Looking to get the wife more in to wargaming - sci-fi?

[Geckilian]

Hey guys!

My wife and I have played a huge variety of skirmish wargames and it's something she likes, but hasn't really clicked with. I'm fortunate enough that she's open to giving it another go, so after a bit of discussion these are the things she likes -

Sci-fi setting.
Prefers retro to dark and gritty, so rayguns rather than future military tech.
Skirmish game.
Relatively simple rules (so not Infinity for example).
Isn't fussed about a campaign system (though I like them).

Off the top of my head, skirmish games we've tried are -
This is Not a Test
Mordheim
Frostgrave
Necromunda
Infinity

Does anyone have any recommendations at all? Any help would be appreciated, cheers!

[LeadAsbestos]

Retro Raygun?
http://shop.hydraminiatures.com/index.php?cPath=2

http://shop.hydraminiatures.com/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=166

Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers come to the tabletop...

[gary42]

Pulp Alley is perfect.  My wife loved it.  Can use-sci fi setting too!

[Elbows]

Worst case scenario...make one up?  Take stuff you like and kit-bash it into something fun.  You can control the difficulty or crunch. 

[Hobgoblin]

Ganesha's Mutants and Death Ray Guns is a lot of fun. And it has the advantages of a simple, clear system (for her) and a built-in campaign system (for you).

For a "harder" near-future sci-fi feel, Flying Lead is pretty good.

Both use the Song of Blades engine.

[shandy]

Both use the Song of Blades engine.

Song of Blades-engine games are great - they got my girlfriend into wargaming! You could perhaps also try to convert A Fistful of Lead, a fun and simple Old West ruleset, for sci-fi - especially if you think along the lines of Firefly...

[Geckilian]

Cheers for the recommendations so far guys - going to go give Mutants and Death Ray Guns a go and see how it pans out!

[shandy]

You might want to have a look at this: http://baronvonj.blogspot.co.at/2016/02/episode-xxiii-dash-dixon-vs-gorthian.html

Very cool looking retro sci-fi game using A Fistful of Lead. Quite inspirational!

[FramFramson]

Pulp Alley is perfect.  My wife loved it.  Can use-sci fi setting too!

+1 Same here.

[Malebolgia]

+1 Same here.

+2
Best pulpy characterful game with easy rules and terrific event cards.

[Conquistador]

My wife was more about the character and roll play (your/her mileage might vary) but after multiple decades in nursing she was not a big fan of hack and slash type games and pure combat gaming.

Look at what she wants in a game and adjust accordingly for gaming.

[FramFramson]

Feedback from multiple people has been that that's a significant part of what makes Pulp Alley more appealing, in that it's a game that has non-combat elements and also creates a storyline as part and parcel of gameplay.

[gary42]

There's a great battle report on here somewhere regarding a PA scenario that was entirely at a ball/dance that had absolutely no combat and was AWESOME!

[d phipps]

Please feel free to download the free version of Pulp Alley and check it out. It doesn't cover everything but it will get you started --- http://store.pulpalley.com/category-s/1823.htm

Let us know if you have any questions. 



HAVE FUN

[Revfan]

My wife and I have played a huge variety of skirmish wargames and it's something she likes, but hasn't really clicked with. I'm fortunate enough that she's open to giving it another go, so after a bit of discussion these are the things she likes -

I'll translate this first.

My wife really loves me.  In fact, she loves me so much, that she wants to spend time with me doing something that I love, but she might not be totally into.  Because of that love, she will stick it out and try new things because she knows it pleases me.  I really want to make her happy though, you guys have any ideas on some games we could play that she might enjoy more?

Ask her... don't ask us.  We think like guys, just like you.  She might just want to go to the park and hold hands and walk around a bit.

YOU are one LUCKY dude.