Twilight: 2000 (Fourth Edition) Survival; Post-Apocalyptic; Military; Sandbox; Resource Management; Tactical Combat; Exploration-Driven; Rules Lite
At‑a‑glance: Post‑Apocalyptic • Year Zero Engine • 2–5 + GM • Low‑to‑moderate prep • Medium complexity • 2–4h sessions
Theme and Setting
Set in an alternate year 2000 where World War III shattered Europe, Twilight: 2000 is about surviving the aftermath—scrounging for supplies, navigating fractured factions, and deciding whether to keep moving or stake a claim. The tone is grounded and military‑leaning but leaves room for civilian stories, local politics, and the fragile hope of rebuilding. The default Polish theater evokes ruined towns, contested roads, and tense encounters, with tools to rebase the campaign anywhere.
Core Mechanics and Rules
Built on a heavily adapted Year Zero Engine, the system uses attribute + skill dice pools with pushed rolls, criticals, and stress from scarcity and combat. The boxed set leans into hexcrawl procedures: overland travel, shifts, encounters, weather, and limited ammo and rations. Combat is fast but punishing—cover, positioning, and suppressive fire matter more than min‑maxed builds. A lightweight base‑building layer ties sessions together, letting groups fortify safehouses, workshops, and farms.
What Makes It Unique
Twilight: 2000 blends old‑school open‑world procedures with modern clarity. It’s not just firefights; it’s logistics as drama—tracking bullets, fuel, and injuries makes every route choice meaningful. The hex map, modular battle mats, and encounter cards make prep practical for long campaigns. The rules sit at a medium crunch point: richer than story‑first survival games, leaner than simulationist milsims. It rewards cautious play, local alliances, and creative problem‑solving.
Target Audience and Player Experience
Ideal for tables that enjoy gritty survival decisions, emergent travel play, and military‑realist flavor. Newcomers to Year Zero will find the core loop approachable, but expect more bookkeeping than ultra‑lite titles. Groups that liked Mutant: Year Zero or Forbidden Lands and want harsher, modern‑era stakes will feel at home. Campaigns shine when characters balance personal goals against the group’s dwindling stores—and decide what, and who, is worth saving.
