Planet Of The Apes: The Role-Playing Game Might Be My Next TTRPG Obsession (2024)

When I was sent the Quickstart rules for Magnetic Press Play's Planet of the Apes: The Role-Playing Game, my first thought was "What a wonderful day!", mainly because King Proximus' mantra hasn't left my brain ever since I saw the movie over a month ago.

However, that's not an entirely appropriate reaction. Not because the game isn't good, but because it's based on the original 1967 movie and its four sequels, as well as the two TV series of the '70s. Caesar, Koba, and Noa are nowhere to be seen.

Generally, the lore and tone have been fairly consistent, though the original movies take place generations after the ones that have been successful in theatres over the last 13 years. And while the draw for me, and for many, will be their feelings for the modern movies, great tabletop games don't rely on too much knowledge of the source material and can stand on their own. Therefore, I looked less at how 'true' Planet of the Apes: The Role-Playing Game was and more at, broad as the descriptor may be, how 'good' it is.

Playing Planet Of The Apes: The Role-Playing Game

The first answer to that question is that it's complicated. Depending on where you're coming from, that may mean 'good' or 'bad' or something else. But this is not a quick way to experience the movie like Jurassic Park: Danger or Alien: Fate of the Nostromo. This is a deep, systems based narrative RPG like (or Fallout: The Roleplaying Game or Dragon Age RPG, which are also just 'like Dungeons & Dragons' but for their own IP), only with the D6 roleplaying system.

You can play as three classes of Ape (Chimpanzee, Orangutan, Gorilla), two classes of Mutants (Fellowship of the Holy Fallout, Underdwellers), or two classes of Human (Tribal, Astro-Naut), though many of the details of what these classes and subclasses offer is reserved for the Core Rulebook, which I've not yet seen.

From what I have access to though, there seems to be a huge range, which is exactly what is needed. Some of these tabletop versions are afraid to be too complex, but they're already in too deep to be anything else. I get the sense Apes is committed, which should help it find its audience.

Magnetic Press Play’s version of D6 uses for Dexterity, Knowledge, Mechanical, Perception, Strength, and Willpower as its abilities’ attributes, which grounds the game in the realm of standard TTRPG design, with flourishes unique to Apes like Psionic Powers - another feature that post-Caesar fans will be new to. Magnetic has used this system before, but has split what was Technical into Knowledge and Mechanical while adding Willpower, likely because of the extra social focus due to the societal hierarchy present throughout the Apes franchise.

Combat In Planet Of The Apes: The Role-Playing Game

Planet of the apes movie

See Also

Roll The Fun: 7 Best Games With A Dice To Spice Up Your Game Nights

There's also some excellent flair in the individual skills, with some skills scratched out by the Apes as being against their code (they don't fly planes and distrust Astro-Naut tech). However, this doesn't seem to extend to the weapons, though the Quickstart only has a handful of them. Combat has a similar level of complexity but is a lot more about working together, with the initiative of each 'side' (typically players versus NPCs, but with wiggle room for factions) added together, before all actions are declared at once.

In theory, these systems make for more collaborative, free-flowing games, but in practice, they can often be even slower than standard 'one at a time' systems like . This comes down to having engaged, active players who are actually roleplaying and participating, and so it's hard to hold that against the game. It is, however, something to be mindful of if you plan on playing this in the future.

For all I've used D&D as a foundational comparison for tabletop play (it is, after all, the gateway for thousands), combat in Planet of the Apes is closer to Vampire: The Masquerade with its reliance on more specific ranges, how damage rolls operate, and Psionic factors in place of blood-based goodness. However, the use of wind speeds, visibility, and higher ground help it stand out, as well as fitting the wilderness of the setting.

Then there's the pack-in adventure itself. Though difficult to play with the rules alone (the game uses one special stylised dice that you'd need to house rule a workaround for), the Quickstart contains a short campaign for 4-6 people, plus a minor bestiary. In some ways, these can be the worst way to judge a game as they're not really made to be played in these short taster bursts. But given it's that or nothing, let's take a look anyway.

This adventure details Apes on the trail for a murderous human (actually two, which plays into the mystery element of the story), who is an Astro-Naut. The list of rumours provided contains both true and false tales, which suggests the game is more about narrative and discovery than endless combat - exactly the direction it should take. Speaking of direction, players are allowed to make their own way in the world, with a more open sandbox of a map, plus random encounters to be decided both by dice rolls and the decision of the Lawgiver (or is that LAWGIVER?) keep players on their toes. Again, it's not for everyone, but I find being able to discover the story makes for a much richer experience than the more linear and controlled route other TTRPGs take.

So, after all that, is it good? New TTRPGs find themselves in a crowded market, and the Apes branding could be as big a negative as a positive given the decision to avoid the Caesar era. However, from what I've experienced of the game, I'd have to conclude that yes, it is quite good after all.

Adding new touches to the standard D6 system, embracing the kinetic style of Vampire while having subclasses that tease the depth of D&D, and favouring narrative and socially-minded gameplay over violence all make Planet of the Apes: The Role-Playing Game into a very impressive specimen. What a wonderful day after all.