Torque Arena

If the page looks unreadable, try turning your browser's "Dark Mode" off.

- - - o - - -

HELP ME PLAYTEST THIS THING! :D
If you enjoy the rules and actually put them to the table, please let me know:

• Write a feedback in the community forum here.
• Share a text/video bout report on your blog/channel.
• Share thematic images, stories and ideas that could vibe with Torque Arena.

Thank you already so much.

- - - o - - -

Torque Arena is a tabletop miniatures sport game (MSG fuyioh!) set in a post-collapse solarpunk world. In this setting, Torque is a full contact sport where rival crews of battlers vie for control of a mechanical contraption, the eponymous "torque ball”, in order to "slay" the opponent's Totem.

• Brutal Sport
  Tackes hit hard, injuries hurt, and holding on to the torque in the face of skilled rivals takes guts. Still, combat and continuous brawling are intentionally not the focus of gameplay, which instead revolves around highly dynamic movement and risky but rewarding teamwork maneuvers.

• Fast & Dynamic
  A full bout should take not more than 60 minutes, with crews performing alternating “plays” and “shuffles” punctuated by many opportunity actions. No breaks, no resets, just one go until a crew wins. This happens as a constant flux of actions and reactions fueled by player choices, dice luck and earned resources. Downtime isn't really a thing in Torque Arena.

• No Measurements
  Movement is vector-based and measure-less. Most mechanics only require the "measure" of a 5 cm (2”) distance, which can easily be eyeballed or visualized by a simple shape-tool.

• Solarpunk Campaign Play
  For battlers, winning the present bout means everything.
  For the town hosting the event, much more could be at stake.
  
  [In advanced development 🔨 ]
  Crews will earn Blood and Spectacle points depending on what they do in the arena, which will then have both immediate and long-term effects: in-bout resources, future matchmaking, the overall "health" and "experience" of the crew and its battlers.
  
  [To be developed 🛠️ ]
  Pre- and Post- bout choices and results will feed into an overarching narrative structure, affecting the welfare of whole communities as well as the fate of some specific individuals.
  Similarly, your battlers will develop personal ties and relationships, their own set of goals, problems and opportunities, all affected by the arena outcomes.

Main inspirations.

• The Salute of the Jugger (movie) for the whole idea.
• Welcome to Wrexham (docu-series) for the uplifting example of what sport can mean for a community.
• Dreadball (game by Mantic) for the overall structure and dice pool concept.
• Grave Trigger (game by Cardboard Dynamo) for the free/measureless/vector movement idea.
• One Page Rules (game company) for a great example of how modern miniature games can rethink old conventions to get to a leaner and meaner shape.