Steampunk

Steampunk

Smog curls above brass rooftops as an airship docks and a clockwork courier clicks to a halt. Your crew gathers in a workshop lit by sputtering lamps. A magnate has vanished, a rival guild plots sabotage, and a prototype engine could change the world. Expect rooftop chases, tea-soaked intrigue, and frantic repairs mid-flight. You might parley with aristocrats in velvet salons. Then descend to roaring factories to uncover the secret that keeps the city's heart pumping.

Steampunk thrives at the table because invention invites collaboration. Problems can be solved with wit, tools, and bold plans, so everyone contributes. Beginners and families enjoy familiar touchstones from history and clear stakes. Team events feature a mix of roles, from pilot and engineer to scout and social lead, alongside puzzle and heist elements. Veterans appreciate layered conspiracies, faction play, and intricate gadgeteering if desired.

Our Game Masters tailor rules to your preferences. Fast, pulpy action in Fate Core or Savage Worlds. Gritty crew drama in Blades in the Dark. Charming skyship one-shots in Lady Blackbird. Even D&D 5E adapted for gears and steam. The tone can swing from bright and adventurous to grounded and political, or even tinged with horror. Our Game Masters can opt for combat-light capers and inventions, or combat-forward with wild contraptions. See the game systems our Game Masters use for options.

Common questions

Which game systems are best suited for Steampunk?

Fate Core manages freeform inventions and daring stunts. Savage Worlds is quick for chases, hazards, and dynamic combats. Blades in the Dark suits smoky cities, factions, and crew-driven escapades. Lady Blackbird is ideal for a light, rules-light skyship tale. D&D 5E can also be adapted with simple adjustments for firearms, gadgets, and tinkering. A professional Game Master will tailor the rules to your pace, from intricate gadgeteering to a relaxed pulp style. If you wish to compare options before booking, see the game systems we run.

Is Steampunk a suitable choice for beginners or children?

Yes. The setting feels familiar, allowing new players to easily envision airships, workshops, and city streets. The rules can remain straightforward, with clear actions for tinkering and teamwork. For younger players, a professional Game Master can create a lighter atmosphere, avoiding grim factory details and emphasising invention and adventure. Pre-made characters and gadget cards enable everyone to get involved quickly. Anticipate short scenes, regular successes, and opportunities to create or repair things together. No previous knowledge of history or rules is required.

What distinguishes Steampunk from Gaslamp or Dieselpunk?

Steampunk focuses on Victorian-era aesthetics and steam or clockwork technology. Issues are often addressed with gadgets, bold plans, and social manoeuvring. Gaslamp or Gothic leans into the supernatural, hauntings, and moral unease, placing less emphasis on invention. Dieselpunk advances to early 20th-century technology, featuring combustion engines, radios, tanks, and a grittier, noir atmosphere. If you’re drawn to brass, rivets, airships, and salons, choose Steampunk. If you prefer tales of ghosts or diesel-era warfare, those other genres might suit you better.

Can you adjust the tone, shifting it from whimsical to gritty or political?

Absolutely. Let your Game Master know what you want to highlight. You can have bright inventor escapades filled with puns and brass gadgets, or more grounded tales about labour, class, and resource struggles. Politics can serve as a backdrop or be a central theme. Supernatural elements can either be absent or included. Combat can be light, featuring heists and repairs, or more intense with clanking automata. Safety tools ensure content remains comfortable, particularly regarding colonial history. To explore different facilitation styles, check out GM playstyles and choose what feels right.

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Game systems for Steampunk

  • Dungeons & Dragons

    • High Fantasy +7
    • 1 – 7 players
    • Moderate rules

    Craft your own fantasy story with Dungeons & Dragons. Assemble a group of daring heroes, outwit traps, negotiate with dragons, and seize treasure in vibrant realms. Imagine the camaraderie of The Lord of the Rings, but you decide the routes, the conflicts, and the conclusion.

    View system: Dungeons & Dragons
  • Call of Cthulhu

    • Cosmic Horror +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Call of Cthulhu is the classic game of investigative cosmic horror. Take on the role of doomed investigators delving into occult mysteries and the limits of sanity.

    View system: Call of Cthulhu
  • Daggerheart

    • High Fantasy +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Daggerheart is a high-fantasy RPG where every roll involves Hope and Fear d12s. Grand heroics intertwine with significant consequences in quick, narrative-driven gameplay.

    View system: Daggerheart
  • Vampire: The Masquerade

    • Vampire +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Vampire: The Masquerade is a contemporary roleplaying game centred around hunger, power, and secrecy. Imagine Interview with the Vampire, but you’re in control. Plot, charm, and endure as a coterie while a skilled Game Master animates a city filled with dark politics.

    View system: Vampire: The Masquerade
  • Cyberpunk

    • Cyberpunk +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Take control of the neon sprawl with Cyberpunk RED, the near-future game featuring mercs, megacorps, and tough decisions from R. Talsorian Games. Experience fast, lethal action, cutting-edge technology, and high-stakes heists. If you're familiar with Cyberpunk 2077, you'll recognise the grit and flair.

    View system: Cyberpunk
  • Lancer

    • Mecha +7
    • 2 – 5 players
    • In-depth rules

    Pilot a custom-built mech in high-stakes missions that combine tactical precision with character-driven drama. Lancer offers intense battles and expansive sci-fi themes of duty, politics, and hope. If you're a fan of Gundam, you'll feel right at home.

    View system: Lancer
  • Starfinder

    • Space Opera +6
    • 2 – 6 players
    • In-depth rules

    Starfinder is Paizo’s science-fantasy setting filled with blaster battles, spell-casting technomancers, and starship confrontations. Imagine Mass Effect but with magic. Our Game Masters will lead you through bizarre worlds, thrilling heists, and alien enigmas that reward collaboration and daring decisions.

    View system: Starfinder
  • Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

    • Dark Fantasy +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • In-depth rules

    Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay immerses you in the Old World, a bleak, disease-infested realm filled with cults, corruption, and difficult decisions. Imagine The Witcher, but with darker humour and even tougher odds. Expect gritty investigations, deadly battles, and chaotic magic, all overseen by our Game Masters.

    View system: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
  • ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game

    • Survival Horror +7
    • 2 – 5 players
    • Moderate rules

    Stalk the darkness between the stars with ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game, a cinematic survival horror experience. Stress fuels panic and tough choices as you fight to survive. If Ridley Scott's Alien captivated you, this brings that same chilling dread to the table.

    View system: ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game

What players have to say

  • Fantastic session! Joseph was polite, kind, and professional. He made the whole experience enjoyable and welcoming for a novice group. Thank you very much!

    Laura

  • Dayron is fantastic! From our very first session, he has helped a group of inexperienced newbies discover a love for this form of storytelling. His talent for portraying different characters really immerses us in the narrative. His understanding of the mechanics is brilliant, aiding us all in learning the game. Overall, he's a great person who fits in like one of the family. I would recommend anyone interested in trying D&D to go with Dayron!

    Paulo

  • Tom was brilliant! He was really great with the kids and very patient with his explanations. It was a wonderful evening and definitely worth doing again! The children asked the next day when we would be doing this again.

    Danny

  • First of all, I want to say that Sebastian was really great as a DM. For his first run as a booked DM, he did an excellent job. The 3 stars refer to the following: 1. We were disappointed that the adventure was labelled a One Shot yet wasn't a complete story. Discovering that there are two more parts wasn't very positive for us, as it meant there was no satisfying conclusion to the story. 2. As new players, it was difficult for us to understand the English character sheets in such a short time. In German, it would have been much easier. Even receiving the character sheets a few days in advance would have been helpful for preparation. 3. More guidance would be beneficial. Especially for beginners, a more linear one shot would have been preferable. We wasted a significant portion of the adventure time doing unnecessary things because we didn't fully understand how the game worked. Overall, I think the StoryForgers concept is really good and I see a lot of potential in it, especially for introducing new players to D&D. I hope you don't take my feedback the wrong way but see it as honest criticism. Best regards, Mario

    Mario

  • Bryan was exceptional. We had a group with varying levels of experience, and he managed to keep everyone engaged and involved. His positive attitude made the game enjoyable for all. I really appreciated how he could clearly explain what was needed from our less experienced players while keeping our more seasoned players on their toes with his deep knowledge of the game. Everyone in our party had a fantastic time thanks to Bryan.

    Jeremy

  • Dayron was fantastic. Well-prepared, punctual, and had a brilliant sense of humour.

    Corey

  • Dayron was fantastic; he provided a brilliant experience. Thanks!

    Casey

    The Merry Meeple

  • The game was really engaging. I got a game as a present for my boyfriend, who is very keen on it, and he was very pleased and appreciated Leonardo's professionalism. I don't have much experience with DnD, but I found the game to be quite straightforward and enjoyable.

    Marina

  • Baptiste was an excellent GM who adapted well to our group and helped us progress in this one-shot. However, there was one issue with the character sheets provided, as they were not complete or clear. Some of the French translations were rather approximate. For instance, our cleric was missing spells, including a healing spell, even though they were meant to have some.

    Pierre

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