Apocalypse World to Get Third Edition, Kickstarter Launching Soon

Apocalypse World is getting a new edition, with original creators Vincent & Meguey Baker running a Kickstarter to fund a new edition of the influential TTRPG. Over the weekend, Vincent Baker posted a Kickstarter preview page for Apocalypse World: Burned Over, promoting the "3rd edition of the groundbreaking original". No other details about the new game was announced, but the Kickstarter page has attracted 1,300 followers as of press time.

As its name suggests, Apocalypse World is an RPG based around surviving in post-apocalyptic settings. The game notably launched the "Powered by the Apocalypse" game engine that uses a 2D6 system with successes, partial successes, and failures, as well as "playbooks" for characters. The Powered by the Apocalypse game engine has been a hallmark of modern TTRPG design and is used by everything from Dungeon World to Monster of the Week to Avatar Legends.

 

[zakael19]

I love how the AW:BO moves are designed, with far more of the guidance encoded within the move itself rather than in a separate discussion.

I love that they've shown that designers can reevaluate their rage filled designs speaking to a specific era in both games and society and adjust.

I love that it's an update that greatly expands the audience, and is more the game they've wanted to make since they started thinking about a 2e.

I love the fantasy side hack that Vincent has been steadily releasing truly fascinating playbooks for.

I wish there was space for an intimacy realm a la Urban Shadows or their work in Under Hollow Hills. Intimacy can be so much more than sex, and I love when mechanics interact with this.

 

[Aldarc]

Some of us like(d) the rated R version.
Apocalypse World burst onto the scene like Alan Ginsburg’s Howl. AW (1e) was punk in the truest sense of the word.
Burned Over doesn’t feel like it belong in the same section of the record store.

It's still available.

 

[Joshua Randall]

It's still available.

No way! Don’t you know that when a new edition of a game comes out, a series of genetically engineered techno-bacteria travel throughout the world consuming both physical and digital copies of the older edition?

looks sadly at the sludge pile that used to be my 13th Age books

Ah well. Progress!

(Joking, obviously.)

 

[Elvish Lore]

I really, really didn't like all the Battle Moves they added. Combat became a much bigger part of the game and I'm not quite sure why they thought that was a good idea.

I hate saying this, but I don't know if I really trust them to give me a 3rd edition AW I will like. They've already gone in a more-is-more direction and I didn't like it at all.

 

[Elvish Lore]

...
oh yeah, and here is my Star Wars pbta rpg, that uses [tags] + bespoke moves, which i feel fixes issues with City of Mist and Legend in the Mist.

Darn, I wish I had known about this a few weeks ago. Just last weekend I ran Star Wars PbtA at a local con. I'm a fan of the various versions of Star Wars PbtA I've seen over the years. Perfectly captures the high action and vibes of the source fiction.

I read over your Star Wars rpg and it looks great - I really want to try it out! I'll probably change Heroically Run Away move to Retreat since he sounds less satirical and I'll want to give every playbook 2 moves instead of one - I feel like 2 playbook moves really helps cement the class for the player.

 

[zakael19]

I really, really didn't like all the Battle Moves they added. Combat became a much bigger part of the game and I'm not quite sure why they thought that was a good idea.

I hate saying this, but I don't know if I really trust them to give me a 3rd edition AW I will like. They've already gone in a more-is-more direction and I didn't like it at all.

Assuming it’s as per the playtest stuff, there’s now one “engaging in combat while under fire or vs something that can and will defend itself” move (Do Battle). It wraps in Act Under Fire and Attack Someone.

That’s it for Basic/Standard direct violence moves. Some of the old Seize by Force options are now under the Attack Someone pick-list, so maneuvering the fiction to create a situation where you’re not under fire/engaging where defense is possible is how you trigger just that move vs Do Battle.

 

[Elvish Lore]

Assuming it’s as per the playtest stuff, there’s now one “engaging in combat while under fire or vs something that can and will defend itself” move (Do Battle). It wraps in Act Under Fire and Attack Someone.

That’s it for Basic/Standard direct violence moves. Some of the old Seize by Force options are now under the Attack Someone pick-list, so maneuvering the fiction to create a situation where you’re not under fire/engaging where defense is possible is how you trigger just that move vs Do Battle.

That sounds good and promising!

I hope the Kickstarter is a huge success for them. Given many financially successful RPGs have borrowed their design from PbtA in the past 15 years, they deserve the success.

 

[RenleyRenfield]

Darn, I wish I had known about this a few weeks ago. Just last weekend I ran Star Wars PbtA at a local con. I'm a fan of the various versions of Star Wars PbtA I've seen over the years. Perfectly captures the high action and vibes of the source fiction.

I read over your Star Wars rpg and it looks great - I really want to try it out! I'll probably change Heroically Run Away move to Retreat since he sounds less satirical and I'll want to give every playbook 2 moves instead of one - I feel like 2 playbook moves really helps cement the class for the player.

Yeah! Please, run as you like.

Plus, depending on how long you want to run, different options and setups can make total sense.

I have run 2 full Trilogy films in this rule set, that is gaming 4 hours a week, every week for 2 years. So we have a LOT of hours into this and I am happy to chat about it anytime