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Steve Jackson Games is heading back to the golden age of Saturday morning animated mayhem with Toon: The Cartoon Roleplaying Game Second Edition, now live on BackerKit.
First released over 40 years ago, the original Toon RPG has since become a cult classic, letting players take on the role of animated Loony Tunes-style characters in a world where logic is optional, gravity is negotiable and getting an anvil dropped on your head is just part of the fun. The new second edition Toon RPG aims to modernize the experience while preserving everything that made the original so iconic. Below, we MEEP MEEP into all the crowdfunding cartoony chaos.
What is the original Toon RPG?
First published in 1984 by Steve Jackson Games, Toon: The Cartoon Roleplaying Game was created by veteran TTRPG designer Greg Costikyan and Warren Spector (the now iconic video game creator best known for the Ultima and Deus Ex series). The original Toon was meant to be parody of traditional roleplaying games from the early 80s, replacing the grim survival narratives of titles like D&D with slapstick chaos and Saturday-morning logic.
Mechanically, Toon was intentionally designed to be rules light. Characters are built using just four attributes (Muscle, Zip, Smarts, and Chutzpah) with skill checks resolved using a single six-sided die. Gameplay is all about being as impulsive and funny as possible, with the Animator (the game’s version of a Game Master) encouraged to bend or ignore rules in service of comedy. This design choice is reinforced by the game’s two guiding principles: “Forget Everything You Know” and “Act Before You Think.” Notably, characters in Toon can never die. When reduced to zero hit points, they simply “Fall Down,” returning shortly afterward fully restored, much like a cartoon character popping back into the next scene.
Following its initial release, Steve Jackson Games released several addiitional Toon supplements throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, including Toon Silly Stuff, Son of Toon, Toon Strikes Again, Tooniversal Tour Guide, Toon Tales and Toon Ace Catalog. A crossover with the popular Munchkin card game was also released in 2006.
Though never a mass-market juggernaut like other TTRPGs of the 80s and 90s, Toon did remain popular over the years, achieving a cult-like status among fans, and PDFs of the core products are still available from Steve Jackson Games via their online Warehouse 23 store.
What’s new with the Toon RPG Second Edition?
The second edition of the Toon RPG on BackerKit sees the return of original creators Greg Costikyan and Warren Spector, with additional writing from veteran designer Allen Varney (who is also known for as the founder of the Bundle of Holding storefront). The new second edition core rulebook will include:
- A dozen new ready-to-play cartoon adventures
- New rules and expanded Silly Tables
- New guidance for Animators on running fast, funny sessions
- 40 new illustrations from original Toon artist Kyle Miller, along with new color versions of original art
- A new section examining influential animation from the earliest cartoons to the modern era
What are the funding options on BackerKit?
Unlike a lot of crowfunding RPGs, the Toon second edition campaign is focused primarily on the new core book, rather than including a lot of additional accessories. Backer options include:
- PDF Only ($20 USD): Incudes the complete Toon Second Edition core rulebook in PDF format.
- Softcover & PDF ($35 USD): Includes the full-color softcover edition of Toon Second Edition plus the PDF.
- Hardcover & PDF ($60 USD): Includes the premium hardcover edition with lay-flat binding, along with the PDF version.
- Toon Bundle ($90 USD): Includes both the softcover and hardcover editions of Toon Second Edition, plus the PDF.
- Retailer Pledge ($145 USD): Designed for stores, it includes three softcover copies and three hardcover copies.
Why the Toon RPG Second Edition is worth backing
- The return of a classic RPG: The new second edition brings back a cult classic with rules that are still as accessible today as they were back in 1984.
- Family-friendly mayhem: Toon is explicitly designed for players ages six and up, making it one of the few tabletop RPGs that parents can comfortably play with their kids, which is pretty rare for TTRPGs these days.
- A solid price point: Compared to many modern RPG crowdfunding campaigns, Toon Second Edition is reasonably priced and offers a ton of gameplay without breaking the bank.
- Guided by the original creators: The inclusion of the original creative team (including legendary designer Warren Spector) mean the game will stay true to what its roots.
Final Thoughts
Toon: The Cartoon Roleplaying Game Second Edition isn’t trying to compete with crunchy tactical systems or sprawling epic fantasy campaigns. Instead, it doubles down on something increasingly rare in tabletop gaming: pure, unapologetic slapstick comedy. Throw in updated rules that lean into modern design sensibilities, new art and the return of the game’s original designers and the result is a BackerKit campaign that will likely be saying th-th-that’s all folks when it comes to hitting its goals.
The campaign is live now and runs until January 15th, 2026 on BackerKit.