Goblin Labs

Another review so soon after my last one? Damn, I’m on fire!

Hot War by Contested Ground Studios

Synopsis: A post-nuclear apocalyptic game that is not Fallout.

Post-apocalyptic settings are a staple of science fiction, probably as a result of our morbid fascination with doom and catastrophe, and as such they’re very well represented in both tabletop and video games. Some of the earliest pencil-and-paper roleplaying games belong to this genre (anyone remember Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega), while the video games industry has produced such classics as Wasteland and Fallout. A common theme among such games is that their vision of the post-apocalyptic world tends to be based on almost total societal collapse, anarchy and small bands of destitute survivors or brutal thugs as the basic social unit. A very Mad Max: The Road Warrior experience if you’d like.

Hot War takes a different approach to nuclear year zero. Firstly, the and is not set in the vague future, but in an alternate version of history that has already occurred 50 years ago. But most impotently, society still endures… sort of. There is still a functioning government… kind of. And while there were certainly a lot of nukes falling around, it is really the other weapons used in the war that you should really be worried about.

Physically, Hot War is 204 pages long, with a single-column, easy to read format. Text is clearly presented using a typewriter font so that the entire book looks like a government textbook or strategic report from the 60s. The art used in the game also deserves a mention, as it is very effective in conveying and enhancing its mod and theme. It consists of government posters informing the citizens about the latest initiative and their duties, as well as "photographs" of the ravaged apocalypsia and the disturbing creatures inhabiting it.

Hot War is a sequel of sorts to the designer’s previous work, Cold City, a game of supernatural espionage in post-WW2 Berlin focused on the exploits of a secret multi-national task force investigating the twisted technology researched by the Nazis during the war. Although I have not read or played Cold City, I can see the similarities with Hot War. That said, the games are completely independent from each other and not owning Cold City will not detract in any way from enjoying Hot War.

The premise of the game is that in October 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War went Hot. No one really knows who fired the first nukes but that is not really of importance anymore. Nuclear strikes devastated most of the world, but bombs were not the only weapons used. Darker things have been also unleashed, mutated troops and horrors from other dimensions, as the results of research into twisted technology first carried about by the Nazis and then eagerly continued by the victors of WW2.

The game focuses on London and a relatively small area of the south of England that managed to avoid direct nuclear strikes but has been nevertheless heavily damaged by invading Soviet forces, a river of refugees from the continent and by the twisted weapons employed by both sides. Its main theme is one of post-apocalyptic horror, what someone would get if he crossed The Day After with Call of Cthulhu, but as I explain towards the end of the review the supernatural horror element can be disregarded if that isn’t your cup of tea. What is not made optional by the game’s design is the locale of the drama. Many GMs will base their post-apocalyptic campaigns in their home countries or even in their home towns, using their intimate knowledge of these locations. This is not possible in Hot War, at least not without extensive work on the GM’s part, because of the factions, politics and intrigue that is central to the game. Hot War is firmly based in London and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The game provides a lot of detail of post-apocalyptic London and its miles of underground tunnels and Victorian sewers can hold many nasty surprises for the players.

A brief history of the first 12 months after the nuclear strikes is presented as a series of diary entries, official posters and government memos. The game officially starts in the winter of 1963, with what remains of the government still struggling to deal with mounting problems such as failing infrastructure, scarce food and fuel, refugees, the remains of the disorganised Soviet invaders and the hellish creatures unleashed by the war. Any contact with America has been lost, no one knows exactly what’s going on in Europe and the north of Britain has been largely written off. As if those problems weren’t enough many agencies, from the civilian government to the trade unions and the armed forces, seek to gain the upper hand in the rebuilt nation by any means necessary.

Players belong to the Special Situations Group (SSG), an agency form in the first few months of the war to provide a more coordinated response to the pressing needs of the country and the threat of Soviet forces, terrorists and twisted technology. Ironically, because the SSG recruits agents from various sources to get people with diverse special skills and qualities, it is every bit as factionalised as the other agencies. There is a lot of strife and internal conflict within the ranks of the SSG and the player team is anything but immune to them.

Creating a character is a very straightforward procedure, but requires some thought from both the player and GM. Characters are primarily defined by three attributes (Action, Influence and Insight), as well as by traits, hidden agendas and relationships. Out of all these, only attributes are clear-cut numbers that are easy to assign. Traits are the character’s skills, knowledge and personality quirks and are defined by the player using short sentences (think of the aspects in Fate) rather than pick from a list. Hidden agendas describe the character’s secret goals, one for the benefit of the faction he is affiliated with and one for his personal gain. Relationships formalise the character’s connection with loved ones, important NPCs, antagonists and even other play characters. All these characteristics have to be defined by the player using the game’s guidelines under the watchful eye of the GM.

From the character creation method you may get the impression that Hot War is one of those games that forego complex rules to focus instead on the narrative aspect of roleplaying – and you would be correct. Every scene with conflict is resolved with an opposed roll and the winning side gets to narrate what happens, with input from the other players and the GM. This may disappoint people who prefer games with lots of tactical options, but this simplistic approach actually offers surprising depth because it also doubles as the game’s experience and character development system. Every single bit of character growth comes as a result of conflict resolution, making it seem much more natural than if you simply spent experience points at the end of the gaming session.

During a conflict scene, players and the opposition roll ten-sided dice based on the appropriate attribute and modifier by environmental circumstances. The highest roller wins and scribes the outcome, with identical dice being removed until there is a clear winner. Hidden agendas, traits and relationships can be us to gain bonus dice if they fit with the current conflict. However, hidden agendas can only be used a limited number of times before reaching resolution, and traits and relationships are put at risk if the outcome is not favourable.

If you’re on the winning side of a conflict, you get a number of points to spend on consequences depending on how well you’ve rolled compared to the losing side. Consequences are the real meat of conflict resolution because they can affect almost every character aspect. Attributes can rise and fall. Negative traits can be turned into positive ones and vice versa. Relationships can be strengthened or damaged. The only rule is that any change should come naturally as a logical consequence of the conflict’s outcome.

The good news for people not very enthusiastic about Lovecraftian alien horrors plaguing their ideal post-apocalyptic world is that the game’s richly detailed setting can stand on its own without any supernatural elements. With only a few minor changes, Hot War could be used to run a campaign similar to the TV shows Threads or Jericho. After all, life after nuclear at should be terrifying enough without shadow monstrosities from beyond space and time breathing down on your neck.

Conclusion: An exceptionally well-made game that will certainly satisfy any post-apocalyptic fever. Great with or without its horror element.