Novanexus (MicroRed version)

Novanexus is a role-playing game set in a retro-futuristic French metropolis where towering skyscrapers pulse with holographic light, and a mysterious phenomenon called the Glitch threatens to unravel the city’s fragile balance. In this setting, players can take on the roles of diverse characters, from craftsmen preserving ancient traditions to hackers exploiting chaotic code, enforcers upholding order amid chaos, or investigators chasing elusive truths. Guided by the rogue AI Quirkmatrix, the Glitch disrupts technology with unpredictable, often deadly consequences, forcing Novanexus’ citizens to confront the cost of their dependence on technology.

Heavily inspired by Jacques Tati’s Playtime (1967) and Trafic (1971), Novanexus combines gritty sci-fi with melancholic nostalgia, inviting you to a bizarre world of corporate intrigue, factional strife, and moral ambiguity. The setting is a city of contrasting districts. The Ultra-Modern Plaza dazzles with Neon Arcade’s VR parlors and Crystal Galleria’s elite boutiques, yet its smart systems falter under Glitch surges. The Corporate Tower looms as a sterile monument to NexusTech’s ambition, its labs birthing innovations that fuel Quirkmatrix’s chaos. The Heritage District, with its luxurious villas and faux-traditional shops, masks the Syndicat du Patrimoine’s schemes, while the Ancient Quarter clings to Novanexus’s pre-tech soul, offering refuge from the Glitch.

Seven factions vie for control: the Agence de Contrôle des Anomalies battles the Glitch, NexusTech hides its role in creating it, the Coalition du Quartier Ancien champions tradition, Néoluddites sabotage tech, the Syndicat du Patrimoine orchestrates its maneuvers from the dark corners of the megalopolis, Hackers Souterrains exploit the chaos, and the Gouvernement Municipal struggles to maintain order.

Novanexus is a game of contrasts: human connection versus technological isolation, tradition versus progress, order versus chaos. Player characters will forge their paths in a city where the Glitch exposes the fragility of machines and the resilience of the human spirit.

Novanexus is a MicroRed game. And what does that mean?

MicroRed is a stripped-down take on the Red system. You don’t need to master the full Red rules to run it, however, MicroRed’s concise mechanics  demand familiarity with OSR games. This system will be used to re-release Wretched settings. Expect compact books, packed with stock art and public domain visuals. Fewer pages mean lower costs for print-on-demand, making MicroRed titles more affordable if you decide to purchase them on Lulu.