OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Tales from the Loop Name Generator
Retro Sci-Fi Kids, Nicknames, Towns and Strange Machines
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How the Tales From The Loop Name Generator works
A Tales from the Loop name generator for kids growing up in an 80s countryside full of strange science. In Tales from the Loop-style games, children solve mysteries near a giant research facility while robots rust in the fields. Generate Swedish and American kids with nicknames, their home towns and the strange machines they find.
How the Tales from the Loop name generator works
Kids get names that were popular in the 1980s, Swedish or American, since the game can be set in either country. Many get a nickname, like Olle "Wheels" Lindqvist, because every gang of kids has one. Towns combine Swedish or American place parts. Machines get plain, eerie labels, the Humming Sphere or Unit 44, because adults never explain them.
Kids, not adults
The heroes are 10 to 15 years old, so give them names their friends would use, not grown-up full names.
Not affiliated
Tales from the Loop is a trademark of Free League Publishing and Simon Stålenhag. This site is not affiliated with them. Surnames and machine names are original, and first names are common real names.
FAQ
What names suit 80s kids?
Names that were common for children born in the early 1970s, like Kevin, Wendy, Anders or Annika. They instantly set the time period and make the kids feel real to the table.
Why give kids nicknames?
Nicknames make each kid memorable and show their role in the group, like Brains or Wheels. They are also how kids talk to each other, which helps players stay in character.
How should strange machines be named?
Keep it plain and eerie. Adults in the setting rarely explain the machines, so kids call them by what they look like, like the Walking Tower, or by a stencilled number.
Can I use these in other 80s games?
Yes. The names are original or common real names and fit any 80s kids adventure, retro sci-fi or small-town mystery game or story, whatever system you play at your table.
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