Tabletop RPG · since 2018 · #7 most discussed

Mothership

Space crews face unknown horrors and failing equipment, rolling percentile checks while stress builds and panic sets in.

Percentile (d100)Sci fi horrord100roll understress or sanitypush your luckhigh lethalityrandom generationOne-shotsNeeds a GM

7.1

Geek rating

From 29 firsthand play reports in 5 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.9.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion8.0 / 10

606 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 6.5 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate Mothership from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

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What players say

At the table

Mothership shows up mostly in one-shots and short runs, and the reports are broadly positive. Most of the firsthand play comes from GMs, some of them teaching it to people new to tabletop RPGs. Several threads are comparisons with other games, so there is little on long campaigns.

What works

Character creation and the d100 roll-under core are quick to teach, including to newcomers. (thread)
Short pamphlet modules like Bug Hunt and Dinoplex Cataclysm went over well. GMs kept tension high by telling players the consequences before they rolled. (thread)
It needs little prep, and the books are concise. GMs who ran both it and Vaesen said Mothership was easier to run. (thread)
The lethality suits one-shots, especially when getting out alive counts as victory. (thread)
Giving characters organizations, family, coworkers and goals, then putting those at risk, made players care about surviving. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Combat rules are fuzzy. GMs must choose between player-facing rolls and initiative, and between monsters rolling and auto-hitting. One GM found an optional auto-hit rule made the main monster feel dangerous, though that is a house tweak, not core. (thread, thread)
Many rules are missing, so the GM makes a lot of on-the-spot rulings. Longer adventures like Dead Planet felt like too much. (thread)
Players often default to caricatures, and investment depends on their buy-in. One GM said it took "drastic steps." (thread)
The game gives characters little reason to take risks. One GM loads PCs with debt and risky payout missions. It also falls flat without mood and roleplay at the table. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups who want lethal one-shots or short campaigns, including players new to the hobby.
GMs who are comfortable making rulings and light on prep.
Tables willing to build backstory and stakes before play.

In players' words

"I ran Dead Planet and it was 50ish pages, but it was too much." (thread)
"In mothership there's not a lot of in-game incentive for doing risky shit creating a disconnect between the player and their character." (thread)
"Actually we ran that one shot three times and I was on the constant players. It was fantastic" (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

8.0

How simple is Mothership?

Posters who ran Mothership, mostly one-shots, say it's quick to teach, even to people new to tabletop RPGs, and that it plays well and tense. Their main problems are fuzzy combat rules, GM improvisation, and some adventures that run too long. 9 firsthand · 40 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

Mothership vs. Year Zero Engine (Specifically Vaesen)

The thread is mostly a Mothership-versus-Vaesen comparison. The GMs who have run Mothership say it is easy to run, needs little prep, and works very well for lethal one-shots. A few add that it needs good mood and roleplay at the table, and that players need a reason to take risks. 9 firsthand · 38 comments

Open on Reddit

7.0

Tips on helping players care about their characters in systems that don’t support that (Mothership)

The thread is mostly advice and design debate, with only a handful of people describing their own Mothership tables. Those reports are positive: the game works well for lethal, short-form horror, and players only invest in characters when the GM adds hooks like relationships and goals. 5 firsthand · 32 comments

Open on Reddit

8.2

Liminal Horror vs. Call of Cthulhu vs. Mothership vs. Alien

The thread is mostly a comparison of Liminal Horror, Call of Cthulhu and Alien, with little Mothership play in it. The few GMs who have run Mothership are positive: it is rules-light, flexible, and strong on modules, and one GM reports that an optional auto-hit rule for the main monster made its threat and the climactic fights work well. 3 firsthand · 32 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

How do you reconcile a super lethal game like Mothership or Call of Cthulhu with making characters that don't feel disposable?

The thread is mostly about lethality in Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green and other horror games, with very few firsthand Mothership reports. The few Mothership players describe fun, tense one-shots where escaping is the goal and a thug-type PC adds friction without ruining the game. 3 firsthand · 146 comments

Open on Reddit