First Into Hell

Sit down, Marine. Drop zone's coming up underneath us, so I'll keep it short.

First into Hell is a roleplaying game of heroism, daring and sacrifice. You are a soldier fighting a desperate war against an unstoppable alien force. Victory isn't about wiping them out, it's holding them off. The stories to tell are personal and visceral, about keeping your team together and making it back to base at the end of the mission. Maybe, much further down the line, you'll be able to return home as a hero.

How does it work?

First into Hell is a Powered by the Apocalypse game. You'll need a few players and one Game Master, who will put together the decisions of the players and the results of dice rolls that are triggered during play. Play at the table is a collaborative process, with everyone answering questions and adding their ideas to the storytelling.

How done is it?

As of September 2024, the game is in a beta testing phase of playtesting and development. The core rules are mature and will likely not change, though playbook moves are still being tweaked from version to version. A full release following will likely look very similar to the game as it currently stands.

What should I expect?

As of September 2024, the beta testing phase of the game means the game is being routinely played as a complete entity. You can expect the game to be enjoyable and functional, with wording that is largely final. Any things which you find don't work or aren't fun during play should be reported. 

A full release is planned once the game has matured and feels complete to me. No hard timelines are set - I started this to create a military-fiction PbtA game that I can enjoy, and am sharing it with you. After release, I intend to continue supporting First into Hell, as far as I am able, at least on the level of maintenance: grammar, punctuation and spelling fixes, minor balance changes, and maybe the occasional small piece of content. However, I do not expect further major work to occur.