"What are some non-violent miniatures games?" Topic

Some excellent analysis in this thread. It seems to me that any number of RPGs, along the line of Castle Falkenstein, could incorporate miniatures. I don't know if that fills optionalbuild's case.

A really enjoyable game I did was "55 Minutes in Peking," which I think could easily be adapted to a firefighting game: if you're not familiar with it, groups of Boxers congregate at certain points and when they reach a critical mass they attack; players also have to share resources like ammunition, food and water.

I would think many games intended to simulate violence could also be used to simulate non-violence. You just need the right idea to appeal to the players. Just use the combat stats to represent an ability they would need in your game.

You might try mountain climbing, where the objective is to be the first to the top (might require some creative terrain work). Would allow for some humorous encounters with billy goats that block your path.

What about being lost in a jungle or on an island. The goal is to search out food and shelter until help arrives. Could be cooperative or competative.

You could also do a dungeon crawl type game with no monsters. Players have to overcome traps and work their way to the end of a maze. Traps could be barricades that make you go around, nets that cause you to lose a turn, or knock out gas that causes you to lose 2 turns. Along the way, they might find items that will be useful like keys, gasmask, etc.

Edit:
Just had an idea for the dungeon crawl game. If you've seen the movie Labyrinth, it has some good ideas. The players could encounter tricky "door minders" that ask or answer questions. If the player doesn't get it right, the "door minder" gives them false information.

Don't know why I didn't think of the original Mighty Empires from GW. It's a conflict game, but is really a somewhat abstracted campaign system— explore, conquer, gather resources— rather than a battle fig-on-fig game. You can either game the battles or use an abstracted method to determine results; the latter at least distills the violence down to a simple "win or loss" element.

Castle Panic is a cooperative "tower defense" board game that could be easily converted to minis, at least for the orc hordes storming the central castle. While technically "violent," the violence is abstract and there is no interplayer conflict— the players work together to defend the castle, while the game mechanics "control" the attacking horde.

Another semi-minis boardgame is Betrayal at House on the Hill, which is sort of a cross between Arkham Horror and a Scooby Doo episode. Players each control a character while they explore a haunted house (building it as they go). At some point a random event will trigger "the Haunt," and the game will take on a specific story line contained in a "don't read it till you play it" adventure book. One player (usually) becomes "the Traitor" who is out to fulfill the conditions of "the Haunt," whatever that may be ("Open a netherworld portal," "summon an evil god," "turn everyone into vampires," whatever). The other players try to prevent the Haunt from succeeding (or simply survive). So possibly some violence, but the feel is more of a gothic horror novel or 1950's horror film than anything else.

You might have a look at Wil Wheaton's Tabletop video series for games that might appeal to a variety of players. Most are board games, but some straddle the line between board and minis.

How about 25mm paintballing?

Ebob does a range of figures. That's OK, pretty harmless & not too bad …unless you cop one in the 'nads.

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Really interesting London Blitz game by Jim Wallman here:

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What about being lost in a jungle or on an island. The goal is to search out food and shelter until help arrives. Could be cooperative or competative.

The old Avalon Hill game Outdoor Survival could be converted to minis: link

(Original D&D rules recomended using that mapboard for outdoor adventures!)

HG Wells book floor games has several non-violence miniatures games inside….

One i play on a ongoing basis with my brother is the "voting" scenario.
Eveyone takes his miniature collection and you count who has more votes for voting on something….

Than you argue who has voting rights…. And than you see that your complete chariot armies, all SYW troops and all orcs have no demoratic vote and the counting of votes gets interesting…. As only every figure has a vote if they had also voting rights historicaly…..

I love that game…..
You shiver when only 20 percent of your collection has a right to vote as the lived in a free and demoratic country…. Spartans and acw armies a good for votes and wehrmacht does not count!

Greetings and have fun!

Spartans

Ah, but not the helots.

How about these-

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I suspect hunting games would get even more criticism than wargames.

Also, don't tell them you are using Teddy Bear Fur for your playing surface, or crying/trauma may result…….

Someone above mentioned the snowball game from the HMGS cons. That was called "Snowball's Chance In Hell." There is also another snowball game called "Snowball Wars" available from Okum Arts Games. It comes with the rules and printable minis.

Full-contact sport, but no bloodletting, Impact City Roller Derby
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Besides the racing games, I think you'll be limited to board games. Which isn't so bad as Politiboro and ticket to ride are great fun!
I have changed the meme of my games for my kids. It is really because they respond and have better interest in superheroes and zombies. The violence and worlds are cartoonish and over-the-top as supers and walking dead do not exist and it is readily apparant who is the whitehat and whom wears the black.
I have run across folks who do think I idolize conflict because of my hobby. The detractors do not look much farther or appreciate the time and energy taken in the research, build, and paint of the units and terrain. They also forget that I carry a weapon every day and mostly wear uniforms as an occupation, the hobby is just a pressure relief valve.
To paraphrase a better man than l… there are sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves. Sheep do not believe in wolves and do not like sheepdogs, until the wolves come.
My kids have played a cooperative game where each had a four man fireteam. The game was to stop the bad guys and rescue the civilians. Points were awarded for civilians saved, not bad guys neutralized. The game ended when the bad guys were all taken down. I could modify the rules into firemen fighting fire, but I think they were doing the scenario in response to news reports and knowledge of my job as citizen or soldier.
Conflict of some sort seems to be needed in a game. In Politiboro you are trying to control the body dispite your opponents, in ticket to ride you want to lay track and claim routes and fortune before your fellows.
Neither use clubs, guns, and open warfare, but the conflict is still there.
I like to watch racing in all vehicular forms. I still remember watching a race after Dale Earnhardt died and appreciating the skill of the drivers using drafting and pitstops to move up the field. A friend who is a fierce anti-gun advocate was very disappointed that there were no wrecks.
I'm happy to be a sheepdog because I do not understand sheep.

We tend to think of our hobby as "wargames," but a long time ago, the then owners of the "Flintloque" and other ranges described their products as "adventure games". This gives a whole new range of options that require co-operation and problem solving rather than violence. Perhaps one of these would be better suited.
Treasure hunt scenarios and desperate races to save something or someone make great games and can be fitted to any period or setting. Just make sure the bad guys have to be out-smarted or avoided and that positive action is rewarded.

What about 7TV and its ilk? Any violence is merely simulated.

I'm rather taken aback by the number of responses to the original post that consist of variants of the classic "but I don't like to play that way, and you're foolish for wanting to play a different game than me."
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Optional
overall i think its interesting that the majority of suggestions have been sensible though rather than launching off into a "anyone who wants to play miniatures games other than wargames is clearly some kind of lefty pacifist who should go off and live in a dictatorship" type of pov.
Btw (to take up Cadian 7ths theme) as a lefty Christian sheepdog I do btw quite understand the sheep – fortunately I don't have to carry a lethal weapon in the country where I guard the flocks!

I dont know..

I saw an excellent whaling game a few years back. Total Moby Dick kinda thing. While that does seem a bit violent, I'm sure that some kind of fishing game could work. Capture Nessy, or something.

Treasure hunt is another one.. Players collect valuables and try to collect the most.

Optional Field,

Might I suggest this, though I cannot send you to a rule set: A photo safari game (something I'm actually working towards as an adjunct to my Africa gaming) where the goal is for the players to get close enough to a herd of animals or a smaller grouping to get a good set of photographs. I'm doing this in 15 mm (see Irregular Miniatures range for a good starting point) and have lots of different animals. Managed to find a few useful vehicles.

This provides a challenge for the players since the animals move around and even hide in the terrain (natural camouflage). Then there can be lighting challenges and having the wrong film in the camera, etc. Let your imagination run wild.

And no need for any sort of violence at all. Though, for the weak at heart when it comes to non-violent gaming they can include the hazards of being eaten by a lion or swarmed by fire ants and other pleasant experiences.

I'm pretty sure the original request related to getting a lass, younger or older, involved in miniatures who is averse to violence – think a mom and a child.

There are other options, with all those civilian figures out there in the various scales you can have other types of games – add in farm animals and have a 'working' farm.

There are more options out there for miniature gaming than just war. My focus is on the war side but I have no objection to other styles – especially adventure style games.

Hope you find something that works for you and your partner(s) in non-violent gaming.