going rogue 2e

As played on the A More Civilized Age podcast with Natalie Watson, Rob Zacny, and Austin Walker & Ali Acampora of Friends at the Table!

Some dedicate their life to the cause...

One day, you will dedicate everything

those who dream of a better world know one simple, terrible fact: not everyone who helps build it will be blessed with the opportunity to live in it. those who put their lives on the line to transmute dreams of rebellion into reality know the grim truth that to see this transformation occur, they may one day have to give their lives as catalyst. going rogue 2e is a GM-less tabletop roleplaying game for 2-5 players that tells the story of that sacrifice.

going rogue was originally developed as an expansion for riley rethal’s Star Wars-inspired Belonging Outside Belonging system, galactic 2e. this second edition of going rogue expands it to a 34-page game that can be played as a one-shot or over the course of a limited-run campaign. 

while the base game is built to tell stories of charming, larger-than-life heroes, going rogue 2e—taking its inspiration from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—uses galactic 2e’s mechanical foundation to instead weave narratives about troubled martyrs mired in messy, ethically gray conflicts who must face the possibility of making the ultimate sacrifice.

you can hear going rogue 2e played on A More Civilized Age, and hear first edition played on the Party of One podcast, Roleplaying Public Radio, and with galactic 2e creator riley rethal on Plus One Exp or see what is new in 2e here.

going rogue 2e is the winner of the 2023 CRIT Award for Best GMless Game of the Year, and was also featured on Dicebreaker.

“In a word: INTENSE. From the moves to the setting elements to the playbooks, all of the pieces of the game were constantly ratcheting up the tension, moving us into desperate action and hard choices—exactly the vibe you want from a galactic spy game. At the same time, the addition of THE BOND in 2e added this beautifully human element where we never forgot the person we were fighting alongside.”

— Jeff Stormer of the Party of One Actual Play podcast

The Game

in going rogue 2e, players step into the rebellion being waged by THE LIBERATION to free the galaxy of THE MANDATE. they inhabit one of 5 playbooks that completely replace those offered in the base game, each inspired by a member of one of Rogue One’s main cast : THE SPY, THE LEVERAGED, THE KNIGHT ERRANT, THE CONVERT, and THE LOYAL.

going rogue 2e also offers 3 pillars—or in Belonging Outside Belonging terms, “setting elements”—that supplement those in galactic 2e. this includes THE PARLIAMENT and THE INTELLIGENCE, a deliberate and democratic council and a burdened and decisive network of spies that are locked in a constant battle for the heart and mind of THE LIBERATION. the second edition also introduces THE BOND, a unique spin on belonging outside belonging’s “setting element” mechanic, in which the unfailing trust between THE LOYAL and another player character becomes a discrete element of the setting, introducing new dilemmas and offering a mechanical way to represent and develop that intense relationship.

going rogue 2e also offers 6 additional traits for NPCs, and a unique new clock mechanic known as “fates,” which give players the opportunity to commit to a series of predestined events that THE SPACE BETWEEN—the mystical force that connects all things—has bound the player characters to experience together. in the SACRIFICE fate, players explore the dramatic irony of knowing that before the story’s end, each of their characters will pay the ultimate price, giving their lives to accomplish a vital mission against seemingly impossible odds.

Themes

a number of central thematic tensions run throughout the game, offering players the opportunity to explore them in the course of play:

• how does cynicism serve us as a coping mechanism? when must we counteract it with hope, and how do we do that?
• when do caution, principles, and commitment to democracy constrain our ability to act for liberation? when does our willingness to abandon such ideals undermine that which we’re fighting for?
• what is worthy of our sacrifice? for what might it be worth living another day?

Contributors

• Jess Levine, creator and lead game designer, whose other games include I Have the High Ground
  
• riley rethal, creator, game designer, and layout designer of the base game galactic 2e, which also serves as the basis for the going rogue 2e layout by Jess Levine
• satah, the game design consultant, with particular contributions to THE LOYAL and THE BOND playbooks, and whose previous games include HOOK LINE & CYB3R
• David Bednar, the illustrator, who drew the incredible front and back cover

Community Copies

if you can’t afford the game right now, there are free community copies available for download below. anyone who buys at the $15 price point—rather than the minimum $10—and for every $5 above that, a community copy is added to the pool. people who purchase at this level also receive exclusive content from the development of going rogue.

Reviewers & Streamers

If you would like to review going rogue 2e or use it on your livestream or actual play podcast, reach out via this contact form and we would be happy to provide you with a free copy and the press kit.

Testimonials

“There's nothing like fighting for a cause that seems lost, and no better way to do it than playing going rogue.”
— Tony Vasinda, host of the Plus One Exp livestream

"the most fun i've ever had playing a ttrpg possibly ever—if by 'fun' you mean 'crying about everyone's deaths, just like rogue one'”
—@downloadagoat, playtester