Mothership

Mothership is a science fiction horror roleplaying game. You aren’t heroes. You’re working people in space: marines, scientists, androids and teamsters, doing a job that has just gone badly wrong. If you’ve seen Alien, you already know the feeling it’s going for.

How it works

Making a character takes a few minutes. You pick one of the four classes, roll your stats, and grab some gear. When you try something risky, you roll percentile dice and try to get under your stat. The rules are short, so new players pick them up quickly.

The part people remember is Stress and Panic. Every failed roll, every horrible discovery and every friend lost adds to your character’s stress. When things get bad you make a Panic check, and your character might freeze, run, scream or do something they will regret. Fear becomes something that happens to your character, not just something you’re told about.

What makes it fun

Mothership is about tension more than combat. Fights are quick and dangerous, so the smart move is usually to avoid them, which means the table spends its time arguing about plans, splitting up when they shouldn’t, and opening doors that should stay closed. Not everyone makes it to the end, and that’s part of the story.

Best for

Adult groups who like horror films and want a one-shot with a slow build and a lot of tension. Works well for people who have never played a roleplaying game, since the rules are light and the premise needs no explanation.