How to teach Gaslands, by the Developer.

Overview

This is a how‑to from the Gaslands developer on running short, effective participation/demo games at conventions. The goals are to give newcomers the core feel quickly, keep setup portable, and reveal rules in stages so players aren’t overwhelmed.

Game setting / flavour

Gaslands is a post‑apocalyptic “death race” style skirmish/racing game where vehicles drive, fight, and collect hazards until they wreck or win by racing or last‑car‑standing.

Key gameplay mechanics (highlights)

Turn / activation flow

• Each turn has six gear phases. A vehicle may activate in a phase only if its current gear is greater than or equal to that phase.
• Higher gears give more activations but force use of longer templates (so you can’t turn as tightly).

Templates and movement

• You place a movement template in front of the vehicle and move the vehicle to the template’s end.
• Some templates (e.g., medium straight) are “trivial” at low gears and grant a free shift; at higher gears they may come with hazards.
• In full play there’s a rule that if you touch a template during an activation you must use it; in demos this restriction is often relaxed for simplicity.

Skid dice / shifts / hazards

• Before moving you may roll skid/handling dice (up to your handling). Results can:
  • grant shifts (gear changes),
  • place hazards on your dashboard, or
  • cancel a bad die.
• Rolling a hazard adds to your dashboard; reaching 6+ hazards on a single activation triggers a wipeout.

Slides and spins

• A slide result uses the side‑exit template.
• A spin result lets you rotate up to 90° (you may choose 0°).

Shooting

• Weapons are turned off on the start line to avoid immediate ganging up; guns go live after you pass Gate 1.
• Example weapon set: front‑mounted light machine guns (front fire arc) plus pistols per crew member (360°).
• Pistol shot: 1d6 per pistol, hit on 4+, sixes count as doubles.
• Evade rules are influenced by the target’s gear — higher gear can hamper evasion.

Collisions

• Three classes of collision: tail‑enders (minor), T‑bones (moderate), head‑ons (severe).
• When colliding you choose to Smash (attack) or Evade:
  • Smash: roll gear dice; heavier vehicles get extra dice; hits on 4+, sixes double — deals hull damage and adds hazards.
  • Evade: roll gear dice to avoid incoming hits; sixes avoid hits. If both sides evade, no damage but both gain a hazard; if either smashes, both take hazards and smash damage is resolved.

Wipeout (6+ hazards)

• When a vehicle reaches 6+ hazards on an activation:
  • Clear the hazards, then roll to see if the car flips (flip outcome depends on gear vs roll).
  • If flipped, take structural hull/suspension damage (example: lose two hull for suspension).
  • Vehicle drops to first gear.
  • Owner chooses the facing when recovering.

Objectives / winning

• Typical demo objective: a figure‑eight race with Start/Finish and Gates 1–3.
• Win condition: first car to complete the lap or Last Car Standing.

Developer’s teaching / demo script (step‑by‑step used at conventions)

1. Provide each player with a simple pre‑made team (one car + one buggy) so players don’t need to build lists.
2. Use a practiced intro script; give just enough rules to make the first couple of activations meaningful.
3. Setup steps on the demo table:
   1. Let players pick a team (all the same apart from paint).
   2. Roll a d6 for pole position and place the pole marker.
   3. Place the grid: vehicles on the start line facing the track.
   4. Explain the six gear phases and the idea of templates/handling/skid dice — focus on a simple choice: take the free shift or roll handling dice.
   5. Encourage medium straight as a safe first move (free shift in low gear).
   6. Let players take initial activations; introduce collisions, shooting and wipeout rules only when they occur (teach in stages).
   7. When a player passes Gate 1: hand over pole choice and turn weapons on.
   8. Use real collisions and shooting when they occur to explain corresponding rules and let players practice decisions (smash vs evade).
   9. Only call wipeout rules when a vehicle reaches 6+ hazards; demonstrate wipeout consequences then.
4. Keep the demo compact — run just enough actions to show the core loops (movement, risk vs reward with shifts/hazards, shooting and collisions).

Practical convention / demo setup tips

Minimal, portable kit

• The developer’s demo kit:
  • One 2’×2’ hard MDF board (with rubber stoppers underneath) and one small box (drawer removed). Fits most convention tables and is robust.
  • A plain large sheet (often black) to make the table look tidy and professional.
  • Roller banners can work; use one with a clear hook line that piques curiosity.

Strip the game to bare essentials

• Pre‑pick forces/vehicles so players don’t need list building.
• Pre‑deploy or pre‑set scenarios and objectives that are quick and easy to explain (kill stuff, hold an area, simple race).
• Avoid multi‑stage or complex objectives in demos.
• For larger/complex games (example: A Billion Suns), run a single focused turn or a simplified slice demonstrating the core mechanics rather than a full match.

Practice your intro and pacing

• Use a rehearsed script so you don’t stumble explaining rules in noisy halls; reveal rules as they become relevant.
• Aim for short play sessions (15–30 minutes) that show the game’s hook and leave players wanting more.

Decide your event goal

• Spectator/show table: full display, visually impressive.
• Participation demo: short, playable, minimal complexity.
• Playtest: targeted rules testing — focus only on systems you want feedback on.

Design / marketing notes

• Conventions are valuable for community building, public playtesting, and visibility. Early events may be loss‑leading but useful for long‑term growth.
• Providing a quick, clear experience increases the chance players will take interest and buy or follow the game.

Featured people / sources

• Gaslands developer (speaker)
• Mike (mentioned)
• Games / titles referenced: Gaslands; A Billion Suns
• Channel / series: Rule of Carnage