Reimagining modular synthesis as a role-playing game

SLEW is a minimal science-fantasy game set in a broken land, where players embody strange scavengers working to piece things back together. Made by Alfred Valley in collaboration with Bastl, it is a love letter to the latter's iconic semi-modular synthesiser, the Softpop SP2, and modular synthesis more generally.

Acid freak fantasy on a black and white frontier

Designed to accommodate groups (up to 4 + a GM) and solo players alike, SLEW is a game about discovering and embracing the unexpected. Players will discover mysterious artifacts that can be combined in unpredictable ways and go on adventures in the weird and wild setting of Outermono.

Explore, experiment and survive

This game reimagines the Softpop SP2, with its push-pull between analog and digital. The synth's components push "their behaviors out of normal routines in surprising ways" and so does SLEW. Instead of patching between parts of a device, players will patch between the artifacts on their character sheets, finding unconventional combinations and unique outcomes supported by fresh mechanics.

Outermono, a world robbed of colour

Cherry-picking elements of Valley's Lay On Hands and Thousand Empty Light, SLEW is a rules-lite game with some atypical wrinkles, including HP-less combat and repercussions mechanically tied to the actions of the players' characters.

Lightweight lore waiting for your co-sign

SLEW releases 22nd May 2025 in a barebones pay-what-you-want edition, including the one-page core rules, a character sheet and a single page adventure module, Slopes of Saw.