Watch the Skies 2025

Watch the Skies

It’s the year 2035. Nations are dealing with international conflicts, corporations are rising as powerful players on the global stage, and whispers of something beyond Earth grow louder. Governments, media, and shadowy forces are all vying for control as humanity faces an uncertain future.

Welcome to the crisis.

In Watch the Skies, you’ll be playing as nations of the world, powerful corporations, or elite media as you come to grips with a looming extraterrestrial mystery. Watch the Skies is a Megagame of international relations, intrigue, crisis, and conflict.

All game tickets are now sold out

Currently the following teams will be part for the game:

8 Nations (Brazil, China, France, India, Japan, USA, Russia, UK) 

Each nation has a Head of State, Minister of Interior, Foreign Minister, and Minister of War.

4 Corporations

Each corporation team has a CEO, COO, and CTO

1 Media team (of variable size)

The media gathers information on what’s happening and decide what news is fit to print. They reporting to the world each round impacting the world’s outlook.

An Alien team

[REDACTED]

FAQs

Q. What do the different roles do?

Corporate Roles
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Ultimately in charge of the team’s strategic direction, the CEO handles negotiations, signs deals and takes financial decisions on behalf of the board (with the advice of the COO and CTO.
- Chief Operating Officer (COO): The head of day-to-day operations and sales, the COO is a talkative wheeler-dealer whose job is to maximize profits through sales. You deliver finished products to clients, and can access deniable corporate espionage assets.
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO): The head of production, this means you manage manufacturing and apportion products to your team.

National Roles
- Head of State: The team leader. Coordinates the activity of the team.
- Foreign Minister: The player that attends United Nations meetings and negotiates deal and treaties with the other teams.
- Minister of Defense: This player commands units on the map, defending their nation from various threats.
- Minister of Interior: This player negotiates with corporations for products and technologies. They also control a nation's covert ops.

Q: Wait... People do this for fun?

A: Yes they do--all over the world! The blog Shut Up & Sit Down made a fabulous documentary of their first experience... as well as a two-part documentary of their second! (Click here for Part II).

Still not convinced (or short on time)? Check out this inspiring, short video of Megagames at PAX. The UK group Megagame Makers have been going strong for over twenty years, and featured in such newspapers as The Independent.

McGill professors have been hosting megagames for fun and learning for more than fifteen years, where the PaxSims blog is the nexus for all things simulation and gaming. Be sure to check out the (in)famous student-made short on Rex Brynen's annual Brynania Civil War simulation.

Or, for the educationally minded, a video on the EnTRUSTed Hospital Simulation.

Megagames are also used for facilitation work with governments, corporations, international organizations, NGOs, and universities by people such Rex Brynen, Vince Carpini, Tom Fisher, and Jim Wallman.

So... what are you waiting for?!

Q: Ok, but what is a Megagame?
A: Megagames are unique experiential games for 30 to 300 players - part model UN, part board game, part live-action role play - and all fun! They are driven by narrative rather than victory points, and often built as lifelike simulations of the real world with a fantastical twist. Megagames are written to make the players feel, think, experience, and learn.

Megagames are sweeping the globe as the newest, most unique experiences a gamer can find.

Q: But I’ve never done this before!
A: Don’t worry, neither had we. You’ll be a pro in no time.

We will send you an information package 1-2 weeks before the event date for you to review game mechanics, your role, and background storyline.

Megagames are designed to be learned on the fly, just like real life. They are about experiencing a storyline, rather than mapping out a path to victory. In a Megagame, it is much better to die a legendary death that your friends, new and old, will tell tales of for all time, rather than attempt to beat everybody in a race to the finish.

Above all, experienced players and the control team (aka, the game facilitators) are very nice. We won’t let you do anything too silly- unless you want to!

Q: How should I treat other players?

A: We are so proud to bring you this event, and we want to make sure every player gets an engaging and fulfilling experience. This requires the cooperation of all players to make this fun for everyone. If you are found to be disrupting the event by harassing other players, including racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted remarks, you will be reprimanded as the game control sees fit, up to and including expulsion from the game without refund.

Q: Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
A: Contact the Ottawa Megagames team at OttawaMegaGames@gmail.com, on the Ottawa MegaGames FB page.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to let us know! We like to think we’re pretty friendly people and will do whatever we can to help.