For those who haven’t, Blade Runner is a sci-fi film that came out in 1982 and was directed by Ridley Scott. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner did not perform well on its initial release but is now considered a cult classic and one of the best sci-fi films of all time. It stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos.
The setting? The far-off dystopian future of 2019 L.A., where synthetics known as replicants are created by the Tyrell Corporation. A group of these replicants comes to Earth, and it is up to Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, to hunt them down.
While not a horror movie, Blade Runner certainly deals with elements of the horrific and the choices that we would have to make about what constitutes being a human. And Free League, a Swedish game creator and publisher, has decided to tackle the challenge of bringing the world of Blade Runner to an RPG tabletop format.
I had the chance to speak with Tomas Härenstam, the CEO of Free League, about the upcoming Blade Runner RPG and why they chose this movie as the basis for their game.
Brandy: How do you choose what movies to adapt to the RPG format? What makes a film easy to adapt to RPG format?
Tomas: I think the main criteria is that it needs to be a movie we feel passionate about. Blade Runner is pretty much my favorite movie of all time. Almost any film can probably be adapted into an RPG, but without the passion, it will likely not be a very good game.
B: Why Blade Runner? What was it about the movie that made Free League choose to adapt it to the tabletop RPG format?
T: Blade Runner has a very special place in my heart and for others on the team as well. It’s an amazing, evocative setting. Being able to dive into that universe and apply our game design to it is truly a privilege and a lot of fun.
B: How much time went into the game’s planning and creation?
T: We started planning for this back in 2018 and worked on our pitch for a long time, but it was only after the licensing agreement was signed early 2020 that heavy lifting of the game design work started in earnest. Since then, work has been constant on all fronts.
B: What will make this game push the boundaries of investigative gameplay in tabletop RPGs?
T: The Blade Runner RPG will have a format for adventures called Case Files. The investigations proceed shift by shift, location by location. The players will uncover a wide range of high-quality handouts – from crime scene photos to data files or even poetry – presenting evidence that players will need to peruse to find the truth of the case. But time will always be limited – the Case Files have a very clear structure for time management and a countdown of events. All taken together, I don’t believe investigations in roleplaying have been done quite like this before.
B: How do the setting and mechanics showcase the major themes of Blade Runner?
T: The setting speaks for itself, really, and we have designed the mechanics to support those themes – sci-fi action, character drama, and moral conflict – as well, in many different ways. One example is the key memory – real or artificial – that each player character has, and will be a lynchpin for their character. Another example is the way a player character is rewarded mechanically both for following orders and doing their job as a Blade Runner, but also for following their conscience and standing up for what they believe is right.
B: Any last things you want to say about the game or anything else you want to talk about?
T: If you missed the Kickstarter for the Blade Runner RPG, the pre-order will start very soon!
You can watch the trailer for the RPG below and pre-order the game now. If you are in the mood to watch Blade Runner, it is currently available to watch for free on Amazon Prime.
