itch.io

DEEP is the key word. I consider myself as being at the bottom of the the pool. I typed up my first game on a manual typewriter and paid for someone to type it on an electric typewriter! Games Workshop published that first game.

Apart from that, everything I’ve produced has been bashed out on a battered old laptop in my bedroom. I don’t use advanced publishing software or 3rd party editors/layout specialists etc. However, I think my books look OK.

And the GAMES themselves are good. 

I just spend more money going to conventions to “promote” them than comes in in profit.

Hi All,

My name’s Simon Burley. I write Table-Top Role-Playing Games.

The first game I published was Golden Heroes - the UK’s first Superhero TTRPG - was back in……

1982.

Since then I’ve self published a range of games. 

I’m also known for going to to more conventions than anyone else in the world. I got up to visiting 26 cons in the UK in 2019 - one per fortnight -  before the pandemic nailed me to the ground. How did I find so many? Well I also went to non-gaming cons to demonstrate TTRPGs to try and spread the word about this wonderful hobby.

I’ve come on Itch to explore this new outlet for my ideas. I don’t know yet how involved I might get in the community here.

Hi,

I’m Simon Burley. I write Role-Playing Games*. This is one of them.

I originally wrote The Code of the Spacelanes almost a decade ago as part of a number of related  “lite” TTRPGs - my “Code” series. However, over the years, I’ve found myself coming back to it time and time again. Whenever there’s a new SciFi TV series or Movie (or I rediscover an old one I want to explore), I’ve found myself dusting off this game and using it to play in that Universe. It’s easy. This game has given me more FUN than anything else I’ve ever written.

At UK conventions I’ve run games based on Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, Fireball XL5, Dr Who, Blakes 7, Judge Dredd and myriad other fun, famous SciFi settings. So what I’ve done is to file off the names and stick them all in an expanded version of the rulebook. Available here on Itch for the first time.

https://simonpaulburley.itch.io/the-code-of-the-spacelanes-delux

Also available is a short, cheap, black-book version of the rules. JUST the rules, for experts who want to take a look at the system who don’t need all the artwork, examples and explanations. Or for players to use as reference.

https://simonpaulburley.itch.io/the-code-of-the-spacelanes-hacked

Finally in this release, I’ve put one of my favourite convention scenarios into print. Classic UK 1970’s TV SciFi (“The Dirty Dozen in Space”) meets big budget 1980’s Hollywood. (Something’s been found on Mars…….)

https://simonpaulburley.itch.io/the-armageddon-run

The Code of the Spacelanes is a 2d6 system that’s like nothing you’ve experienced before. A single dice roll produces a wide range of cinematic outcomes that not only drive the story, but allow players and Referees to make fascinating tactical and narrative choices. 

I’m actually very proud of all this stuff!

* For those of you who don’t know me, I created and co-authored the UK’s first Superhero RPG - Golden Heroes. (It’s in Wikipedia, feel free to look it up.)