Human or replicant? Moviegoers have been debating that question since Harrison Ford brought Rick Deckard to the big screen. But soon that question will mean something very different: “Which would you rather play as?” Because the new Blade Runner RPG will transform your tabletop into a cyberpunk dystopia.
Free League publishing has announced it’s launching a Kickstarter on May 3 for its new role-playing game. It’s set in the dreary world where androids dream of electric sheep. (They do, right?). But this game isn’t based on Philip K. Dick’s novel. Blade Runner RPG takes place in the universe of the films, in a story that occurs between the original movie and Blade Runner 2049.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Blade Runner RPG propels players into the neon noir streets of Los Angeles as Blade Runners. Set in the year 2037, the adventures begin shortly after the Wallace Corporation debuts the new Nexus-9 Replicants on Earth, giving players the choice to play as either human or Replicant Blade Runners with different specialties, personalities, and memories.
This tabletop adventure will do more than just take you on a trip through the rainy world of the series. It will also explore the films’ themes. Free League says in both “setting and mechanics” the game highlights “sci-fi action, corporate intrigue, existential character drama, and moral conflict.” All in a way that will both “encourages roleplay and challenge players to question your orders, empathize with your enemies, and make hard calls with high stakes and long-lasting implications.”
The publisher originally announced the game’s development last September. And the initial teaser video had us ready to take the Voight-Kampff test to prove we should be allowed to play.
While we now have some initial looks at the Core Rulebook, the game’s official website and social media channels will announce more information ahead of the Kickstarter launch. It goes live at 9 a.m. ET on May 3. If you plan on backing the Blade Runner RPG, act fast when the Kickstarter goes live. Pledges placed in the first 24 hours come with a bonus item Free League will reveal soon.