Back in the before-times, when the sky was blue and the grass was greener, the very last thing we ran before the dreaded lurgy shut down all operations for a couple of years was a sci-fi techno-thriller weekend LARP event called The Sisyphus. Fresh off the back of that successful second run, we planned to run it once last time before putting it to sleep and letting its secrets scurry forth into the world.

Twice since we’ve had to rearrange those plans, once without even mentioning it, but we’re finally ready to start up the engines and set sail once again.

The Pitch

It is the early 1980s.

Set during the early stages of the Falklands conflict at the height of the cold war and with the very real threat of nuclear terror at the forefront of the public mind, Big Science is seen as both the cause and the hoped-for solution to many of the problems of modern humanity.

The Ministry of Defence has commissioned a civilian research team to facilitate testing on a new kind of propulsion system onboard The Sisyphus, a commercial shipping vessel.

Swift developments in the fields of science – laser technology, the Voyager program, home computers and the beginnings of the digital age are beginning to trickle into mainstream consciousness. The fore-front of this is New World Industries, a British tech giant, headed by husband and wife team the Lanchesters. Their innovations forever seem to bring the world ever closer to a new age of advancement.

Current socio-political priorities are driving this technological change, but is there more to it? and what happens when things go wrong?

Beyond the bleeding edge of our science lie unknown spaces – spaces which humanity may not be ready for.

As the story unfolds into a waking nightmare, can the crew save themselves before time runs out, or are they condemned to become a forgotten footnote in history?

The Sisyphus is game of dark suspicion, intrigue, fringe science, technology and morality set against the bleak backdrop of the cold war and early Thatcher-era Britain. Players should expect strong themes of problem solving, mental endurance, sensory deprivation, high emotional stakes, moral choices and devastating consequences.

You can find out more about the world of The Sisyphus at its website, though we’ve got some updates and changes to make before the last run. We learn, we evolve, we change things.