Memory & Madness
A downloadable game
UPDATES!
Memory & Madness 2nd Edition is now available for download. The second edition rules include:
- New focus on Agent vs. Agent skirmishes
- New units, weapons, gear, and powers
- Expanded rules for manipulating and maneuvering on terrain
- Several starter scenarios
- Rules for optional play modes, including co-op and solo.
The rules are still in development, so please send feedback!
Also, be on the lookout for the Memory & Madness Roleplaying Game (coming Q2 2022).
WELCOME TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS
Memory & Madness is a 28mm miniature skirmish game wherein teams of rival agents infiltrate the subconscious of a comatose high-priority target. There, the Agents attempt to find and extract fragments of the subject’s memory.
Omega Team seeks to unearth intel that will advance their sinister agenda. Meanwhile, Alpha Team needs to use the same information to thwart a hostile nation’s plans.
Posing a threat to both teams is The Madness—a horde of negative psychic energy that is gradually destroying the subject’s subconscious. The activities of the Agents while embedded in the subconscious can have unintended consequences, many of which inadvertently aid The Madness.
CONTENT WARNING
Violence; allusions to mental illness and trauma.
INSPIRATION
Films like Dreamscape (1984), The Matrix (1999), The Cell (2000), and Inception (2010) as well as video games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) and Control (2019).
ABOUT
Memory & Madness was originally created for the OPR Game Jam #4. The jam had the following rules and constraints:
- Games had to be created over the course of 48 hours.
- Submissions had to follow the theme: Redesigning Failure. The original OPR edition of Memory & Madness implements this concept by (a) avoiding player elimination and (b) while unit elimination has consequences for game state, it also provides players with opportunities to change their strategies and tactics over the course of the game.
- The game had to fit on a single sheet using a standardized template. Core rules had to fit on the front of the page. Units and special rules could go on the back of the page.
The game has now evolved into a bigger project with an extended ruleset and several major changes and additions. You can play the the second edition now. The original one-page ruleset is still available as well.
Best,
TS
CREDITS
- Designed by Trent Seltzer & Ben Seltzer at Groovy Dad Games.
- "Potra" Font designed by Alejo Bergmann from Font Space.
- Cover photo by Merlin Lightpainting from Pexels.
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Community Copies
Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community Copies
Feel free to claim a community copy if you can't afford to pay the regular price.
Each purchase at the regular price will add a community copy.
Development log
- Minor Updates & Agent Sheet AddedJan 23, 2022
- Energy + Vacation + Insomnia = Finished LayoutDec 29, 2021
- Memory & Madness 2nd Edition Ashcan Now AvailableDec 28, 2021
- UPDATES!!!Dec 24, 2021
Comments
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I use tokens from the game "Rumbleslam"
The four orange ones with the X on them are for madness spawn-points.
The four blue ones are separated between the Alpha (up-arrow wit a "+" on them) and Omega (stars with "+" on them) team to represent the deployment- and exfil-point.
The ten red ones are divided into five memory-fragments (heart) and five decoy tokens (down-arrow with "-" on them).
The five yellow ones (exploding exclamation-mark !) are used to mark agents carrying memory-fragments.
The two neodym-magnets (2x5mm and 2x10mm) are used to easily stick agents onto walls and ceilings.
Hopefully all of this makes sense and helps.
Thanks for the read. Stay safe and healthy!
same!
Also: you’ve been so kind and enthusiastic that I want to give you some download keys for my other games. Let me know if there’s any of my other games you want to try, and I’ll email you a key to the address on your receipt for M&M.
Looks like you are not only a groovy dad but also a nice dude ;) i feel kind of bad for getting something for free... I mean... Most of your stuff is free/pay what you want anyways xD
The other game i was highly interested in was "Temporal" (i love games with miniatures) and i allready bought that earlier this day... Reads like another good game but have to do some play-testing before i can give a good review... Maybe sunday....
Denying your offer would be impolite so let's make a deal:
Instead of giving me keys (plural) give me one random game (use a dice and reroll if you get M&M or Temporal) and give a hug to a number of people equal to the number of games you could have given to me... double it if you like ;) Hopefully this is not only a win-win situation for both of us but also for anyone around you.
The e-mail Adress on the receipt for M&M (bought via wargamevault) is the same as the one for Temporal (bought via itch) so feel free to pick the receipt that is easier for you to find.
And thank you for responding and being so nice.
Deal. Happy to do it. It's just fun to know that someone is actually playing these games and getting some joy out of it.
Rolled a d20 and got a 4, which was for Enhanced. I'll send a download key shortly.
Best,
TS
The agents get attacked by a madness inside the subconscious of a subject that seems to be a sci-fi fan.
Terrain used is from the "Battle Systems Terrain Range" that was originally released to be compatible with a game called "Core Space".
The Madness is "Marie the She-Bot" from Chronoscope (Reaper Miniatures) and is basically a main-character from "Metropolis", a german sci-fi movie made by Fritz Lang in 1927.... (The link between head and hand must be the heart. Remember that!)
The agents are sculpted by Mark Copplestone and are part of the "Future Wars Range" (Copplestone Castings)... He is one of those legends that shaped the wargaming-community into that lovely and good looking thing it is today.
The "silver-token" that you might noticed on the platform that the male agent is "standing" on / "hanging" from is a neodym-magnet.
I glued a 2x5 mm magnet under the base of the miniature and use those 2x10 mm magnets to stick those agents on the terrain.
That’s awesome. We’ve been using Tinker Turf mixed with some Battlefield terrain and using locite fun-tak to hang minis. Minis are a mix of infinity for agents and the aliens from Glorious Day in the Corp for the madness.
This is one of those hidden gems that no one seems to talk about... Sadly!
I stumbled across this a few week ago on wargame vault and had a blast reading and playing it.
I use cardboard terrain from "core system", glued a magnet on the base of my minis (which is what i anyways do cause of the way i paint minis) and used slightly bigger magnets on the other side of the walls when the agents would walk up walls and ceilings. Works like a charm.
While it is easy enough to homebrew rules for solo agents vs. agents an official expansion would be nice. Agent vs "The Madness" is already in there and is great fun! So atmospheric that they get stronger when they feast on an agent <3
Don't like the agent theme? No problem! Put the setting somewhere else... Like Nightmare on Elm-Street 3!
My suggestion for agents is the "Future Wars"-Series from Mark Copplestone. Not only has it a group of 5 "Men in Black", it also has other cool stuff that fits perfectly into a madmans head.
Looks like next month will be a "buy from groovy dad-month" cause the other stuff also looks very interesting.
Such a smart move on the miniature-agnostic-front! Simply no restriction on anything cause a twisted mind can have the weirdest dreams. Marvelous!
Anyone still unsure if this is worth 1+ dollar:
BUY IT! It is so unique! Could have easily been another Osprey Wargames release for 20 bucks (and still be a steal!)
Thanks for this great ruleset!
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the game! This is one I've been meaning to get back to for a while now to create solo agent vs. agent rules and some scenarios. I've also toyed around with developing a role-playing game based on the setting.
I really appreciate all the positive comments! If you have any photos of a game in progress, please share!
I am not a game-designer but i guess making solo-agent vs. agent rules could be a tricky task... The AI has to be simple but complex enough to allow for all the cool stuff you can do.
Maybe 100-150 build points to limit the model-count per team to something like 3?
Randomize who activates with a d2 (two model team) or d3 (three model team).
Randomize if the agent acts passive (d6=1-3) or aggressive (d6=4-6).
Passive = agent runs to the next available cover/token using defensive powers (block, cloak, heal, manifest, stabilize etc.)
Aggressive = agent runs to the next enemy (if not inside effective range of his weapon) and shoots (if weapon is in effective range), otherwise use offensive powers (empower, manipulate, push, throw etc.)
Another idea is to keep the activation-randomizer and the aggressiv/passive randomizer (for movement) but add another randomizer to see if the agent shoots (d6=1-3) or uses powers (d6=4-6) and if the latter is the case roll a d6 to see which power is used... luckily there are six standart powers ;)
As i like rolling dice the second option is the one i prefer but that's just me.
Making a pen and paper rpg with the mechanics of this game sounds... great AND frightening.
But if you can find enough crazy people to play a session it would be a crazy-good experience for sure!
Picture a team of agents diving into a feverdream, materializing stuff from there pure imagination, turning everything the gamemaster presents them upside down and crushing it! Man... I giggle like a maniac just from writing this! xD
where did you get this illustrations? they are amazing!
Most of the photos are from Unsplash. I edited them in Photoshop to add the glitch effects, change colors, add filters, etc.
The cover and inside cover photos are by the same photographer on Pexels named Merlin Lightpainting. They do some really beautiful work.