The physical debut of the newly printed Rising Star Championship Edition, a tabletop roleplaying game about the drama and tropes of sports movies, is happening this weekend at Tabletop Scotland.
From the creative duo Dog Petrol, composed of LE Holme and Liz Stewart, Rising Star is a cooperative and narrative-driven game. It began life as a rules-light RPG for a game jam and has since been expanded into this new paperback edition, which will be available at the Indie Collection stand at the Edinburgh-based convention.
In Rising Star, two or more players collaborate to write, direct, and star in their own sports story. One player takes the role of the titular “Rising Star,” while others play the supporting cast. The game encourages players to embrace classic sports tropes, including dramatic comebacks and reversals of fortune that might be considered a deus ex machina in other genres. A session sees players take turns framing scenes and also sharing the role of “The Heel,” the story’s antagonist.
The game mechanics are designed to be straightforward, requiring only pen, paper, and a handful of six-sided dice. A complete story can typically be concluded in one or two sessions, each lasting a couple of hours.
This new Championship Edition builds upon the original digital release. It features a new cover by comic artist Henry McCasland, additional internal illustrations, an extra setting with its own special rules, a new character role to add more depth to the supporting cast, and a complete example of play to help new players get started.
While the game is sold on itch.io under the brand “Bright Wolf,” the physical book carries the quirky “Dog Petrol” name. The PDF version is available now, and physical copies may also be found in Edinburgh at specialist stores like Ancient Robot Games and Black Lion Games.
Looking beyond the sports arena, the designers have hinted at a potential change of genre for their next project: a post-apocalyptic game. They note that the core structure of Rising Star – alternating between high-stakes action sequences (the sports matches) and character-focused downtime – could translate surprisingly well to a survival setting.
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A special thanks to All Rolled Up for sponsoring Geek Native’s coverage of Tabletop Scotland. You can find them in the trade hall and explore their fantastic range of indie RPGs and high-quality gaming accessories on the All Rolled Up website. You also also win £50 to spend with them.
