In 1968 Franklin J. Schaffner’s adaption of Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel Planet of the Apes introduced the world to an epic sci-fi universe populated by super-intelligent apes and surly astronauts. In doing so it launched a decades-long franchise featuring films, novels, comics, and more. Now it’s time for fans to jump in and experience the world first-hand!
Following the smash-hit Kickstarter campaign, Magnetic Press – the Eisner Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels from around the world since 2013 – invites fans to explore the Planet of the Apes with The Role-Playing Game of The Planet of the Apes. Featuring a breathtaking cover by legendary artist Bill Sienkiewicz (New Mutants, Elektra Assassin) and a wide variety of inspiring illustrations throughout, the official Planet of the Apes RPG will challenge players’ preconceptions of the classic franchise and role-playing games. Due out on February 3, 2026, this beautifully illustrated rulebook will thrust fans onto a planet where humans are the lowest order of living things — and the superior beings are apes.
“As you play you can become an intellectual Chimpanzee who seeks to better apekind through science and exploration. Choose an Orangutan statesape whose weapons are philosophical debate, political savvy, and the power of the Sacred Scrolls themselves. Perhaps a Gorilla soldier is more your style—honor-bound to protect Ape City and lead aggressive expansions into new territories. What else, if not an ape? Be a time-lost astronaut struggling to grasp a world gone insane. Become a mute tribal human forced to scavenge for resources as you are hunted by murderous gorillas on horseback. The rules even allow you to play mutant survivors who use the power of their minds to turn their enemies against each other,” says Magnetic Press Founder and Publisher Mike Kennedy.
“Your adventures in this world of madness will take you to the ruins of a world destroyed—see what remains of the Statue of Liberty, the ostentatious Ape City, the foreboding Forbidden Zone, and the mysterious mutant undercity. It is a world defined by the stark contrasts of brutality and civility. Are you ape enough to handle the truth about the world you live in or will you lose your mind to it?”
Built on the official Magnetic Variant (D6MV) of the classic D6 System role-playing game rules created by West End Games, Planet of the Apes is easy to learn yet full of challenges to master. With settings and lore written by a team of celebrated writers and designers under the lead of science fiction novelist Andrew E.C. Gaska (Alien RPG, Death of the Planet of the Apes) and E.L. Thomas(Terminator RPG, Choose Your Own Adventure), this core rulebook contains all you need to roleplay in this upside-down world where apes evolved from humans.
Gaska and Thomas are joined by writers Rich Handley (Tales from the Forbidden Zone, Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes), Dayton Ward (Famous Monsters of Filmland, Star Trek), Dave Semark (Alien RPG, Vaesen), Greg Cox (War for the Planet of the Apes, Godzilla), David Avallone (Star Wars RPG, HBOMax’s Batwheels), Jim Beard (Planet of the Apes: Tales From the Forbidden Zone, Star Wars), David F. Walker (Bitter Root, Planet of the Apes: Devolution), Kim Perrone(Carbon Grey RPG, The Secret Path of Ned the Ninja), and Vidar Edland (Fading Suns RPG, DramaScape) as well as artists Runa I. Rosenberger (Magic the Gathering), Chris Scalf (Star Wars), Shane Molina (Star Wars Unlimited), Chandra Free (The God Machine), Andrew Probert (Battlestar: Galactica), Chris Moeller (Iron Empires), Barron Storey (Tales from the Edge), Erik Gist (Werewolf By Night), Dan Dussault (Super Dungeon Arcade), and Colo.
Take a look at more preview art from the book below:
In addition to The Role-Playing Game of The Planet of the Apes: Core Rulebook, Magnetic Press is releasing Planet of the Apes RPG: The ANSA Files Sourcebook and Planet of the Apes RPG: Into the Forbidden Zone – Campaign Boxed Set on February 3, 2026. The ANSA FILES will allow fans to interact with the apes and humans that have come directly from the silver screen—Caesar, Taylor, Zira, Hasslein, and, of course, Dr. Zaius—every iconic character is gamified for campaign use with biographies and statistics. This sourcebook showcases a detailed chronology of the distinctly different timeline that arose out of choices made by both human and ape alike. And the INTO THE FORBIDDEN ZONE gives players a chance to put both the Rulebook and Sourcebook to good use in a complete guided campaign featuring two 24×36 map posters, 64 reference cards, seven preprinted character sheets, a Game Master screen, punch-out map markers and tokens, twelve custom dice, and a 96-page campaign adventure module.
