Monthly Mecha: HOME by Deep Dark Games
Mecha TTRPGs Monthly
This is Asa Donald with your February monthly mecha ttrpg. This newsletter is 100% free. To support it, me, or my games, grab a copy of Rust Never Sleeps, my grunge solo rpg about doomed mech pilots. If you’d like to hear more from me, you can follow me on bluesky.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find:
- Community content, including free downloads and games for ZiMo;
- a review of HOME by Deep Dark Games; plus
- an interview with HOME creator Nick Gralewicz.
But first...
I live in Minnesota. I live in one of the neighborhoods that ICE has been targeting heavily in Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Many of my neighbors live in fear. Regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens, they carry their documentation wherever they go. Regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens, some feel unsafe to leave their homes. It is not because ICE is "broken." This is by design. This "surge" is a fear campaign. That is why it has been so publicly brutal and illegal.
Over the last few weeks, my heart has felt like it is going to give out, both literally and figuratively. Living in one of these areas is to live near the frequent sound of helicopters in my neighborhood, unconstitutional ICE abductions within blocks of my home, the unpunished murders of people in my city. To live here is to begin every conversation with "How are you?" and the latest awful story that they or a friend witnessed.
Why am I telling you this? There are plenty of good reasons. But last week one of my friends told me that he and his wife do not feel comfortable speaking out or protesting because they are afraid that they will be targeted. I promised to be twice as loud.
- On Friday 1/30, there is a general strike in the United States. If you are a U.S. citizen, I encourage you to join me in participating. This strike is nationwide and explicitly tied to the murder of Alex Pretti. No work. No school. No shopping. Attend a local protest. At minimum, you can help by spreading the word on social media.
- All around the U.S., you will find Constitutional Observer trainings, like these online versions by the Minnesota DFL. If you are a U.S. citizen, I encourage you to attend to learn how to legally exercise your constitutional rights. Be prepared for when ICE shows up in your city and state.
- I have an acquaintance who works at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. They are good people. The link above takes you to their donation page. Help them help others.
This newsletter goes out to 1300 subscribers. I expect that I will have fewer subscribers by the end of the weekend, but I also expect that someone will speak up who hasn't yet. And maybe that will convince someone else to speak up.
Community Releases
Screaming Metal is coming to Backerkit. It's a mecha ttrpg about toxic lesbians piloting living machines for exorbitant amounts of money so they can live lavish lifestyles before being torn to shreds by the poisonous arms of hyperspace. Solo or competitive.
Barebone rules are available for free on snow's blog.
Tales from the Cockpit by Seamus Conneely will be funding a print run on Backerkit. A Lost & Found game of a giant robot, its many pilots, and the passage of time. Plus a few free games for those who pledge support.
Catalyst Game Labs (BattleTech) has been plugging free downloads for the last month or two. There are around 50 items here, spread between various games. Lots of fluff, but there are activity books 👀, some play materials, and short stories that may interest folks.
FREE! Get some awesome, free downloads on our web store. There is a massive collection of items, featuring BattleTech and Shadowrun game play materials, monthly short stories, activity books, and more! bit.ly/CGL-Free-For-All #mecha #steampunk #boardgames #cyberpunk #ttrpg #fiction #free
— BattleTech (@battletech.bsky.social) 2026-01-26T20:00:06.561Z
The Showcase Zero bundle includes my mecha game Rust Never Sleeps. Also in the bundle are seven non-mecha games, all of which are pretty great. Consider Pelogos by Basil Wright, Ithaca in the Cards and What Should We Have Tomorrow by Aaron Lim, and We Contain Solitudes by Andrew Gillis.
We also have a Showcase Zero 2025 bundle live now on itch.io/b/3476/showc.... Get 8 incredible games from @kobanya.bsky.social @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social @andrewgillis.bsky.social @cutestpatoot.itch.io @yanahn.bsky.social and me at over 50% off!
— Aaron Lim 林家丰 (@ehronlime.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T01:56:40.778Z
Community Content
You can submit your own community content for this newsletter. It's 100% free. Share your new releases, blogs, reviews, etc. as long as it's related to mecha ttrpgs.
HOME Content
- Heart of the Deernicorn summary: Protect your home from the kaiju (video).
- Deep Dark Games: Learn to Play HOME in One Minute (video)
- CNN: Game On: Single-player RPG HOME
HOME actual play with Jeff Stormer
Featured Mecha TTRPG(S)
This month features HOME.
HOME by Nick Gralewicz at Deep Dark Games is a mapmaking RPG putting you in the boots of a mech pilot who must protect their home from Kaiju. Build your home, pilot, and mech. Prepare for battle. Fight the Kaiju in a deadly showdown. If you lose, your home will be destroyed.
I bought this game because I was interested in seeing how mapmaking fit into the storytelling for a mecha/Kaiju battle. It exceeded my expectations.
HOME ($15.00)
Design, Writing, Art, and Layout by Nick Gralewicz; Editing by Christian Sorrell; Published by Deep Dark Games.
Characteristics
- A ttrpg in which Pacific Rim meets Godzilla.
- for 1-4 players with no GM
- with map-drawing and dice pool (d6) mechanics
- And with helpful oracles for gameplay support
Highlights
- The creation of mechs and kaiju can be flavorful, but the game’s strength lay in its worldbuilding for your “home.”
- Three phases of battle and a fourth phase of imaginative conclusions
- The boon/bane dice are very cool; play to see their full potential!
- Multiplayer play is very, very cool in terms of how players interact with each other’s stories
- Beautiful and clear layout
Consensus
I recommend this game! The vibe is what drew me in, as well as some of the elements of gameplay (map-making). I was also very attracted to the world-building element of your home, and I think that’s it’s strength as well as something that really emerges in play more than it appears in the text. I was surprised by the boon/bane dice, which didn’t grab my attention at first but are so very cool when you play. And finally, I didn’t play multiplayer, but after listening to an actual play, I saw just how cool and fun that can be. In brief: This game looks cool, and it’s even cooler than it looks.
An interview with Nick Gralewicz :
What inspirations or touchstones does HOME draw from?
Nick: HOME is heavily inspired by Pacific Rim, Godzilla, and various mecha media like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam. While the aesthetic and gameplay vibes are obvious (pilot a big mech! battle big monsters!), I resonated more with the underlying theme of those stories. What would you do to save your home from a terrible threat? What does it mean to be a hero, or to sacrifice for the greater good? How does your success or failure change you, the people you care about, and your home?
From a gameplay perspective, HOME pulls from a variety of games. The mapmaking was inspired by The Quiet Year, the dice mechanics and importance of failure were inspired by both Blades in the Dark and Fiasco, and the "envision" prompt was inspired by Ironsworn/Starforged. It has a lot of fingerprints from a lot of games, yet provides a very unique gameplay experience.
What is unique about HOME?
Nick: HOME is a GMless game, played in 1 or 2 sessions, and can be played solo or with up to 4 players. It's designed to deliver a specific experience in a short timeframe.
From a gameplay perspective, HOME is different from a lot of other mech games. First, it's less crunchy and more narrative: it cares less about managing stats and more about the cinematic moments of the story. Second, it has more worldbuilding and mapmaking elements, so gameplay feels both creative and exciting. And finally, it's a pretty deadly game. You'll likely lose a mech or two. Your first pilot may die, and their child or friend may take their place for the next battle. Entire cities in your home will be destroyed. In the end it's not about whether a specific pilot survives, but whether your home survives.
Why should people try HOME?
Nick: People should play HOME if they want an easy to learn, simple to play experience that delivers a satisfying story about big mechs fighting big monsters. It requires no prep and is great as a one-shot.
It's different from a lot of traditional Mech games, and the mixture of worldbuilding + narrative storytelling + deadly consequences is very fun. But what I like most about HOME is that it encourages creative play: collaboratively build your world, show how awesome (or flawed...) your mech and pilot are, and play as the Kaiju that another pilot will fight against! When was the last time you described a Kaiju ultimate attack that kills a Mech?
What other games do you recommend?
Nick: For a more tactical GMless mech game, try Celestial Bodies. It uses a really cool grid-based inventory and damage system.
For a more narrative/dramatic GMless mech game, try Spectres of Brocken. You play as young mech pilot friends who eventually go to war with each other.
Preview Images from the HOME itch.io page.
Next month, I'll be featuring either a guest post about mecha rpgs from one of my favorite bloggers OR a mecha ttrpg that made a massive splash last fall. To be determined!
Entering the Pilot's Lounge
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No Content This Month.
I commissioned something special for this month, but it's not done. Here's hoping I can deliver two things next month in its place! Sorry for the inconvenience!
