The Classic Toon RPG is Returning with a New Second Edition

Prepare your anvils, pack your oversized mallets, and get your best ‘Zat’s all folks!’ ready! The legendary tabletop roleplaying game Toon: The Cartoon Roleplaying Game is making a hilarious, high-speed return with a brand-new Second Edition.

First published by Steve Jackson Games in 1984, Toon was a revolutionary TTRPG designed to capture the madcap, physics-defying fun of classic Saturday morning cartoons like Looney Tunes. Now, over 40 years later, the game that lets characters bounce back from being flattened by a steamroller is getting a major update for a new generation of players.

What is the Toon RPG?

At its heart, Toon is a simple, rules-light system where the only rule that truly matters is: Nobody Ever Dies.

In Toon, players create a character—anything from a rabbit and a moose to a mad scientist or a wombat—and embark on chaotic, slapstick adventures known as “Feature Films” or “Short Subjects.” If a character is shot, blown up, or plummets from a cliff, they simply Fall Down for a short period of real-time before popping back up, ready for more antics.

Key features of the game include:

• Four Core Attributes: Muscle, Zip (speed), Smarts, and Chutzpah (how assertive/pushy a character is).

• Shticks: Amazing, rule-breaking special abilities (like pulling a giant safe out of your back pocket) that define your cartoon star.

• Simple Dice Mechanic: Rolling two six-sided dice (2d6) under a skill value determines success.

• Slapstick Focus: The entire system is built to encourage creative, over-the-top cartoon violence and absurdity, complete with natural enemies and grand goals.

What’s New in the Second Edition?

Steve Jackson Games has confirmed that the new edition aims to preserve the zany spirit of the original while streamlining the rules for a modern TTRPG audience. The goal is to make the game even more accessible for all ages, from seasoned roleplayers to families looking for a night of cartoon chaos.

The exciting updates include:

• Simplified Character Creation: Making it easier and quicker to jump right into the action.

• Expanded “Silly Tables”: More charts and randomized fun to generate bizarre scenarios and cartoon props.

• More Adventures: The book will feature over a dozen new cartoon adventures to get your game going immediately.

• All-In-One Content: This new edition is expected to consolidate material from the original core book, plus popular supplements like Toon Silly Stuff and Son of Toon.

The return of Toon is being facilitated through a crowdfunding effort. Fans eager to back the project and secure a copy of the new core rulebook—available in PDF, softcover, or hardcover—can mark their calendars!

• Platform: BackerKit

• Crowdfunding Launch: December 17, 2025

Whether you are fueled by nostalgia for the 1984 classic or a newcomer simply looking for a lighthearted TTRPG experience where you can defy gravity and logic with impunity, the new Toon Second Edition promises endless, belly-laughing fun. It’s time to get silly