A solo game about the tail-gunners of Bomber Command. Contrast finding love off-duty with the danger of operations. 

Statistically Bomber Command was the most dangerous branch of service in WW2. Over 44% of the volunteers didn’t survive a tour of duty. Will you? 

This is a solo journalling game. A deck of cards is used to provide journalling prompts for the operations and off-duty time. The probability of you surviving 10 significant operations in the game is roughly the same as the tail-gunners had of surviving a tour of duty. 

You keep a debrief diary of the after-action report on each operation, and a personal diary of the highpoints of life and love on and around the base. During the game this builds a unique story of your character’s wartime experiences.

This is an immersive table top story game for 1 player. A game session can take 30-60 minutes or more, depending upon how much you want to write. All you need is a pack of playing cards, some paper and pens to create your wartime story.

How to play

You have a character sheet where you record your name, your relationship status, your stress, and your decorations. You name the other six members of your Lancaster crew, and set the call-sign for your bomber. You divide a deck of cards into a red deck (hearts and diamonds) and a black deck (clubs and spades)

The game alternates between off-duty and operations, and ends when you complete 10 operations... or earlier if your character is shot down or captured.

When off-duty you draw a red card, and if it is a diamond there will be prompts about recreational activities you were taking. If it is a heart there are prompts about romantic interludes and the possibilty of strengthening a relationship with someone.

When on operations you draw a black card. If it is a club there will be prompts about the success of the operation, and the possibility of a decoration. If it is a spade there will be prompts about danger, which will increase your stress and may end up in personal injury, ditching the plane, or having to bail out before the plane explodes!

There are a number of optional rules which can be included, such as 'stress makes it harder to maintain relationships', 'stress makes you more likely to die', and 'operations in late 1944' with better guns and parachute equipment which improves your survivability a little.

What are people saying?

A thought-provoking and evocative game that captures the challenges and drama of the role and harsh realities of the world of the Bomber Command tail-gunner brilliantly

- Guy Sargeant

Tail-End Charlie captures the experience of being a tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber during World War Two very well. One moment you're enjoying yourself, and the next you're risking your life. Your stress level can go up and down, you can fall in love, and you can get your heart broken. The romance rules are the part I enjoyed the most. My characters had a tendency to fall in love very quickly, and having that anchor makes it more worthwhile.

- Jonathan Bagelman