GAME RULES

Introduction

STALKERS is a game set in a post-apocalyptic world where radiation, mutants, and other hazards make life a constant fight for survival. The hostile wasteland, all that remains of this world, is littered with Settlements. These Settlements are tired shadows of civilisation ruled over by despots and dictators, but it is all that remains.

These hidden Settlements are the last bastions of humanity set against a tattered backdrop of ruined cities and broken landscapes. They are home to the last few million people still able to survive on an irradiated husk of a world.

Settlements must send out people to collect and gather resources. These people, known as Stalkers, start their grim tasks in a Trading Post. Nearby Settlements sponsor these Trading Posts where Stalkers can sell their goods and services to the settlements via an intermediary Trader.

From these Trading Posts, Stalker teams head out into an irradiated world known as The Zone. The Zone is filled with Environmental Hazards and Mutants. These Mutants have survived lethal doses of Radiation, which has left them twisted in return.

Within the Trading Post, all Stalkers must follow the rules. Stalkers pass their time trading, gambling, and sharing tales of The Zone. However, once outside the safety of a Trading Post, all bets are off, and rules mean nothing. Friendships made within the Trading Post are tossed aside as Stalkers fight to survive and provide for the Settlements.

The Game

The premise of the game is simple. Teams of Stalkers must compete to provide for the Settlements. They do so by doing the following:

  • There are several Control Points (CPs), typically 3 in The Zone.
  • The team that controls the majority of these CPs wins the game.
  • A team controls a CP by having more Chits in it than the other teams.
  • A Chit is a small token featuring the team's colours and symbol.

To buy Chits, Stalkers must venture into The Zone to collect items and perform tasks, then return to the Trading Post and barter their items for the game's currency, Bullets. Stalkers can trade these Bullets for equipment to help them in their adventures in The Zone and for the game-winning Chits.

What You Need To Bring

Here are some essential items that you need to bring to the game:

  1. Airsoft guns and kit
    To fully immerse yourself in the post-apocalyptic world, you will need weapons and kit to match the game's theme. For further information, refer to the 'Look and Feel' section.
  2. A respirator, gas mask, or other such item
    The Zone is a hostile, irradiated place filled with toxins and other irritants. You'll need to wear something to prevent you from breathing in these toxins. Refer to the 'Look and Feel' section for further information.
    VERY IMPORTANT: If you use a gas mask, ensure the lenses and filter are safe for airsoft. Many old gas masks have glass lenses and filters filled with dangerous chemicals.
  3. Yellow and Red 'filter gels' or Eye Protection with yellow and red coloured lenses
    During the game, we ask players to wear coloured tints to enhance the atmosphere further, representing the eerie nature of The Zone.
    Eye protection with yellow or red-tinted lenses is readily available, but if you don't wish to purchase new glasses just for this game, coloured plastic sheets, known as lighting colour gels or filter gels, used in theatre lighting, are widely available online. Many players simply cut out sheets of this to attach over existing eye protection.
    VERY IMPORTANT: You need BOTH colours of eye protection, as the colours change throughout the day to represent the changing nature of The Zone. (They are usually red in the morning and yellow in the afternoon/evening.)
    VERY IMPORTANT: Gels and/or eye protection are NOT provided. You must bring these yourselves.
  4. Team backpack or container
    Each team needs a backpack or other such container (satchel, bergen, duffle bag, bindle, black bin bag, etc). This is where you will store your loot. A team may only designate ONE backpack as their Loot Bag.

Look and Feel

This game is heavily influenced by the video game series S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Metro. We want to maintain that aesthetic, but we know we cannot limit you to Eastern Bloc equipment due to practicality. Similarly, while the setting may have ended in the 1980s, finding kit from the 1980s that is both affordable and still in decent condition is a task in itself, so we have decided to go with the 1990s and back.

This means the following:

  • Kit from both Eastern and Western sources is allowed.
  • The kit should look like it belonged in the 90s or prior. This means avoiding modern MOLLE and RIS systems where possible.

Safety is a crucial concern regarding respirators or gas masks. As mentioned previously, many old gas masks, mainly the filters (particularly those from Eastern Bloc countries), can contain harmful substances. If you intend to use these items, ensure you are 100% certain of their contents. Don't hesitate to choose another, more modern alternative if in doubt. Many players use half-face respirators and remove the filters or seals to make breathing easier. This is a physical game, after all.

For further reference, check out the Loadouts section for ideas from current players.