Torque Arena is a tabletop miniatures sports game set in a solarpunk post-collapse world where crews of seekers face each other in the arena to win favor and resources for their respective villages.
Lead your crew.
Harness the torque.
Fell the rival’s totem!
The current page is about the core gameplay of a single bout.
This other page is about the narrative campaign system tyeing together a string of individual bouts into a larger and ongoing story with consequences big and small.
¶ Developer
| Stage Persona | Inmate Number | Power | Flavour | Kink | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Alessandro Piroddi alessandro.piroddi@haw-hamburg.de @ UnPlayableGames |
🪷 2413895 | 🎲 Game Design | ☕ Coffee | 🍐 Pears |
¶ Project
| Torque Arena (Core System) | |
|---|---|
| When | Games Master WiSe 24/25 |
| Why | Master Project |
| Platform | Tabletop |
| Genre | Miniatures / Sports |
| Language | English |
| Play Mode | 1-vs-1 |
| Duration | ~60 minutes |
| Status | Prototype |
| Current Version | 0.16 |
¶ Core Loop
A player performs one action with one of their seekers. The opponent then performs one action with one of their own seekers. This repeats until someone manages to fell their opponent's totem, winning the game.
This alternating flow is supported and accelerated by the limited number of possible actions (Rush, Push, Seize, Mend, Throw) and by their inherent structural simplicity.
Conversely, the alternating flow is disrupted by the effects of the Rush action and the Edge resource, which both grant the ability (at a cost) to perform one additional action before the turn alternates to the opponent.
All other mechanics feed into this fundamental structure.
¶ Inspirations
 |
Dreadball Tabletop Game 2012 Mantic > hex-grid arena > athlete roles > dice-pool mechanics |
 |
Guild Ball Tabletop Game 2015 Steamforged > sport as tool of social arbitration > in-arena terrain elements > pole-shaped goal |
 |
Grimdark Future Tabletop Game 2018 One Page Rules > focus on simplicity and ease of access > miniature agnostic mechanics |
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Apocalypse World Tabletop RPG 2010 Lumplay > emergent narrative mechanics > player-first fictional mechanics post-apocalyptic setting |
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Salute of the Jugger (The Blood of Heroes) Movie 1989 > sudden death score mechanic > brutal but non-lethal action camaraderie among rivals > post-apocalyptic setting |
¶ Design Goals
The main goals of SPEED, ACCESSIBILITY and EXCITEMENT are achived through the interconnected effects of many key elements:
- Few Models - “skirmish”
- Fell Victory - sudden death
- Quick Turns - activations
- Tactics > Strategy
- Flow > Simulation
- Hex Grid
- Low math
- Bound Randomness
- Exploding Dice
- Hype!
¶ MSCW
| MUST | SHOULD | COULD | WONT |
|---|---|---|---|
| > Rulebook _ complete bout play _ miniature agnostic _ hype system > Cover Art |
> Rulebook Layout > Additional Art > Setting Lore > Narrative Campaign ( parallel project ) |
> STL 3D Models > Terrain Rules > Factions |
> A Shiny Digital Port  |