Walking Robots (game)

Walking Robots is a tabletop wargame in which players command giant walking machines across a hex map. Each machine has a record sheet that tracks its armour, heat and weapons, and turns alternate between movement and combat so that every decision about speed has a cost later in the round.

The game was first published as a boxed set with cardboard counters and paper maps, and later editions added plastic miniatures, a campaign system and rules for vehicles and infantry. A thriving community of players paints its own miniatures and writes scenarios for local tournaments.

Gameplay

Players move their machines one hex at a time, spending movement points that depend on the terrain. Woods and rubble cost more to cross, water slows everything down, and climbing a level costs an extra point. Firing generates heat, and a machine that runs too hot may shut down at the worst possible moment.

Combat is resolved with two six-sided dice. The attacker adds modifiers for range, movement and terrain, and a successful hit is assigned to a location such as an arm, a leg or the torso. Damage that breaks through the armour can destroy weapons, ammunition or the engine itself.

Campaign rules link battles together, so that damaged machines must be repaired between games and pilots gain experience over time. Many groups play long campaigns that last for months, keeping detailed records of every battle and every salvaged machine.