The jungle of an alien world.

Our third and final game for 2024, So Say We All, is coming to Sydney on November 23rd. While tickets sold fast, make sure to join the waitlist to ensure you're first to hear about a potential second run of the game in December.

You can read more details about So Say We All here.

Who We Are

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The Sydney Megagamers is a non-profit association passionate about designing and running large-scale social simulations that examine diplomacy, politics, strategic thinking, problem solving, roleplaying and board-gaming.

Our goal is to deliver a diverse range of high-quality Megagames. Our events usually run for 6 to 8 hours with dozens of participants. They look at ways to make gaming fun, immersive, educational and intellectually stimulating.

Our team members are all involved through their passion alone. Each project is designed by a small, dedicated team, and each event is run by a handful of volunteers. All sales from our events are used to fund production and design of our games, and the facilitation of our events.

We are based in Sydney with a community spread across Australia.

The Year So Far

Our second game for 2024, Infinite Horizons, is done and dusted - thanks to everyone who came along in June and July for the game!

Click the button above if you'd like to join the waiting list for future megagames and keep an eye on our social media feeds (and join our mailing list!) to hear more about what we've got planned later in 2024.

You can read full details about Infinite Horizons here.

Cards from the Generalissimo is Dead

Our first game of 2024 was The Generalissimo is Dead. We had a great time running it for two groups of players in Sydney, and a third down in Canberra. You can read more about the game here. You can also read some post-game writeups from our players here and here. If you're interested in being notified when we decide to run the game again, make sure to join our mailing list.

Keen to see a Sydney Megagamers event in action? Look no further.

We were blessed by the filmography and editing skills of Genji earlier this year, who came along and captured some footage of the second run of The Generalissimo is Dead.

What is a Megagame?

Megagames are large scale social simulations which observe dozens of players (sometimes hundreds) convening on a single day to play out the narrative at hand. They touch on diplomacy, social interaction, politics and strategic thinking, pulling directly from the realms of roleplay, theatre and board gaming.

All megagames are different, both in the mechanics that govern them and their setting.

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Players spend the game, often six to eight hours, dealing with one another through the mechanics of the game. These are often as simple as holding discussions and negotiations, though can be more complex like the card and token resource management players might associate with board games.

Throughout many megagames players also pursue goals and objectives. Their pre-game briefing material may lead them to covet certain resources, build specific relationships, or make progression in a certain field of the game.

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At the end of the megagame there are no winners or losers – rather, players get to reflect on the collaborative story they have told, and the incidents they encountered (and conquered) together throughout the day.

To hear how we describe megagames (and, in future episodes, talk about designing and running them) you can tune into the first episode of our podcast, The Great Game.

For a now world-famous video record of an iconic Megagame, Watch the Skies, check out the Shut Up & Sit Down video here.

To read a player's account of one of our games in Sydney, check out Sympathy for the Devil by Tony.

Blogs

2024: Part One

2024: Part One

August 1, 20240 Comments
Megagamers2024 has been an exciting year for us and we're only half way through. Our Year (so far) In April/May we hosted The Generalissimo is Dead, a game of negotiation
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Rebel without a Cause

Rebel without a Cause

April 7, 20240 Comments
After the Genralissimo's death, The Admiral joined a smuggling ring. His ships transport illegal consignments of Rare Earth Metals out of the country.
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Chief Medical Officer’s Log

Chief Medical Officer’s Log

April 7, 20240 Comments
The following is an after-game journal written by the Chief Medical Officer in The Generalissimo is Dead which Sydney Megagamers ran on 23 March 2024.
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2023 Year in Review

2023 Year in Review

December 20, 20230 Comments
It’s been a very exciting year for Sydney Megagamers as we’ve properly re-launched out of the quiet years into three events in the past 6 months. And we’re not alone!
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The Path of (re)Design, Pt. III

The Path of (re)Design, Pt. III

February 29, 20200 Comments
A look at the hidden mechanics that didn't always make their way to the surface.
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The Path of (re)Design, Pt. II

The Path of (re)Design, Pt. II

February 24, 20200 Comments
An overview of the things that needed to be 'fixed' before running the game again.
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The Path of (re)Design, Pt. I

The Path of (re)Design, Pt. I

February 20, 20200 Comments
A look at what I totally removed from the game between runs.
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Retrospect: AtFD

Retrospect: AtFD

June 13, 20190 Comments
An analysis of post-game feedback and commentary from the designer.
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Sympathy for the Devil

Sympathy for the Devil

May 3, 20193 Comments
A sentimental and evocative after-game report from Tony Martin, a participant in As the Fire Dies.
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As the Embers Glow

As the Embers Glow

April 30, 20190 Comments
Reflection on the premiere run of As the Fire Dies in Sydney.
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Our Megagame Friends

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