Dead Belt

At-a-glance: Space Western • d6 + card-based oracles • Solo/Co-op/Rivalry • Zero prep • Rules-lite • 30-90 min sessions

Theme and Setting

Dead Belt drops players into the Gasping Frontier, a lawless region of space littered with derelict starships. You are a Belter—one of the desperate scavengers who board these hulks hoping to strip enough salvage to pay off debt.

Core Mechanics

The card-based ship generator creates procedural layouts using a standard deck of cards. Oxygen management creates push-your-luck tension—every room explored consumes precious O2. Three play modes: Solo, Co-Op, and Rivalry.

What Makes It Unique

Emergent exploration through card draws. Real survival tension with oxygen countdown. Zero-prep design using common household items. Solo-first philosophy embracing desperate atmosphere.

Target Audience

Ideal for solo RPG players, survival horror fans, those with limited prep time, and sci-fi enthusiasts.

Visit Dead Belt

Survival; Science Fiction; Rules Lite; Solo Play; Exploration-Driven; Resource Management

What do players think?

Players praise Dead Belt for its tense solo survival experience, card-based ship generation, and atmospheric space-western vibe. The game creates genuine tension through oxygen tracking and threat oracles.

New Read the full reviews on DriveThruRPG

Related TTRPG Games

Compare Dead Belt with other great ttrpg games.

The Wretched

The Wretched shares Dead Belt's solo survival focus using cards and a tumbling block tower. Both deliver emergent horror, but The Wretched emphasizes psychological isolation while Dead Belt offers procedural variety through ship generation.

Ironsworn: Starforged

Ironsworn: Starforged and Dead Belt both support solo sci-fi, but Starforged offers expansive galaxy quests while Dead Belt compresses the experience into focused, high-tension scavenging runs.

Mothership

Mothership and Dead Belt explore sci-fi horror survival, but Mothership uses GM-led tactical mechanics while Dead Belt strips the experience to cards, dice, and tokens for solo/co-op play without a GM.

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