Open Gaming

Presented By: Jay

In the quiet village of Ravenswood Bluff, ‌a demon walks amongst you. During a hellish thunderstorm, on the stroke of midnight, there echoes a bone-chilling scream. The townsfolk rush to investigate and find the town storyteller murdered, their body impaled on the hands of the clocktower, blood dripping onto the cobblestones below. A Demon is on the loose, murdering by night and disguised in human form by day. Some have scraps of information. Others have abilities that fight the evil or protect the innocent. But the Demon and its evil minions are spreading lies to confuse and breed suspicion. Will the good townsfolk put the puzzle together in time to execute the true demon and save themselves? Or will evil overrun this once peaceful village?

Blood on the Clocktower is a bluffing game with players on opposing teams of Good and Evil, overseen by a Storyteller player who conducts the action and makes crucial decisions. The goal of the game is to successfully deduce and execute the demons before they outnumber the townsfolk.

During a ‘day’ phase players socialize openly and whisper privately to trade knowledge or spread lies, culminating in a player’s execution if a majority suspects them of being Evil. During a ‘night’ time, players close their eyes and are woken one at a time by the Storyteller to gather information, spread mischief, or kill.

The Storyteller uses the game’s intricate playing pieces to guide each game, leaving others free to play without a table or board. Players stay in the thick of the action to the very end even if their characters are killed, haunting Ravenswood Bluff as ghosts trying to win from beyond the grave. Each character comes with their own special ability and no two players in a game are ever the same character.

Player Capacity: 7 to 12.
Scheduled: 12:30pm Friday, 7:30pm Saturday
System: Blood on the Clocktower
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: M. The game features themes of horror and deception, with players taking on hidden roles, including potential “evil” characters.
Seriousness: Moderate, leaning toward serious. (4/6)

By: Sheldon Mott

Heckle Havoc is a game of improvised storytelling.

It’s simple, a player makes up a story and the others Heckle them.

The Story cards are a leaping off point from which you conjure your story. Is it about you? Someone you know? Is it a Wizard in North Korea trying to find housemates? Navigate your story on the fly as your Audience Heckles you with twists that will help you and often throw you wildly off course.

Player Capacity: 3 to 8.
System: Heckle Havoc
System knowledge required: None.
Rating: PG.
Seriousness: Completely silly. (0/6)

By: Jonathan @V2Sgames

ONE OF YOU IS THE KING. The rest of you are either going to try to assassinate them or rat out the conspirators. Who can you trust? Who’ll be left standing? Who will be king?

The King’s Poisoner is a new pick-up-and-play tabletop roleplaying game of conspiracy & courtly intrigue for 3–8 players.

And this year:
WELCOME TO THE GREAT GAME. As well as individual games each day, this year will feature a 3.5-hour tournament-style event. Special offers will be available for entrants and prizes awarded to finalists!

Politics in the Empire is a bloody beast. Gossip & rumor fill its lungs to bursting, while it sniffs out promises or favors no one knew were there, especially their owners. Intrigue however, is what beats its callous heart. The High King maintains a grip on it for now, but that can’t last. Someone will try to wrest it from them, will it be you?

You’re a king, or an influential member of their court, in one of the kingdoms that make up this great Empire. You’re either going to try to assassinate the High King or rat out the conspirators and save them—if you can make it to their table. Who will you trust? What will you dare? Who will be the King of Kings!

The King’s Poisoner is a thrilling out-of-the-box tabletop roleplaying game of love, loyalty, ambition & murder. With no preparation and no game master, 3–8+ players can learn as they go, scheming unforgettable stories in 1-2 hours that will keep everyone guessing right to the very end!

Player Capacity: 2 to 8 per table. Best with 7 + facilitator.
System: The King’s Poisoner
System knowledge required: None.
Rating: M. Themes include poison, intrigue, romance, regicide, and murder.
Seriousness: Moderate, but on the less serious side. (2/6)

Presented By: Stevie

The Melbourne Queer TTRPG Community is a place where queer players can hang out, play Micro TTRPGs designed by Australian queer designers, and find out more about the group.

Casual games this year will include:

Fates Less Known
Fates Less Known is a cozy, no prep, duet Tarot-based TTRPG designed to tell love stories. 2-players. 15-45 minutes to play. In this game, one player takes on the role of the Seeker who is looking for their unique version of love, whether it be romantic, platonic, or something wonderfully different. They go to see the Oracle, a seer of the future things to come. Together, you will play through three evocative scenes, revealing the fates of these lovers.

Murder! Divining a Mystery
You are a detective, with an unusual tool to help you solve the unsolvable. 2-6 players. 10-30 minutes. Use your paper fortune teller to solve a murder. Deduce the motive and use the symbols on your fortune teller to solve the crime and bust the case wide open! Narrate the entire story using your fortune teller to guide you. Create a story as long or as short as you like!

Player Capacity: 1 to 4
System knowledge required: None.
Rating: PG. Games will contain queer themes.
Seriousness: Moderate, but on the less serious side. (2/6)

By: @stashcardgame

There is a town, unguarded, and you are intent on raiding it and leaving with a massive bounty of loot!
But be careful, there are others who share a similar interest… Play your cards right and take home the biggest stash!

STASH is quick, simple, and easy to learn.
Designed to be endlessly re-playable by both casual partygoers and dedicated strategists, STASH will have you hooked. It has the simplicity of UNO, the anticipation of Poker, and the interaction of Unstable Unicorns.

Released by the independent Australian game developer in 2025, STASH received overwhelmingly positive feedback from play-testers, and delivers on its promise to strike the balance between a casual family favourite and a medium for competitive play.

Gameplay:
Players are villains, taking turns adding to their loot pile, accumulating treasure. Until it is stashed, however, it is at the mercy of the other players.
Players start with a hidden villain – each with their own special action. On a player’s turn, they either raid the town by drawing and playing a card, or they reveal their hidden character card, allowing them to stash, steal, trade, or burn each other’s loot.
The game ends when no more cards can be played from player’s hands, and the highest accumulated loot score determines the winner. There are a predetermined number of each card type within the deck, allowing competitive players to strategically assess the risk vs reward of their actions.

Player Capacity: 2 to 4, best with 3
System: Stash
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: G.
Seriousness: Average (3/6)

By: Richard

WARSURGE is a universal miniature war game where you can use any of your miniatures to engage in tabletop battles both great and small. Use miniature soldiers, figurines or even toys from any shop and deploy them onto a table for glorious battle. Prepare for warfare in a tabletop game based on equality, where players have full customisation of their own units and weapons.

WARSURGE’s game mechanics are suitable for players who enjoy grand battles, epic skirmishes and supports multiplayer.

With WARSURGE you can: “Use Anything, Fight Everything.”

Player Capacity: 2 to 6
System: Warsurge
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: G.
Seriousness: Moderate, but on the less serious side (2/6)