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The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes Core Rulebook
Not yet published
Expected 3 Feb 26- GenresScience Fiction
308 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 3, 2026
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September 19, 2025
(Note: I have a copy of this now because I backed the Kickstarter. Presumably the release date listed into the future is a placeholder or reflects when the book will be available to the public.)
So there's a funny sort of full circle to me getting the Planet of the Apes RPG. See, I'd heard of the franchise but I never bothered to watch it until I got the Terra Primates RPG from Eden Studios because I'd enjoyed their zombie RPG and Terra Primate took a similar approach to apes. But I discovered that the original Planet of Apes movies, while cheesy and very clearly from the 70s, are pretty good. And I've really enjoyed Andrew E. C. Gaska's novels filling in the gaps of some of the films as well as his work on other properties like Space 1999, so backing the Kickstarter for this was a no brainer.
And I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with what I got. The book itself as a physical object is quite nice: it's a hardcover that feels quite sturdy with colorful pages on nice paper and not one but two ribbon bookmarks. The book is about 300 pages and feels like it does a great job of being a core rulebook. While I'm certainly eager to read the one existing supplement and hope to see more come in the future, this book contains everything you need to get started. It's got character creation rules, a setting overview, plenty of NPC stats, even a sample adventure and plenty of plot hooks to be used to develop new stories.
One fun part of the core book is it's very focused on the ape experience and written somewhat as if the apes rather than the humans are the audience. It kinda makes sense - this book is focused on the setting of the first two movies, the topsy-turvy future world where apes rule and humans are vermin. In those circumstances a group of apes is an obvious way to assemble a party of player characters. Though there are rules for playing astro-nauts, the native future humans, and even mutants. The last come with rules for psychic powers that are reminiscent of the D6 Star Wars RPG Force rules, which makes sense since this is a descendant of that system. (Kinda appropriate for another 20th Century Fox property to use the same ruleset.)
Another thing I appreciate is that this book is drawing from a lot more than just the five movies. with Andrew E. C. Gaska at the helm it obviously has some references to his previous novels, but it also covers the live action and cartoon TV shows and stuff from the comics that I've just never heard of before. But rather than feeling like I'm missing out on things because there's Apes media I've never consumed, it instead feels like a prod to explore corners of the Planet of the Apes I barely knew existed. For example, while it's nice to have rules for mutants, I wouldn't want to play one from the underground New York seen in Beneath. But seeing that there's a whole other society of mutants who are focused on restoring nature to the Forbidden Zone makes me a lot more interested in learning about them.
While currently there's only a sourcebook on the film series, I'm hopeful that there will be future supplements covering other parts of the franchise. Especially since the book makes it clear that the players and GM (or Lawgiver as they're called here) are free to imagine their own twists and turns on the classic Planet of the Apes.
Admittedly I don't know how large the overlap is between Planet of the Apes fans and tabletop RPG people in my current acquaintance, but I certainly would love to get a chance to play this some time. And even if I don't anytime soon, this is still a really fun read for the way it uses the existing stories and remixes and expands on them. I'm definitely hoping this RPG line has a long and productive life.
So there's a funny sort of full circle to me getting the Planet of the Apes RPG. See, I'd heard of the franchise but I never bothered to watch it until I got the Terra Primates RPG from Eden Studios because I'd enjoyed their zombie RPG and Terra Primate took a similar approach to apes. But I discovered that the original Planet of Apes movies, while cheesy and very clearly from the 70s, are pretty good. And I've really enjoyed Andrew E. C. Gaska's novels filling in the gaps of some of the films as well as his work on other properties like Space 1999, so backing the Kickstarter for this was a no brainer.
And I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with what I got. The book itself as a physical object is quite nice: it's a hardcover that feels quite sturdy with colorful pages on nice paper and not one but two ribbon bookmarks. The book is about 300 pages and feels like it does a great job of being a core rulebook. While I'm certainly eager to read the one existing supplement and hope to see more come in the future, this book contains everything you need to get started. It's got character creation rules, a setting overview, plenty of NPC stats, even a sample adventure and plenty of plot hooks to be used to develop new stories.
One fun part of the core book is it's very focused on the ape experience and written somewhat as if the apes rather than the humans are the audience. It kinda makes sense - this book is focused on the setting of the first two movies, the topsy-turvy future world where apes rule and humans are vermin. In those circumstances a group of apes is an obvious way to assemble a party of player characters. Though there are rules for playing astro-nauts, the native future humans, and even mutants. The last come with rules for psychic powers that are reminiscent of the D6 Star Wars RPG Force rules, which makes sense since this is a descendant of that system. (Kinda appropriate for another 20th Century Fox property to use the same ruleset.)
Another thing I appreciate is that this book is drawing from a lot more than just the five movies. with Andrew E. C. Gaska at the helm it obviously has some references to his previous novels, but it also covers the live action and cartoon TV shows and stuff from the comics that I've just never heard of before. But rather than feeling like I'm missing out on things because there's Apes media I've never consumed, it instead feels like a prod to explore corners of the Planet of the Apes I barely knew existed. For example, while it's nice to have rules for mutants, I wouldn't want to play one from the underground New York seen in Beneath. But seeing that there's a whole other society of mutants who are focused on restoring nature to the Forbidden Zone makes me a lot more interested in learning about them.
While currently there's only a sourcebook on the film series, I'm hopeful that there will be future supplements covering other parts of the franchise. Especially since the book makes it clear that the players and GM (or Lawgiver as they're called here) are free to imagine their own twists and turns on the classic Planet of the Apes.
Admittedly I don't know how large the overlap is between Planet of the Apes fans and tabletop RPG people in my current acquaintance, but I certainly would love to get a chance to play this some time. And even if I don't anytime soon, this is still a really fun read for the way it uses the existing stories and remixes and expands on them. I'm definitely hoping this RPG line has a long and productive life.
October 19, 2025
Do you like Tabletop RPGs? Particularly the late 80s to early 2000s D6 engine West End Games used for licensed games like Ghostbusters, Men In Black, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars? Well guess what? The general feel of those games is back. They've updated a few rules here and there to 'keep up with modern' TT RPG trends but it's all there. It's much harder to start out as super tough guy right off the bat. However, in POTAS, that makes sense. Indiana Jones and his allies weren't might not be the best at what they did, but when they were willing to get rough and dirty, they got the job done. Three of the four Ghostbusters might not have been the toughest guys in the world, but they could outthink almost anyone. The Men In Black only recruited 'The Best of the The Best of The Best'. And Star Wars were literal sci-fi/fantasty archetypes. Planet of the Apes (Escape from not withstanding) was generatlly a grittier franchise where action and yes even some optimism is to be found, but so is death. Characters being a tad crunchy works in its favor.
I only have three real problems with the game.
1. For whatever reasons, probably licensing issues, you don't get actual status sheets for any of the many, many, POTAs characters. Unlike Ghostbusters where you got stats for the guys (and Janine, Louis, etc.) you get templates where most the characters like say Dr. Zaius, could be made... but you have to put in the work. Which for someone who, 9 times of the ten, gets stuck as GMs (or as this game calls them 'Lawgiver') is a bit of a pain.
2. While the kickstarter PROMISED it would adapt stuff from the first five movies, parts of the both the animated series and the TV show.... which is mostly true... most of the stuff focuses Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the TV shows, and the fifth movie. There are no rules for sending your apes back in time for those wanting to do something more out there or in line with the two BEST sequels to the original film.
3. One of the best two week gaming experience came in the early 2000s, when my friends and I realized the old Ghostbusters RPG, another friends Indiana Jones RPG, and my M.I.B. RPG were built on game systems so similar that with only mild tweaks... they intercompatible. The Indiana Jones and M.I.B. campaigns were reaching an ending, Ghostbusters was going on a six-week hiatus for winter break.... and we decided to end the semester on quite a feat. An insane crossover. Can you do something similar? Probably. With a LOT of work. And it might be more trouble than it's worth to do an Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Men In Black, Planet of the Apes game.
Still, as a stand alone game... it looks really damn good. I'm glad I backed this game.
I only have three real problems with the game.
1. For whatever reasons, probably licensing issues, you don't get actual status sheets for any of the many, many, POTAs characters. Unlike Ghostbusters where you got stats for the guys (and Janine, Louis, etc.) you get templates where most the characters like say Dr. Zaius, could be made... but you have to put in the work. Which for someone who, 9 times of the ten, gets stuck as GMs (or as this game calls them 'Lawgiver') is a bit of a pain.
2. While the kickstarter PROMISED it would adapt stuff from the first five movies, parts of the both the animated series and the TV show.... which is mostly true... most of the stuff focuses Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the TV shows, and the fifth movie. There are no rules for sending your apes back in time for those wanting to do something more out there or in line with the two BEST sequels to the original film.
3. One of the best two week gaming experience came in the early 2000s, when my friends and I realized the old Ghostbusters RPG, another friends Indiana Jones RPG, and my M.I.B. RPG were built on game systems so similar that with only mild tweaks... they intercompatible. The Indiana Jones and M.I.B. campaigns were reaching an ending, Ghostbusters was going on a six-week hiatus for winter break.... and we decided to end the semester on quite a feat. An insane crossover. Can you do something similar? Probably. With a LOT of work. And it might be more trouble than it's worth to do an Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Men In Black, Planet of the Apes game.
Still, as a stand alone game... it looks really damn good. I'm glad I backed this game.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews