Never Going Home

Never Going Home is a rules-lite WWI survival-horror game using straightforward tests plus card-hand pressure. Classless and low-prep, it follows a front-line Unit through lethal missions, dwindling supplies, and the corrupting Whispers. Ideal for short campaigns and players who enjoy grim stakes and tough choices.

At-a-glance

Military • Needs GM • 3/5 complexity • One-shot friendly • Low prep

Genres:
Military Historical Horror
Mechanics:
Narrative-Driven Rules Lite Survival
Decision Tags:
Low Prep
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Never Going Home

Never Going Home places your table in the mud, wire, and shellfire of the First World War, then tears a hole in reality. The Veil is open and alien Whispers seep into soldiers’ dreams, offering power at a cost.

Theme and Setting

You play members of a front-line Unit trying to survive patrols, raids, and retreats while balancing duty, fear, and humanity. The tone is grim but grounded: supernatural horror is layered atop the authentic misery of trench warfare.

How Play Feels

The system is streamlined for fast play. Characters are quick to create, with compact statlines and gear that emphasize role and readiness over build math.

What Makes It Distinct

Resolution uses simple dice tests supported by a dwindling hand of cards—spent to push luck, absorb shocks, or seize fleeting advantages. The Unit is the focus: individual soldiers may be wounded, rotated out, or lost, but the story carries on through replacements and battlefield promotions.

Where It May Not Fit

You want combat and action to drive most of the session You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table.

Decision guide

What this game is about

Key facts
Players
2-5 players + GM
Session
60-180 minutes
Prep
Low
Play profile
Complexity
3/5
New GM Fit
5/5
Roleplay Focus
5/5
Combat Focus
2/5
Tactical Depth
1/5
Campaign Depth
3/5
Who it suits
Best for
Tables that want fiction-first play and scene-level consequencesTables that want quick onboarding and low mechanical dragPlayers who want character, atmosphere, or story to matter more than pure tactics
Avoid if
You want combat and action to drive most of the sessionYou want the system to stay almost invisible at the tableYou want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support

A strong fit for groups that want fiction-first play and scene-level consequences, with narrative-Driven helping define the experience.

Agent data

Structured data and an explicit decision profile JSON document are available for remote agents.

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