‘A Breach of Trust’ is a megagame set in an alternate present day, with major themes of discovery, cooperation against otherworldly threats, and working within a massive organisation.
Players work as employees of a mysterious organisation called “Trust”, to protect the world from the things that go bump in the night. These can be anything from mythical monsters, to supernatural artifacts, to otherworldly entities that defy the laws of physics. Some are more like tools, reacting in a predictable way to certain stimuli, but others are creatures as intelligent as you or I. No matter their form, Trust calls all of these things “anomalies”.
Each player will take on a distinct role within Trust’s massive structure. Everything from genius scientists, to bad-ass special agents, to their shadowy leaders, to the very anomalies themselves. This group, and the brave people within it, are humanity’s first and last line of defence against anomalous threats to the lives of ordinary people- who remain blissfully unaware that such strange danger even exists.
This game is about a new Trust facility, known as ‘Helix Site’, and the Trust employees who’ve been newly hired or transferred from other sites to work there. At the start of the game the players, as new employees, are arriving at the new location for the first time, and don’t know much about who they’ll be working with, what they’ll be doing, or what strange anomalies have already been transferred here from other sites. A new facility means new opportunities, new colleagues to meet, and exciting new ways of working. However, there are also many risks. The world, and all its anomalous threats, will not patiently wait for this new site to get itself up to speed. You’ll have to learn fast, work efficiently, and be prepared to adapt- lest Helix Site become a smouldering crater before it even gets off the ground…
What will I be doing?
If you’ve not played a megagame before, you’re encouraged to learn more before filling out the casting questionnaire. To find out more about megagames in general, we recommend reading the following articles:
Most of the game consists of simply moving around and talking to other players. There is no ‘board’ to move pieces on, and players don’t ‘take turns’ to act. However, there will be cards to play, dice to roll, and resources to manage.
You’ll interact with other players, and their own small areas, in the course of doing your job and trying to achieve your goals. However, just because you all want to save the world, doesn’t mean you’ll all agree! Disagreements will range from fundamental questions about what’s ethically right and wrong, to rival colleagues trying to steal your thunder, to the monthly budget allocation. You’ll need to work with other players- or creatively outwit them- if you’re to get anything done. And, of course, while you’re arguing, the monsters in the vaults might escape and start eating people…
These sorts of games are usually busy from start to finish, though some roles will be busier than others. Time in-game will pass at a regular rate, and unfortunately we can’t allow ‘just five more minutes’ for anyone, for any reason! The game will last for around 8 hours, and you should bring a packed lunch and snacks so you can have something to eat without disrupting your game plans!
How do I sign up?
To play in a Breach of Trust, we ask potential players to fill in a casting questionnaire before buying a ticket. In some cases, especially as slots fill up, we may be unable to find a character that fits you as a player.
- Read the Overview (here) and Department (here) briefs.
- Fill in the Casting Questionnaire (here) and e-mail it to spiralmegagames@gmail.com.
- Wait for a response. (The hardest part!)
- Once we’ve checked out your questionnaire and confirmed that you’ll have a character, go to our Eventbrite page and purchase a ticket. Tickets are £30 plus Eventbrite fees, but please get in touch if you’d have trouble paying and would like to contribute in other ways.
- You’ll get two confirmation e-mails: one from Eventbrite, and one from spiralmegagames@gmail.com. Once you have both, your place is confirmed (Disclaimer: Purchasing a ticket without a confirmed questionnaire does not guarantee you a place in the game!)
What if I want to help run the game?
If you would like to help run the game instead, we encourage you to apply for Control! This can be an excellent way to see behind the scenes and is a valuable and rewarding experience. Control, similar to DM/GMs of tabletop roleplaying games, will run a part of the game for the players, and know a huge amount about the game before it occurs. No ticket purchase will be needed – Control is free.
This is the most important job in the game, and without volunteers we simply wouldn’t be able to make the event happen. However, we are expecting to get more Control applicants than we need, as we’re deliberately running with a small Control team for a game of this scale. Please don’t be offended if we don’t take you up on your generous offer. As such, you should also submit a ‘Character Questionnaire’ to play in the game at the same time (unless you’re solely interested in Control).
- Read the Overview and Department briefs.
- Fill in the Control Questionnaire (here) and e-mail it to spiralmegagames@gmail.com.
- Wait for a response. (The hardest part!)
- Once we’ve checked out your questionnaire and decided who we’d like to be Control, we’ll send out e-mails to confirm your commitment.
Spiral Megagames 