Photo by: Jim Wallman

You want to run a megagame without writing one first? You’ve come to the right place!

Listed here are a few well-known games that the designers have made available in a form which is ready to be printed and run, with no or minimal adjustments. We’ve also added some notes about them to help you decide which one will be right for your group.

The intention is to make this list as comprehensive as possible. If you have or are aware of a game which is available in a state ready to print and run, please get in touch, and we may add it in! We’ll try and keep tabs on the information here and make sure it stays up-to-date - if anything isn’t accurate any more, then please let us know.

All the costs on this page assume you already have access to all the basic equipment needed to print and prepare megagame components (printer, laminator, etc). We strongly recommend you also read this guide to the practical process of taking a megagame you haven’t written and running it yourself.

The megagame community is full of supportive people who want to help you make your game a success. It’s a big task to take on - but with a bit of planning, you’ll be surprised how quickly it all comes together.

Now here’s the list of the available games (scroll down or click a link to go directly to the game of your choice):

Aftermath
Alliance
Arnhem Assault
By Other Means
Councils of Elporia
Crisis in Elysium
Den of Wolves
Event Horizon
Everybody Dies
God Emperor
Gods of the Ancient World
Intervention!
Mirrorshades
New World Order 2035
Power to the People
The Generalissimo is Dead
The Shot Heard Around The Universe
Urban Nightmare: State of Chaos
Watch The Skies

Aftermath
Zane Gunton, Diversionary Megagames

A low-key post-apocalyptic game, Aftermath is set in rural southern England just six months after civilisation came crashing to a halt. A brutal winter has prevented any hopes of retaining or recovering the former world, and now the survivors must agree - or fight over - what to do with this new one. Players are divided between survivor teams - prominent groups forming hubs of new communities - and the remnants of the former government, trying to retain control and continue to fulfil their duties.

• For more details, have a look at these write-ups by Misery Farming and BeckyBecky Blogs

• 22-43 players (including 1-2 Press)

• Most roles are very accessible - high levels of role-play across the game, although some government players will have a more mechanical role

• Runs with 6-10 facilitators. Some mechanical responsibilities but all members of the team should be good at narrative resolution. On the higher end in terms of the skills/experience needed to run it

• You can contact the designer for the materials, which are currently provided for free

• Around 1000-1500 cards

• Need to purchase 10-15 OS maps of the area (or put together an alternative)

• Total cost (before venue) approx £200-£350

Alliance
Shaun D McMillan

Originally designed as an educational game in the vein of Model UN, Alliance is a highly accessible political simulation set in the very near future of a world not unlike our own, where players grapple with conflicting priorities and attempt to bring about world peace, or at least stability. While it is pitched as an educational game, Alliance is great fun with an older audience, and the designer has helped game runners create add-ons such as Last Days, a zombie-themed version of the game.

• For more details, including videos of the game being played, check out the designer’s website

• 5-72 players (no, really!)

• All roles are very accessible to newer players. While some have more mechanical decisions to make, this is primarily a game of negotiation and collaboration.

• Roughly 1 facilitator needed per 6-8 players

• Game licence and materials can be obtained by contacting the designer. The licence is $60 for schools and other educators, and negotiable for other organisations

The designer has made the entire game available as a print-on-demand game from the Game Crafter for $290. While you could probably print a lower-quality version slightly cheaper, it’s a very good price for what you get.

Arnhem Assault
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

Possibly the most written about military campaign ever, Operation Market Garden has been the subject of hundreds of books, two feature films, dozens of computer games and board games, and the “80% Successful” operation has been the object of endless discussion among armchair generals over the last 70-plus years.

Arnhem Assault is an operational military megagame - players are divided between the two opposing forces with no major political or roleplaying decisions to make. The challenge of the game comes from maintaining a good flow of information and logistical support within each force. This particular design is relatively streamlined and simplified, and provides a good entry point to the world of operational games.

• 12-24 players

• All roles have a blend of mechanics and communication, with some flexibility for players to prefer one or the other. No negotiation as such

• 3-7 facilitators, depending on experience levels - if you haven’t run operational games before, aim for the full complement. All control roles will require mechanical resolution and possibly a little resolution of free-form actions

• Game licence and materials available here for £39.99

• A large number of maps at varying levels of detail. For this game it is best to print and laminate these maps as players will want to annotate and update them using dry-erase markers

• Approx 300 foam board tokens

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £100-£150

By Other Means
Ed Silverstone, Reading Megagames

The war has raged for decades, and devastated the galaxy. Now, the leaders of the warring nations have gathered to negotiate. Can they finally bring an end to the bloodshed? Or will the talks break down - and with them, what remains of galactic civilisation?

By Other Means is a space opera megagame with a heavy emphasis on diplomacy. Players spend most of their time in councils, discussing how the galaxy should be divided up - but in the background, they deploy their fleets to try to wring what strategic advantage they can out of the situation.

For a player's-eye view of a previous game, check out this write-up on BeckyBecky Blogs.

• 15-32 players

• All roles require a significant level of negotiation - there are also mechanical decisions to be made but these are contained to a planning phase and made jointly by each team, so there is room for players with little interest in mechanics.

• 3 facilitators, primarily resolving mechanics and responding to rules queries but with some free-form actions to evaluate.

• Game licence and materials available here for $60

• 60 cards

• One large (6ftx5ft) map

• Around 500 foam board counters

• Around 1000 generic tokens (wooden cubes, etc)

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £200-£300

Councils of Elporia
Ben Kanelos - adapted from ‘As Thou Commands’ by Peter Nixon

After generations of war, the divided factions of the Elpor Basin have agreed to put aside their differences and build a shared nation. But the challenges of keeping such a diverse group united, in the face of a large and dangerous world, will take all the skill of their newly-appointed leaders. Players divide their time between their Provinces - looking to their own estates and those of their neighbours - and central Councils which must decide on the weighty decisions facing the nation.

Councils of Elporia has a strong emphasis on storytelling and shared world-building. It's also currently an online-only megagame, although if you're interested in converting it for in-person play, Ben would be very keen to hear from you!

• 12-25 players

• Players are expected to engage in the shared world-building aspects of the game, which may be new territory for some.

• Runs with 4-6 facilitators, with heavy narrative responsibilities.

• The game materials are available for free here

• The only cost to run the game would be a Miro (or similar) license - less than £10

• An in-person run would likely require around 300 cards and 500 generic tokens, costing £40-80

Crisis in Elysium
Alex Beck, Horizon Megagames

Set in a distant future, on a colonised and - arguably - oppressed Mars, the domed city of Elysium is descending into political turmoil. Between Earth factions who see Elysium as a political tool to be used to further their objectives, and local radical factions as opposed to each other as they are to the Earth nations, dark days lie ahead - will a new normal be reached, or will Elysium itself fall in the conflict?

• To see how the game went at some of its past runs, check out a write-up on BeckyBecky Blogs and the Martian Daily News blog which was set up for one run

• 50-64 players (including 1-3 Press)

• Most roles are somewhat mechanical, map-based roles, though with plenty of scope for negotiation; each team has a pure diplomat role as well. Mostly quite accessible although the Martian Colonial Authority team is fighting a losing battle and is thus best cast with experienced players who are prepared for that challenge

• 8 facilitators needed - mostly centred on mechanics

• Game licence and materials can be obtained by contacting the designer, and were £250 at time of writing

• Around 500 cards

• 3 large (6ft x 5ft) maps

• Around 500 foam board counters

• 1500-2000 generic tokens (cubes, money in different denominations, etc)

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £500-£700

Den of Wolves
John Mizon, South West Megagames

Den of Wolves is a game about refugees fleeing through space from a dangerous, implacable enemy. The game is mostly co-operative but with some built-in tensions among the fleet and a few “traitor” roles to keep people guessing. The main gameplay loop is around logistics and resource management, but there’s a lot of politics and a bit of space combat in there as well. Probably the second most-run megagame after Watch the Skies, and deservedly so.

• For more details, have a look at these write-ups by Mechanics are Easy and Patrick Rose

• 26-41 players (including 1-3 Press)

• Has run tens of times - design is very robust

• Most roles are quite accessible - some key ones challenging for newer players. Traitors in particular are difficult to cast as players need to be creative and also willing to lose

• Runs with 2-4 facilitators. All members of the team do mechanical and narrative facilitation. Ideally wants a couple more experienced facilitators due to the traitor element

• Game license and materials available here - £200 at time of writing

• Around 300 cards

• 1 A1 main map

• Around 350 foam board tokens

• Need to purchase/have around 1000 generic tokens (poker chips/wooden cubes/etc)

• Total cost (including license, before venue) approx £350-£500

God Emperor
Jack McNamee, Brisbane Megagames

Set in a fantasy world about to experience a power vacuum for the first time in thousands of years, God Emperor gives players all the treachery, backstabbing and deception they can manage - and often a little more than they were prepared for. A game of grabbing what you can, and more importantly, holding on to it.

• To find out more, you can check out an interview with the designer on the Megagame Assembly podcast, or this review on the designer’s blog.

• 27-45 players

• All roles involve some mechanics, although players’ focus will be on negotiation and ensuring their allies are co-operating with them!

• 10 facilitator roles - mostly providing mechanics assistance and some narration

• Game licence and materials available here for $35.98

• Around 300 cards

• 1 large (6ft x 5ft) map

• 200-300 generic tokens (mostly meeples)

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £200-£250

Gods of the Ancient World
Tony Dogherty, Dukes of Highland

In an alternate history where the heydays of the Greek and Roman Empires coincided, the gods that pulled the strings of both civilisations played them off against each other for their own selfish ends. Gods of the Ancient World is a game of growth, conflict and power-politics, played out in many interacting arenas, natural and supernatural.

• For more details, have a look at this write-up from the Dukes of Highland blog

• 31-62 players

• Some senior leadership roles may be very challenging for newer players, and the Gods and Priests in particular will require very creative/narrative-focused play.

• Runs with 5-7 facilitators, depending on player count. Even split of heavily mechanical and heavily narrative responsibilities.

• Game license and files available here for $200

• Approx 600 cards

• One 6'x3' main map

• Approx 700 foamboard tokens

• Total cost (including license, before venue): $450-$650

Intervention!
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

Designed to be an entry-level megagame, Intervention! examines the complications surrounding a major power intervention in an insurgency. Set in the fictional nation of Silvania, players will fight an asymmetrical war for control of the nation’s future, in the hearts and minds of the nation and wider world as well as the streets of the capital. Inherent tensions within both “sides” add further complications, and diplomacy and careful compromise will be as important as military strategy.

• For more information, check out this writeup on PAXsims

• 17-28 players

• A range of roles, from almost purely mechanical to purely negotiation

• 2-4 facilitators, depending on experience and player count

• Game licence and materials available here for £15.99

• Approx 400 cards

• One A0 size main map

• 100 foam board tokens

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £100-£150

• Intervention! is tonally more serious than many megagames - if you run it, it’s best to make that clear up-front

Mirrorshades
Alex Beck, Horizon Megagames

The excellent cyberpunk-em-up Mirrorshades tells the classic story of a corporate-controlled dystopia and the “punks” - the elite (if usually impoverished) few who can make the new technology serve their own ends - and who serve as deniable assets for the corporations as often as they oppose them. With the election of a new Chair to the Corporate Council approaching, the legendary punk Fastjack has shocked the city by announcing their candidacy - can the corporate hegemony truly be overthrown?

• To hear about how previous runs went, check out the Last Turn Madness podcast or BeckyBecky Blogs’ write-up

• 35-51 players (including 1-3 Press)

• Most roles are somewhat mechanical, though all have diplomatic elements they can engage with. Each corporation has a CEO who is playing a largely diplomatic role. Fastjack in particular has a very difficult task and is best given to a more experienced player, but all other roles are accessible easily picked up by first-timers

• 8 facilitators needed - a mix of mechanical and narrative roles.

• Game licence and materials can be obtained by contacting the designer, and were £250 at time of writing

• 3,000 cards (no, really)

• 8 medium maps (5ft x 4ft)

• Around 100 foamboard tokens

• 500-1000 generic tokens for money etc

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £600-800

New World Order 2035
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

The game that Watch the Skies nearly was, New World Order is less science-fiction and more speculative geopolitical simulation. In a world undergoing major shifts in the balance of power, players must lead their nation into the future, ensuring the wellbeing of their citizens - or at least, the stability of their own regime. Despite the lack of science fiction elements, the game gives players scope for interesting and creative play, and the runs that have occurred have all ended very differently.

• For more information, check out this writeup on PAXsims or this podcast by Last Turn Madness (from about 35:30)

• 52-95 players (including 2-4 Press) - recommended at 70 or below without a very experienced facilitator team

• All roles contain elements of negotiation and creative play, but some are also managing more significant mechanical elements

• 8-12 facilitators, depending on experience level and players count, with some mostly mechanical roles and others focused on resolving ad-hoc actions.

• Game licence and materials available here for £59.99

• Approx 2,000 cards

• One main map (6ft x 5ft)

• Approx 1,000 foam board tokens

• Assorted trackers and mini-board, and approx 1,000 generic counters for money.

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £300-£450

Power to the People
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

Power to the People is a heavily political game set in 1970s UK. A radically socialist government has come to power, and if it has a successful first term in office, it may change the face of British politics for decades to come. But the government  is divided along factional lines on policy and many external actors - both opposition politicians and unelected officials - would rather see it fail. The game has a heavy focus on negotiation and theme, and will be a great fit for players with an interest in politics.

• For an insight into how the game plays, you can read these write-ups (under the game’s former name ‘A Very British Coup’) on the New Socialist and PaxSims

• 23-46 players (including 2 Press)

• Has run a handful of times - design is tried and tested.

• Most of the roles are very accessible, although players less comfortable with negotiation may struggle. Some of the Establishment roles require the players to be a bit underhanded and should be cast more carefully

• Runs with 2-3 facilitators, with mostly narrative responsibilities

• Game license and materials available here - £39.99 at time of writing

• Around 100 cards

• Around 100 foam board tokens

• Need to purchase/have around 200 generic tokens (poker chips/wooden cubes/etc)

• Total cost (including license, before venue) approx £100

The Shot Heard Around the Universe
Tim Campbell

Shot is a game of Empire and independence set in a far corner of the galaxy in the distant future. Loosely inspired by the events of the American Revolution, Shot sees players grapple with the risks and rewards of breaking away from a greedy but ultimately stable Empire for independence and self-determination. The game has players engaging in warfare, trade, espionage, and diplomacy, and features some of the strangest aliens in any megagame.

• To find out more, you can read a writeup of the game on Megagame Assembly or listen to a discussion of it on the Last Turn Madness podcast

• 28-58 players (including 4 Press)

• A range of roles - some heavily mechanical, others entirely diplomatic. Most are pretty approachable although the Imperial Governor and one or two of the rebel leaders are very difficult to play well

• The designer freely admits that some of the mechanics need a rework - mostly the trade and espionage games. While it can be run as-is - and it’s got great reviews all around - this may be a bit more work than some of the other options on this list

• Runs with 6-11 facilitators, with a mix of mechanical and narrative responsibilities

• You can contact the designer for a license and materials - £200 at time of writing

• Around 200 cards

• One large (6ft x 5ft) main map

• Around 300 foam board tokens

• Need to purchase/have around 500 generic tokens (poker chips/wooden cubes/etc) - or closer to 2000 if you don’t want to use printed money

• Total cost (including license, before venue) approx £300-£500

Urban Nightmare: State of Chaos
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

What would happen if a zombie crisis started tomorrow? Well, despite what Hollywood might tell you, chances are that the response would mostly come from existing emergency services and military forces. So, when reports begin to filter in of groups of individuals behaving erratically and intimidating passers-by in a few cities in the totally fictional State of Mishigamaa, beat cops are dispatched to send them on their way. What’s the worst that could happen?

Players represent politicians, leaders, police, emergency services, press, bio-tech corporations and even zombies! Human players have to take into account the demographics, economics and political make-up of the fictional State and the cities within it to work out what to do, for the good of everyone.

• The version currently available has been much revised since previous runs, but you can read about an earlier run on the Octopus Fruitbat blog and the ambitious Wide Area Megagame which ran seven simultaneous and interlinked games of Urban Nightmare on BeckyBecky Blogs

• 40-120 players (including 3-6 Press). The game runs similarly at different player counts, simply adding or removing additional cities

• Most roles are primarily mechanical, with a significant secondary communication aspect required if the players are to succeed at keeping humanity safe

• 8-14 facilitators, depending on player count, doing mostly mechanical roles

• Game licence and materials available here for £84.99

• Approx 2,500 - 5,000 cards (depending on player count)

• 3-6 main maps, each approximately 5ft x 4ft (depending on player count)

• Approx 1,000 - 2,000 foam board tokens (depending on player count)

• A variety of trackers to print and laminate, plus approximately 3,000 generic tokens and counters

• Total cost (including licence, before venue) approx £400-£1,000, partially depending on player count

Watch the Skies
Jim Wallman, Stone Paper Scissors

Watch the Skies is the seminal megagame of alien first contact. Players are national leaders facing the crisis created by the unknown arrivals, or aliens arriving at the planet with strange UFOs and inscrutable motivations. While the game models the global military situation and scientific progress, its core focus is humanity’s response to the unknown, and how existing human tensions are exacerbated or overruled in moments of crisis.

• You’ve probably already seen it, but Shut Up and Sit Down did an excellent video-journal of the first ever run of Watch the Skies, and you can read about one of the later runs in an article from an actual real newspaper (account required but no paywall)

• If you're running the game for more experienced players, you might want to consider modifying the alien brief, since some of the tension of the game comes from uncertainty about the aliens' goals. It's hard to balance a bespoke alien team, so you may well want to look at the options in the alien scenario pack provided on the Stone Paper Scissors website for £19.99

• 20-40 players (including 2 Press)

• Has run tens of times - design is very robust

• Most of the roles are very accessible - aliens best given to players willing to role-play

• Runs with 5-7 facilitators. Mix of mechanical and narrative roles. Mostly quite approachable roles, suitable for newer facilitators

• Game license and materials available here - £39.99 at time of writing

• Around 350 cards

• 1 6ft x 4ft main map

• Around 150 foam board tokens

• Total cost (before venue) approx £150-£200

Know of a megagame that is in a ready-to-run state? Let us know and we might add the details to this page.