Handiwork Games has officially debuted The Bunker Game at Conpulsion 2026 in Edinburgh, marking the first time the title has been available to the general public. Originally developed by Malcolm Craig as a teaching tool for his “The Nuclear Cold War” module at the University of Edinburgh, the project has transitioned from an academic simulation into a standalone “minimalist” roleplaying experience.
The release follows the successful Cold City, Hot War Kickstarter campaign, where The Bunker Game served as a £50,000 stretch goal. While digital backers received their copies in early 2025, the physical presence at The Pleasance, only a short distance from where the original curriculum was taught, highlights the game’s deep ties to the Scottish capital’s gaming and academic communities.
Malcolm Craig, Senior Lecturer and designer at Handiwork Games, explained on a Kickstarter update,
Students were divided into groups, given characters, and told they were in a nuclear bunker. There was enough food and water to allow half of those in the bunker to survive. Who has to die?”
This focus on “impact gaming” shifts the focus away from traditional adventure and toward the harrowing ethics of survival. Unlike many roleplaying games that offer a path to victory, The Bunker Game is described as a “curio” that sits uncomfortably between a LARP and a tabletop game. It is designed to impart a visceral sense of what nuclear conflict might have felt like, stripped of the “gonzo” elements often found in post-apocalyptic fiction.
The production has been “gussied up” by Jon Hodgson, whose art direction provides a stark, professional frame for Craig’s minimalist mechanics. This juxtaposition raises interesting questions for the player: can a game designed for a sombre educational purpose remain ethically “true” when packaged as a commercial entertainment product?
The debut at Conpulsion 2026 was the first opportunity for non-backers to purchase the physical edition. While the game is not yet available on the Handiwork Games e-commerce store, it is expected to join their “New Releases” category shortly. For those who missed the original Kickstarter, this release represents a rare chance to own a piece of “hyper-local” gaming history that explores the darkest corners of 20th-century geopolitical anxiety.
Conpulsion 2026 Coverage
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