Endure

At-a-glance: Survival • 2d6 Risk Rolls • Classless • Endurance economy • 2-4 players + GM • Near-zero prep • Rules-lite • 1-3h sessions

Theme and Setting

Endure explores stories of ordinary people in extraordinary survival situations. The game flexibly adapts to wilderness survival (Robinson Crusoe, The Martian, The Long Dark), survival horror (I Am Legend, Alien, Outlast), and disaster scenarios (This War of Mine, Pathologic). There is no default setting—players collaboratively define their crisis, whether stranded on an alien world, surviving a zombie apocalypse, or weathering a societal collapse. The focus remains on human vulnerability and the struggle to persevere against overwhelming odds.

Core Mechanics and Rules

Endure uses a simple 2d6 Risk Roll system where success requires rolling 4 or higher on at least one die. The signature mechanic is Endurance—a depleting resource that fuels character actions and keeps them alive. Players spend Endurance to succeed at risky tasks, recover from injuries, and resist environmental hazards.

Unlike traditional HP systems, Endure has no hit points to save characters. When Endurance runs out, players rely solely on cunning and luck—often insufficient to survive. Recovery requires time and resources, creating a natural ebb and flow between tense action sequences and quiet downtime moments.

The game emphasizes streamlined resource management over complex inventory tracking. Characters must balance immediate needs (shelter, food, safety) against long-term goals, with every decision carrying weight in the survival equation.

What Makes It Unique

Endure's Endurance economy sets it apart from other survival RPGs. Rather than tracking separate health, stamina, and sanity meters, everything flows through one depleting resource that forces meaningful trade-offs. Want to push through a storm? Spend Endurance. Need to stabilize a wound? Spend Endurance. The system naturally creates the desperate, resource-scarce tension that defines great survival stories.

The game originated as a Tunnel Goons hack for GoonJam 2019, evolving into a focused survival engine. Its classless design means any character can attempt any action—their capabilities emerge from equipment, circumstances, and player creativity rather than predefined abilities.

Target Audience and Player Experience

Endure suits players who enjoy gritty, high-stakes survival scenarios where every decision matters. It appeals to fans of survival video games like The Long Dark and Subnautica, as well as readers of survival literature. The rules-lite approach makes it accessible to newcomers while offering enough depth for experienced groups seeking tense, emergent storytelling.

The game excels at one-shots and short campaigns where the focus remains on immediate survival rather than long-term character progression. Players should expect character mortality and embrace the challenge of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances.