Pulp! is a scenario-driven skirmish wargame that simulates heroic adventures and diabolical schemes during the early 20th century. Players create small teams of characters, such as explorers or detectives, to battle rival groups in settings like lost ruins, jungle landscapes, or city streets. The game supports solo, cooperative, and competitive head-to-head modes, featuring tactical unit activation, dice-based skill checks, and a variety of special equipment, including futuristic devices like death rays alongside classic firearms.
Game Concept
Setting:
The game is set in the interwar period (early 20th century), a time of adventure, exploration, and dangerous discoveries.
Theme:
Players engage in globe-trotting escapades, facing threats such as cults, gangsters, and rival adventurers while uncovering ancient treasures.
Character Teams:
Players assemble small teams, or “units,” of heroes, villains, or other characters with unique backgrounds and special abilities.
Gameplay Mechanics
Activation System:
Players take turns activating units, with units in proximity to others being more likely to receive a full range of actions, while isolated units receive a more limited, partial activation.
Actions:
During an activation, a unit can perform actions like moving, firing weapons, or charging into melee combat.
Combat:
Hits are resolved with dice rolls, with successful saves preventing damage. The results are then determined as Suppression (hindering the target) or Wound (bringing them closer to being removed from the game).
Perils:
The game incorporates mechanics for dealing with perils introduced by solo or game cards, often requiring skill checks to overcome the challenge and avoid negative consequences.
Play Modes
Solo Play: Rules are included for solo play, allowing a single player to experience the game’s challenges.
Cooperative Play: Players can work together against the game’s challenges.
Head-to-Head Play: The game also supports traditional competitive play between opposing players or teams.
