emperor
The young Empress Femina I announced her betrothal to the elven Count Lufu Aelfsong. Unfortunately, the joyous evening was darkened by reports of a growing evil to the south-west, in the lands of her cousin Duke Celine Vindicare.
When the Empress next received reports of the assassination of Vindicare and then the massacre of Lady Pedo and her party she could no longer delay. The armies were raised, and the eight Defenders set forth, the very next morning after the royal wedding.
duty – faith – love – power – revenge
History of the Empire, Year 533
War. Only you five of the original defenders remain. The war began five years ago, when you were all friends – you have not seen each other since it started.
Succession. You are the Empress’ greatest allies – her husband, her cousin, her uncle, her sister-in-law general, and her personal champion. The Empress is on her deathbed.
Defeat. Each of your once great armies is decimated, the empire in tatters. Your retreat ends at the Fortress – the last stronghold.
The remaining defenders
Of the original eight defenders, only you remain; the others – Deth, Othere, and Magos – have fallen. Five years ago, you were the closest of friends, but time, and war, changes everything. Now you must rediscover each other and find out which bonds have endured – and which have not.
* Count Lufu Aelfsong - Husband of the Empress, Holy chosen of God, Defender of the East.
* Prince Poer Imperare - Uncle of the Empress, Crown prince and heir to the Empire, Defender of the North.
* General Dueté Aelfsong - Sister-in-law of the Empress, Commander general of the imperial army, Defender of the South.
* Sir Fei, Commander of the Paladin - Personal champion of the Empress, Defender of the West.
* Duke Vindicare, Martyn Imperare - Cousin of the Empress, Defender of the Nor’west.
For more details about the game, including a family tree and character pictures see
http://sgryphon.gamertheory.net/fortress
----
Fortress: the Last Stronghold is an epic two-session character-driven Dungeon & Dragons scenario for five players, by Sly Gryphon & Nick Kabilafkas.
Note: This game is listed as 6-7 hours (not 3.5 hours). Do not schedule any games for the afternoon, as this game will cross over both sessions (with a break in the middle for lunch).
The adventure will cover the diplomatic challenge of managing an empire that is at the losing end of a world-spanning war. Complicating that is the reunion of the guardians after five years of separation, each bearing all the scars and changes the war has caused and the hidden secrets they hold in their hearts.
Players will take on the duties, powers and personalities of the five remaining defenders (supplied as pregenerated characters, levels 8–10) trying desperately to decide what they can possibly choose among the poor options available to them.
This D&D game is suitable for intermediate to experienced players.
This scenario was originally written for D&D 2nd Edition and ran at MacquarieCon 1994; it was revised for 3rd edition and re-run as a "classic" at MacquarieCon 2004 anniversary; the current version has been updated for 5th edition.
Rating: R18. War, death, fantasy violence, adult concepts, child endangerment.
----
About your game master:
Sly has been running and playing roleplaying games for a long time; not quite from the beginning, but pretty damn close. Sly has run and played campaigns across many different game systems, from Call of Cthulhu to Savage World, to Shadowrun and Burning Wheel. He lives in north-west Brisbane with his wife, who GMs their current Dragonlance campaign, and three children, who all run or play their own games as their parents aren't cool enough.
Sly didn't make it to Go Play last year, as he and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary at D&D in a Castle in the UK. His blog occasionally has articles about roleplaying games.
When a glowing object falls from the sky in a fantasy land, a group of hapless would-be heroes heed to the call to adventure ... or is it their doom? Travel to where magic corrupts and heroes are few and far between! Where the death count is high and hit points are scarce. A strange, unsettling and likely deadly adventure awaits.
Don't get attached to your character.
----
""It Came... From OUTER SPACE!!!"" is a Dungeon Crawl Classics level 0 funnel adventure. Each player will control 2–4 randomly generated level 0 peasants who are really not ready for this level of danger - and that's where the fun (and the death toll) comes from. Any characters crafty or lucky enough to survive the funnel will be ready to start a life of adventure by ascending to the heady heights of a level 1 character.
The tone of the funnel adventure will be grim but funny as most things are described in a cartoonish way. Weird and gory things will happen to your poor characters as they meet their likely ends. However the aim of the game is to enjoy the black humour of the situation; your Judge (GM) is there to assist your characters survival AND to make sure the players at the table have a good time.
Get a feel for old school adventure, it's not for everyone - but you won't know until you try!
Pregenerated characters will be provided.
Rating: MA15
WARNING - this scenario can trigger a 'Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies' outcome!
Do you crave the safety and comfort of a warm hearth?
Do mysteries of the unexplained trigger night terrors?
If so, switch channels now!
----
About your game master:
Old School is Cool. Prefer older style gaming - where rules are meant to be broken, twisted and thrown in the trash - and at the table, there is no such thing as No!
There's always a dice roll for that...
Auntie Vashti is sick. The woman that gave you a home and taught you how to live after you escaped into the real world. Vashti is the closest thing you've ever had to a mother. Now you've got 48 hours to cure her genophage or she's gonna become soup.
You gotta find a score that can pay for her cure and boost it fast!
----
System: Make Our Own Heaven
Make Our Own Heaven is a Biopunk Angel RPG about making ends meet while hiding from the Authority. Its a slice of life power fantasy with queer anarchist roots. You play as transgenic angel clones living on the streets of Jupiter's largest city, New Heaven.
This is a game about community building, found family, and meaningful resistance. As a biotech miracle, the syntheses of human and angel DNA, you'll use your Divine Powers and Earthly Skills to evade the cops and help your community as they helped you.
The game can be found here: https://raycox.itch.io/make-our-own-heaven
Rating: M
The game deals with themes of Violence, Medical Experimentation, Colonialism, Fascism, Police Brutality, Segregation, Execution, Body Horror, Blasphemy, and Forced Surgery. Although visceral descriptions of such things are kept to a minimum.
----
About your game master:
Hi, I'm Reizor. I'm a game maker and multidisciplinary artist. I love games where the mechanics support the themes and help to reinforce the tone. Stuff where the rules can't be separated from the theme without the game falling apart. I like strong stories, evocative themes, and tailor made systems. I also love a quick, fast paced game where we get straight to the point.
My games can be found here: https://raycox.itch.io/
In the troubled realm of Lektok, Mortimus the Toad King has claimed the throne after a bloody civil war. The citizens are struggling under his harsh decree and there are rumours of unrest. The frog people are restless. The insect folk meet behind closed doors. The snails are agitated. There's something in the air ... revolution!
The Toad King has abused their position for too long and their time is almost at an end. As the various factions of the land make their move, chaos will reign supreme and only one of you can wear the crown ...
----
System: Revolt!
Revolt! is a GMless storygame of revolution. We know there will be a revolution, and we know it will succeed, but which faction will have their leader wearing the crown once all is said and done? We will have to play to find out! Directing the efforts of these factions, players will need to curry favour with the citizens of the realm, winning and losing the support of the people who will eventually put you on the throne. Narrative grist for the mill of creativity is supplied by a beautiful cloth map and deck of prompt cards, but the story is all yours to tell!
Also, you're all anthropomorphic frogs and insects and snails and stuff 🙂
Rating: MA15. Violent revolution, war. (we can easily remove any creepy crawly/bug stuff, it's just set dressing)
----
About your game master:
Hi I'm Jack. Storygame and narrative RPG enjoyer, I've run long term campaigns of Blades in the Dark, Scum and Villainy, Band of Blades, Dungeon World and others. I also ran a drop in storygame table at Vault Games for two years. I'm really interested in games that recreate history and historical-type narratives. I love to improvise and build the game world through play, with the other players at the table.
Bandits have released a horrible monster into the Magical library “the sleeping dragon”. The head librarian has beseeched the help of local adventures, to search for any survivors and deal with whatever monster is lurking behind the shelves.
----
I will have pregenerated characters available and a D&D 5e basics sheet for new players.
Or players may bring their own 5th level character using point buy attributes, with one uncommon magic item and an additional 650 gp, subject to GM approval.
Rating: PG
----
About your game master:
Hi, I’m Bryn. I’ve been a GM for several years now and I do weekly one shots for both the Carindale hotel and Springfield hotel D&D clubs. I may still be new at running at events but, I just like sharing my hobby with people.
You are TROUBLESHOOTERS, the first line of defence against commie mutant traitors in our glorious Alpha Complex. The benevolent Friend Computer has assigned you a mission of utmost importance, safeguarding valuable technology in the face of overwhelming treachery. Are you a bad enough troubleshooter to ride the STEALTH TRAIN?
----
This rules-light M rated game draws upon black comedy, in a dystopian sci-fi setting. Suitable for players familiar with the Paranoia roleplaying game or players who enjoy games with a strong player narrative focus.
Rating: M
----
About your game master:
I’ve been running RPGs for 16 years and counting. My favourite game is Apocalypse World, which I love so much that I got a tattoo to celebrate it. I love introducing new players to the hobby and old players to new games. I guarantee you'll have fun at my table, by any means necessary!
No choice pal, you're a blade runner, part of the REP KILL unit in Los Angeles. Your job? Hunting illegal and rogue Replicants under the UN Act.
So why are you here today? With the recent push for Rights for Replicants movements, one of the main proponents of this initiative has returned to LA, to his house for a couple of days of R&R, so you have been put on high alert.
Suddenly there is a call for a hostage situation involving a Replicant underground cell in a very well-off neighbourhood.
And you can feel in your bones that this night is going to be a very long one...
----
In this game you play the members of an elite squad who investigate and, if necessary, pursue and "retire" (kill) illegal replicants, while dealing with their own humanity.
Blade Runner uses the narrative Year Zero Engine. Characters will be provided and no previous experience with the game system is required.
Rating: R18. extreme violence, drug use, sexual content, suicide, nihilistic
----
About your game master:
Hi, I'm Miguel. I have been playing since the early 90's, so about 30 years or so, and migrated to Australia 16 years ago (so I still have an accent).
Like many others, I started with the D&D Red Box, but have since moved to more narrative and free flowing systems like Powered by the Apocalypse or Free League, although every so often I still enjoy the crunch. When you make a roll, it's because there are some serious things on the line, so make them count.
Listen doll face. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This is your chance to show the world you're the cat's pyjamas, the real McCoy. Poirot? A hack. Miss Marple? An old busybody.
No, you need to get in there and show them what you've got, old chum. Your deductive genius! Your incisive charm! Your chutzpah!
This is your invite to The Sleuth Society's soirée. You can join this band of crime aficionados as they read about crime, talk about crime, and perhaps — every now and then — solve crime!
Can you help them get The Sleuth Society's name in the newspaper before their rivals, the insufferable Gumshoe Gang?
----
System: Flabbergasted
Flabbergasted is a rules-lite and narrative-driven tabletop RPG set in the roaring 20s. It's comedic game of big personalities trying to outdo each other and bolster their reputation with those that care. Pregenerated sleuthers will be provided, with room for players to customise them a bit on the day.
Rating: G. This is a humourous game that features skulduggery and talk about crime. This will be limited to heists, thefts, slander, robbery, defacement of property and jaywalking.
----
About your game master:
Memphis is an avid game player (that goes without saying) who joined as a GM at GoPlay for the first time in 2019 with Pokemon Adventure. Over the last few years, she's enjoyed exploring different systems and board games to create memorable moments. Some favourites include Exalted, Arkham Horror card game and 7th Sea. She brings a mood o
One of you is going to make a choice, an irrevocable choice which will impact everyone else, a potentially terrible choice, or perhaps one made of love but with serious repercussions.
We'll build our story and get to know our characters, creating something we love and are attached to. Then it will all be changed. We won't know who will make it or what the decision will be until the very end, but at that point the game is over and we are left to consider the effects and what happens next.
----
Game System: You'll Meet the Devil at a Crossroads
Rating: M
The game follows a freeform narrative largely defined by the players, the story can in theory go anywhere. Content can come up which is unexpected, but we will use Lines & Veils as well as the X-Card to manage these.
What do you remember?
Do you remember Bright Town USA, idyllic middle American small town? A place where kids ride around on bikes and people don’t lock their doors. A place to raise a family in peace and enjoy barbecues on the weekend.
Or do you remember the Skyless Lands, where you came to in a giant dark lake? Where gravity crushes you down, trying to push you below the water. Where people huddle around bioluminescent fungi as power ebbs, threatening darkness and cold. Where the world is running down, ebbing, slipping away into ruin.
What do you remember and what will you be remembered for?
——
Awakening is a scenario for Nibiru, the sci-fi game of lost memories. Players take on the role of Vagabonds, amnesiacs with special abilities in a giant space station whose purpose is long forgotten. You can make great change in the Skyless Lands but there are those who hunt and exploit your kind. Tread carefully as you try to work out who you are and why you are here. And bring your d4s.
Players can make characters quickly and easily on the day.
This is an extended version of the scenario that was run at Briscon 2024.
Note: This game is listed as 6-7 hours (not 3.5 hours). Do not schedule any games for the afternoon, as this game will cross over both sessions (with a break in the middle for lunch).
----
Rating: M
----
About your game master:
I’m John, one of the organisers of Go Play. I love running story-driven games where the player characters’ choices and interactions are the most important parts of the game. I get a kick out of finding ways to tie multiple plot points and character goals into a (mostly) cohesive narrative. And really, I love RPGs and sharing them with other people – if you’re experienced or not, I just want to tell a cool story with you.
Lord Bluebeard has married. Again.
He has married you - a lovely young peasant girl on his estate After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, he has left you alone in your new mansion with only one stipulation - DO NOT USE THE LAST KEY ON THE CHATELAINE'S RING.
----
Each player is a facet of The Bride's psyche - a Sister. With your fellow Sisters, you will control The Bride as she explores the house armed with simply the set of keys your new husband has entrusted you with. Each door unlocked will lead to horrors uncovered and revelations about to fate of your Lord's previous spouses. Will you all be an obedient Bride and leave well alone? Or will you open the final door?
Bluebeard's Bride is a horror game that takes personal feminine experiences and explores them in one of the darkest cautionary tales ever told.
No player preparation is required and roles and rules will be explained during the game.
Rating: R18. Horror, sexual content, violence against women. This is not a comfortable game and can be confronting.
The X Card will be available for players' use.
----
About your game master:
Liz has immersed herself in faerie and folk tales all her life, avoiding the sanitised sparkle of popular princesses in favour of darker, more Gothic roads. She pours this knowledge into an experience both fascinating, unsettling and wholly feminine in this dive into shadows.
Competition! Friends! Drama! Fight with Spirit is a GMless narrative storygame/ttrpg/?boardgame? where you play as a team of school mates competing together in some kind of sporting contest against rival schools. You are teenagers caught up in the highs, lows and tumult of not only winning and losing, but also coming of age and making/breaking relationships with your friends and rivals. It's basically write your own sports anime, the game! No preparation needed, the rules are simple and we'll build the entire story together at the table. No knowledge of sport is necessary, just an appreciation for the narratives and emotional power of people giving their best to Fight with Spirit!
----
System: Fight With Spirit
Rating: M
----
About your game master:
Hi I'm Jack. Storygame and narrative RPG enjoyer, I've run long term campaigns of Blades in the Dark, Scum and Villainy, Band of Blades, Dungeon World and others. I also ran a drop in storygame table at Vault Games for two years. I'm really interested in games that recreate history and historical-type narratives. I love to improvise and build the game world through play, with the other players at the table.
Protect the public peace as totally inappropriate cops in a world where representatives of all genres of books, TV, films and the effluvia of popular culture mix in a volatile stew. The rules-light game system makes it easy to improvise characters, situations and results; it keeps the fun fast and flowing!
----
Designed right here at Go Play Brisbane, GENRE COPS! is an opportunity to yell cliches and watch mismatched tropes explode against other while struggling to work out how to do any sort of police work.
Rating: PG.
----
About your game master:
Gareth is a GM with decades of experience running games completely from scratch, has trained improv performers, and loves everything in RPGs from intense drama to tactical combat to joyous silliness. It's the joyous silliness he's running at Go Play Brisbane 2024!
The High Queen of Avalon has died, and in the time that followed, anarchy swept the land.
You are a knight, sworn to serve your liege lady. You are hunting to put food on the table for your liege lady's feast when you spy between the trees a white deer standing amongst the foxglove and heather. It turns to flee and you give chase, for bringing down such a beast will bring great honour - but there is more afoot here than just the feast, and the fires of war grow closer...
----
Ideal for beginners. This is a locally created game being run by its designer. It contains fantasy violence.
Rating: PG.
----
About your game master:
I'm Mark, the designer of Knight. My GM style is loosey goosey and I love to drive my games in the same direction as the players are going.
At last, the royal wedding is here, the social gathering of the season! This corner of the fae world has been waiting in joyous anticipation for this wedding, joining two royal families together. Guests from across the region have arrived for today's ceremony and festivities. The atmosphere is electric, filled with promise and hope.
Your role whilst seemingly minor in the grand scale of this event, is important. You are an employee of Bellatrix, the event planner of the Bloom Royal Family who host today's nuptials. Bellatrix has a long history of creating the most spectacular events, but a royal wedding, this Royal wedding is the pinnacle of her life's work. It has to go well. It must go well. She has hand picked you to be part of it.
She has, however, given express instructions that the day must not be disrupted by any fae high jinks whatsoever. Especially from the guest of the betrothed, those from the dark realm. Bellatrix is a firm but fair taskmaster; however she will hold you and the other workers responsible for making sure the day goes according to her meticulous plans.
----
This scenario is ideal for beginners. No player preparation is required. You'll be given pre-gen characters, dice and writing materials provided for use.
Game System: Roll for shoes
Rating: PG. Some fantasy violence
----
About your game master:
I'm Bec, I enjoy running RPGs for various ages and for neurodiverse adults and children. Although I started with D&D, I love games that allow space for everyone at the table to improv through collaborative storytelling. With just the right amount of dice to add to the fun! If you are looking for high fantasy mischief, this is the game for you!
A new adventure in the land of Trollworld, where the last of humanity fights to survive!
The massive Arkship lies dead and dormant at the centre of your colony. You know this massive edifice once sailed between the stars; you don’t know where from or why. So much knowledge was lost when the Arkship reached Trollworld and the intense mana energies of the planet destroyed the electronics of the mighty starfarer.
Still, humanity could flourish here. There is breathable air and tillable soil. Your dead arkship forms the nucleus of your new colony. It provides a habitat and a verdant garden (named Eden after the legends), a defensive hull and is the source for some of your initial tools and weapons. However the growing population needs space, arable land and plenty of water.
If you are to survive on Trollworld, you humans need to expand and colonise. Unfortunately, that means coming into conflict with the Trolls of Trollworld. And their gigantic gods.
This time on Trollworld: when a new leader takes control of the Stone Giants, he declares a battle of the bands to celebrate his inauguration as Oberjarl. The greatest of the bands will receive a boon. While most of the other bands will be in it for the money, for the humans of the Arkship this is a massive opportunity to to ask for the stone Giants' neutrality in any future conflicts (and start to pave the way for trade and other partnerships).
The stakes are high as your adventurers journey to the dangerous land of the Stone Giants. The other bands are more deadly than friendly and then there's the ever present danger of being stoned to death by the Stone Giants themselves if they hate your show. If you're going to come out on top, it's going to take the performance of your life!
----
The survival of the fledgeling human civilisation on Trollworld is threatened by the great giants that call themselves gods. Join a special task unit on a diplomatic mission to one of the great giants. Befriend them or neutralise them as a threat – you must do what you think is right.
Rock Hard is a stand-alone adventure and there is no need to have played in Trollworld before. But if you have, welcome back!
Pre-generated 9th-level characters will be available or you can bring your own character (subject to DM approval; sadly, no half-orcs or half-elves). If you want to make your own character, you can roll up stats as per any method in p12-13 of the Player's Handbook (and advance appropriately through the levels). Then take 1999gp and equip yourself for adventure – including standard equipment, and any magic items you can afford at https://www.kassoon.com/dnd/5e/magic-item-prices/; you can keep whatever you don't spend.
Rating: M. The usual violence involved in D&D combats - with some military undertones.
----
About your game master:
Mark’s story is probably very familiar – geek at school who read Lord of The Rings during a holiday break in high school. During another school break, his brother brought Mark to a Dungeons & Dragons game and his whole perspective changed. You could actually get to play being in a fantasy world like Tolkien created, and you can play a game where the team (rather than a single player) wins, and you could play all sorts of amazing characters. Life would never be the same again.
This led to Mark researching mythology and folk tales, participating in adult storytelling, and is an actor in Brisbane Playback Theatre that does improvised drama based on people’s shared stories.
Mark loves epic fantasy adventures and worlds that weave in the various mythologies, cultures and histories parallel to earth. Mark loves when players are creative, thoughtful and work together as a team to face challenges and solve problems, and most importantly, enjoy themselves.
Mark has been playing D&D ever since it was known as AD&D and had no edition. He has been a games master on and off for almost as long. And life is still not the same again.
"HEADLINE NEWS! Serious Drug Crimes and Gang Murders are on the rise in Miami! The Mayor is up for re-election! He's furious and demanding that the Police ""DO THEIR JOB!""
The Police Chief is apoplectic and wants you to Stop the Waterside Gangs NOW!
In the spirit of 80's Cop action TV shows and movies Shield Wall: Miami! brings you into the whirlwind nostalgia of Fighting Crime in the 80's, Cigars, Fast Cars, and Kung-Fu Stars! Explosions, car chases, and busting chops guaranteed.
Will you find yourself playing Detective Brock Magnum, 3 months from retirement?, Detective Johnny Wong, upcoming Star Detective?, No. 1 News Anchor Vera Magnum (Divorced!)?, Scrappy little Timmy? or his best friend K9 Detective Buddy?
Think Miami Vice, 21 Jump St, Beverly Hills Cop, Big Trouble in Little China. If you haven't gotten yourselves Suspended on the Job! before the end of the game you're doing it wrong! (Disclaimer: There's no such thing as doing it wrong)""
----
No previous game knowledge is required for this game. Pre-generated characters will be provided.
Rating: MA15. The game will include 1980s violence and references to drug use.
----
About your game master:
I've been a GM for about 30 years, at home and at conventions, using lots of different game systems and styles. My favourite game experiences have been full of roleplay and characterisation from everyone at the table, with a healthy dose of "Yes and..." in every game.
Sandwiched between the Prince William Sound and the Portage Glacier, Whittier is only accessible via sea, air or train via the tunnel that cuts through the mountain. What is most interesting is that almost all 240 residents live under the same roof within the fourteen storey Begich Condominium tower.
Whittier is currently struggling with supply issues, the engineering corps has moved in, old cold war paranoia has returned, the orcas have been ramming boats and now a mass mortality of local fish and game has occurred, making self-sufficiency impossible.
You are not only a citizen of the small town but a spirit powered Kresnik blessed with preternatural abilities. Tensions are already high but with a recent mass mortality of local game has everyone rattled. You will use your talents to get to the bottom of this mystery and do what it takes to fix it.
----
System: Kresnik Kudlak: powered by Don’t Rest Your Head
Kresnik|Kudlak is an apocalyptic supernatural dramatic thriller setting. In an alternate time at the end of the Cold War where the ‘greying’ phenomenon (the dramatic downward shift in global temperatures which had killed the future world we dreamt of) threatens to plunge the globe into winter forever. The colder it gets the more haunted the world becomes.
You will use your supernatural abilities as a Kresnik to send your spirit forth from your body, enhancing your human abilities and achieving things that might otherwise be impossible.
The rules are based on the excellent Don’t Rest Your Head, where a changing/dwindling dice pool and increasing costs drives players and their characters to take more risks and harder choices to succeed.
You can find the game here: https://tegeljerk.itch.io/kresnikkudlak-those-whose-souls-leave
Rating: M. Moderate Supernatural Horror Themes, Occasional Violence.
----
About your game master:
I have been running and playing TTRPGs for the better part of 15 years.
I was involved for a number of years running weekly one shots at local Brisbane libraries. As an amateur game designer, I love to play as many different systems with as many different people as possible.
I prefer to play games that are ‘play to lose’ that provide an interesting shared experience.
In the icy north of Faerun you and your companions find yourself run afoul of a sudden blizzard. In the blinding whiteness every step is a struggle, leaving you wondering if you will ever feel warm again. Or if the winter will claim you and some other traveller will one day stumble your frozen body should they be foolish enough to try and travel this desolate snowscape.
The elements had nearly claimed you when you found the outpost – salvation! The outpost offers protection from the elements, plenty of chopped wood ready to burn and ample food to fill your empty bellies.
But why is the outpost empty? Where are the garrison, where are the staff? Why does the outpost seem so … wrong?
As the icy storm rages outside, you’ll need to uncover the mysteries of the outpost before you meet a fate that makes freezing to death outside sound like a kindness.
----
The Outpost is a slow-burn D&D adventure of investigation and growing tensions as your player characters try to learn what has happened at the Outpost and how to stop it happening to them.
This is an adventure for 5th level characters. Pregenerated characters will be supplied but you are also welcome to bring your own player characters if you wish (anything generated with the books available on D&D Beyond should be fine but the DM will have final say on whether your character is appropriate for the adventure).
Rating: M
----
About your game master:
Hi, I’m Adam. I’m a D&D DM who wants players to bring their big ideas to the game. I love to encourage spontaneity at the table and so I prefer to treat the rules more as guides rather being set in stone. If you have a cool idea for adding to the adventure, I want to help it happen so we can tell a cool story together.
The Great Kingdom of Humanity has collapsed, and your wagon train of refugees is fleeing the only direction it can: across the poisonous Salt Wastes. Haste and speed are your only friends in this deadly desert, where nothing can live and even the rare rainfall mocks you with its saltiness. Your only chance to survive is to make the crossing quickly.
Well, that was what you thought, until today - when you stumbled across another caravan who appears to have found an oasis in this hellish desert. Could this be a much-needed chance for respite and rest, or does the oasis hide greater dangers than the desert itself?
----
The Whispering Sands of the Salt Wastes is a novice adventure for Shadow of the Weird Wizard – a RPG of heroic adventurers helping refugees escape the doom of their former home. This is a world of strange monsters and epic journeys, a dangerous world set up to be the backdrop for stories of heroes and their struggles against impossible odds.
Shadow of the Weird Wizard is a family-friendly revision of Rob Schwalbs' ""Shadow of the Demon Lord"" designed to allow both tactical depth and fast-moving action. The rules are easy to pick up and pregenerated characters will be supplied. The Great Kingdom of Humanity has collapsed, and your wagon train of refugees is fleeing the only direction it can: across the poisonous Salt Wastes. Haste and Speed are your only friends in this deadly desert, where nothing can live and even the rare rainfall mocks you with it's saltiness. Your only chance to survive is to make the crossing quickly - that is, until today, when you stumble across another caravan who appears to have found an oasis...
Rating: PG. Fantasy Violence, Fantasy Religion, Fantasy Magic Use
----
About your game master:
Wayne is an ol' Dungeon Crawler from back in the 80's, who appreciates clear and simple rules; high-stakes heroics; and long walks at sunset down echoing stone corridors lined with well-oiled traps and the bones of the fallen.
Live Action Role Playing Games (LARPs):
Join Springfield Gamers and get creative with miniature painting. Never painted before? Not worries! This is your opportunity to try your hand and learn a new skill in the relaxed, friendly environment of Brisbane gamers.
Are you an experienced painter? Bring your own minis along, share your skills, and enjoy the atmosphere.
Board Games:
Test your luck (and your memory!) with Boba Master, a bright, delightfully cute and engaging card game about making bubble tea. Be warned: This is not a game for a quiet library! This action-packed, easy-to-pick-up game gets rowdy very quickly. Steal from your opponents and force them to make mistakes. Stir up the game by swapping hands or even swapping bubble teas. Be the first to complete your bubble teas and become the Boba Master! No experience required, our mission is to get people into boardgames and interacting with each other in person, away from digital devices.
------
Boba Master was kickstarted, successfully funded and fulfilled this year by local 2-time PAX Indie Showcase Winners (and brothers!), Jono and Ando.
------
About the designer:
Quokka Jono is an award-winning games designer, a skilled graphic artist, a devoted board game enthusiast and a postgraduate from the University of Queensland. As a first-generation Chinese individual born in Melbourne to a family passionate about food, his artistic and cultural inclinations have been profoundly influenced.
The amalgamation of growing up in Brisbane, attending weekend Chinese school, Australian 90s television, immersion in video games, and observations of the mundane day-to-day, provided a diverse and enriching environment that significantly shaped his creative journey. Jono’s appreciation for both Australian and Chinese culture offers a distinctive perspective that shines through in his work.
Spend a session playing some casual board games from our board game library. All players, ages, and experience levels welcome.