Blade Runner: The Next Million Dollar Kickstarter?

Free League's Blade Runner Kickstarter has just launched, and is tearing through stretch goals after funding in just 3 minutes. It looks very likely that this will be the company's second million dollar Kickstarter (following last year's The One Ring campaign, which raised over $2M). It will also be the third million dollar Kickstarter in the last month, following Matt Colville's Flee Mortals!, and Monte Cook Games' Old Gods of Appalachia.

Blade Runner was voted the Most Anticipated TTRPG of 2022 by readers of EN World right here.

Free League's other million dollar Kickstarter, The One Ring, did $521K on the first day and finished with $2M. Compared to the other million dollar campaigns in the last few weeks --

• Flee Mortals! did $788K on the first day.
• Old Gods of Appalachia did $679K on the first day.
• Only one campaign has done $1M+ on day 1, and that was Avatar Legends with $1.15M on the first day.

Check Out These Bladerunner RPG Previews

Free League has shared some previews of its Bladerunner RPG, which comes to Kickstarter next week on May 3rd and looks very likely to be the third million dollar Kickstarter in the last month.

www.enworld.org

BLADE RUNNER – The Roleplaying Game

Walk the neon-noir streets of Los Angeles 2037 in the official BLADE RUNNER RPG from Free League Publishing and Alcon Entertainment.

www.kickstarter.com

 

[overgeeked]

One day i was listening to a PKD collection on audiobook and I was floored with a story called (If I remember right) "The Third Kind" -- from which the entirety of the post-bombs world of Terminator is stolen. I mean, almost word for word in places.

Terminator is also heavily lifted from Harlan Ellison's work. Cameron even admitted as much and was forced to pay Ellison.

 

[overgeeked]

Gizmodo article about the Kickstarter and an interview with Tomas Härenstam (lead game designer) and Joe LeFavi (setting writer).

Blade Runner Heads to the Tabletop In a Brand New RPG

io9 talks with some of the team behind Free League's latest licensed RPG—heading into the world of the legendary neo-noir Blade Runner .

gizmodo.com

 

[Morrus]

It is fun to watch. Is this in any way compatible to Alien or thier other in house engine games?

Yes 100%.

 

[overgeeked]

5 hours and 30 minutes in and already $620,000 and 6000 backers...which puts the average pledge over $100.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

5 hours and 30 minutes in and already $620,000 and 6000 backers...which puts the average pledge over $100.

Most popular pledge right now is the $132 bundle (physical starter set and limited edition book). Be interesting to see what happens when they add a GM screen and whatever else as add-ons.

What they should really do is pander to the Aliens-and-BR-are-the-same-universe folks and offer a specific bundle...

 

[Morrus]

It's currently the 4th best ever first day funding, with plenty of the day left to go. Currently at $720K. Ahead of it are:

1) Avatar Legends ($1.15M)
2) Tanares RPG ($993K)
3) Flee Mortals ($789K)

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Always interesting to see how many Kickstarter commenters ask for a solo mode in Free League campaigns. Seems way more common there. Anyone know why? Did they open the floodgates by doing/promising some solo stuff in the past? Or is it something else?

Asking for a solo mode in an investigative noir game is pretty wild stuff, though. There are ways to do GM-less gaming, but when it's so clearly about gathering clues, interviewing subjects, etc... how in the world do people think that's going to work?

ETA: I meant to say is it because they opened the floodgates with past solo stuff (since they did, with The One Ring and Forbidden Lands, and maybe Vaesen?) or is it something else.

 

[payn]

Always interesting to see how many Kickstarter commenters ask for a solo mode in Free League campaigns. Seems way more common there. Anyone know why? Did they open the floodgates by doing/promising some solo stuff in the past? Or is it something else?

Asking for a solo mode in an investigative noir game is pretty wild stuff, though. There are ways to do GM-less gaming, but when it's so clearly about gathering clues, interviewing subjects, etc... how in the world do people think that's going to work?

ETA: I meant to say is it because they opened the floodgates with past solo stuff (since they did, with The One Ring and Forbidden Lands, and maybe Vaesen?) or is it something else.

There is a stress element from my glimpses and I could see there being a certain "how much can my detective take psychologically" in a solo play. Investigate more of those elements of the PKD novel left out of the films.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

There is a stress element from my glimpses and I could see there being a certain "how much can my detective take psychologically" in a solo play. Investigate more of those elements of the PKD novel left out of the films.

That's a great idea. But this is a very trad game. It's not like it's using a Brindlewood Bay-style storygame mechanic to determine how the investigation resolves. So what's the point of looking at various handouts and generally puzzling out the answers if no one's there to tell you whether they're right? There's a reason why something like Ironsworn isn't an investigation game.

 

[payn]

That's a great idea. But this is a very trad game. It's not like it's using a Brindlewood Bay-style storygame mechanic to determine how the investigation resolves. So what's the point of looking at various handouts and generally puzzling out the answers if no one's there to tell you whether they're right? There's a reason why something like Ironsworn isn't an investigation game.

This assumes that the game only plays in hand out find clues investigative mode. If its that simple, I think its missing greatly on the thematic elements of even the films.