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Risus: The Anything RPGClick to magnify

Risus: The Anything RPG

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For some, Risus is a handy “emergency” RPG for spur-of-the-moment one-shots and rapid character creation. For others, it’s a reliable campaign system supporting years of play. For others still, it’s a strange little pamphlet with stick figures. No matter what you think it is, there's no wrong way to play.

Risus Rockstar

For newcomers: note also that Risus has been translated to Belarusian, Korean, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Croatian, Dutch, Czech, Polish, Japanese, Chinese, Esperanto, Thai and Russian; check out the Risus fan-community for those and so much more!

Need an adventure right away? Toast of the Town and Slimes in Blossom Grove are free modules for Risus! Want to play but don't have a group? Ring of Thieves is a free solitaire module for Risus! Need a campaign-scaled module focused on repeatedly murdering Santa Claus? No? I guess that makes sense, but that's what A Kringle in Time is, anyway! Love Risus so much you just want more? The Risus Companion is your gateway to the International Order of Risus (and really, just a groovy good time). 

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Reviews (17)
Discussions (11)
Customer avatar
Jim M December 12, 2022 4:51 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Is a new version coming soon? POD Companion on the way? Love the game!
Customer avatar
Malcolm R November 02, 2020 12:27 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Just downloaded the Pumpkin Spice edition (2.01r) but, after a brief look, I can't see any difference between this and the 2.01 edition I already had apart from the colour used (orange instead of purple). Is there any textual difference?
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Customer avatar
S. John R November 02, 2020 8:35 pm UTC
PURCHASER
There are (slight) differences in the text, difference in color, differences in the artwork, and of course, difference in availability =)
Customer avatar
Celine R July 20, 2019 7:33 pm UTC
PURCHASER
IOR #276 here... Can’t wait to get the new updated version of the Companion (although I’ve bought mine many years ago prior to this new website). I’ve recently saw videos on YouTube about how to put the “isekai” genre with tabletop rpg instead of video games. What do you think of an isekai story which works on the Risus game mechanics?
Customer avatar
Asher G July 24, 2018 1:45 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Is there a way to download a PDF file or something? As I'm on mobile and it won't let me view the zip file :(
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Customer avatar
S. John R July 24, 2018 10:25 pm UTC
PURCHASER
There are free zip-file apps available for nearly all mobile devices (whether iOS, android, blackberry, etc). If you prefer not to run such an app, feel free to contact me at sjohn@cumberlandgames.com and I'll email the game files to you directly and unzipped. Be sure to mention that you're Asher G from this site =)
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Customer avatar
Asher G July 31, 2018 12:38 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Ok, thank you so much! Great game, even if finding communities is kinda hard!
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Customer avatar
Daniel S July 31, 2018 10:34 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hey Asher! The Risus community is still up and doin' stuff in a few places these days;
The Risusiverse holds a ton of fan works: http://www.risusiverse.com/
The Google+ group is fairly active: https://plus.google.com/communities/103112350476294391123
The Facebook group is active too: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1025040777581769/
Risus has a subreddit that gets a post here and there: https://www.reddit.com/r/risus/
And there's a Risus room on the RPG Talk Discord server: https://discord.gg/e6YmmK (may need to message me about getting an updated link if that one expires)

And of course, for official S. John Ross news, he's got;
His blog: https://rolltop-indigo.blogspot.com/
and his mailing list: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/risus/info

I'm likely forgetting some places here and there, but those places are all great places to start!
Customer avatar
Joseph R July 04, 2018 7:21 am UTC
PURCHASER
IOR member 187. This game, and especially the companion, made me a better GM across all systems. I was young and stupid and had a lot to learn. S. John taught me a lot of it. Thank you.
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Customer avatar
S. John R July 04, 2018 7:28 am UTC
PURCHASER
Aw
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Customer avatar
S. John R July 04, 2018 11:36 am UTC
PURCHASER
(That was a totally sincere "You made my day thank you so much right back" sort of "Aw.")
Customer avatar
Wind L March 02, 2018 3:08 am UTC
Best RPG system that there is--but do you have the skills and the creativity to handle it?
S. John Ross is my hero!
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Customer avatar
S. John R July 04, 2018 7:27 am UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you so much :)
Customer avatar
Sling S January 11, 2018 12:57 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I shiver with antici....pation for the 2nd Edition Risus Companion! I'm gonna try doing the time warp (it's just a jump to the left) and see if I can find a copy in the future.
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Customer avatar
S. John R January 13, 2018 1:43 am UTC
PURCHASER
Oh man, yeah! If you snag a future copy, please let me peek. It'll either (A) help speed along my own drafting/testing process or (B) rip a hole in the space-time continuum, either of which would tick a box on my to-do list =)
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Customer avatar
Jonathan J March 06, 2018 5:49 pm UTC
PURCHASER
You're the best person of all time!
Customer avatar
Geoffrey W June 03, 2017 6:23 pm UTC
PURCHASER
So I've been looking around the internet and I've found other versions of Risus. I also notice that this version has removed some things. Like the Funky Dice rules.

Any particular reason for that? The Companion, for instance, sometimes references rules that are not present in this edition.
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Customer avatar
S. John R June 07, 2017 6:04 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi! Thanks for asking! Funky Dice rules will always have a home on the Risus site at http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus-funkydice.htm - the Risus Companion 2nd Edition is forthcoming and will be a 100% free upgrade for those with the current Companion. It'll include not only updates to the articles and references, but also a big wobbly pile of additional material.
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Customer avatar
Geoffrey W June 08, 2017 12:22 am UTC
PURCHASER
So I guess y'all just decided you didn't like those rules then?

Anyway, cool. "Forthcoming," you say? Any idea what kind of timeframe you're looking at for that? Weeks? Months? Fiscal year? :D
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Customer avatar
S. John R June 08, 2017 1:59 am UTC
PURCHASER
I like the Funky Dice rules a lot; they were just a kind of evolutionary blind alley for Risus at the core level. Still as good as ever in the right context, though! The new Companion is in development and playtest. If it rocks hard in playtest it moves on to blindtest later this year.
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Customer avatar
S. John R March 14, 2019 5:13 am UTC
PURCHASER
Update: you can now find them at http://risusfunkydice.cumberlandames.com - which currently leads to Brent Wolke's most excellent blog (which contains quite a lot of cool settings for Risus, among other delights), but this way the link will stay flexible if it ever moves again (hopefully it can find a comfy home at Brent's place and not eat all the cheese from the fridge).
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Customer avatar
Geoffrey W March 16, 2019 1:05 am UTC
PURCHASER
Link totally doesn't work.
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Customer avatar
S. John R March 16, 2019 1:31 am UTC
PURCHASER
'Cos I totally misspelled it =) it's http://risusfunkydice.cumberlandgames.com

and if that doesn't work the direct link is http://www.truckeegames.com/2019/03/extra-resources-funky-dice.html

And if that doesn't work just Google RISUS FUNKY DICE and that should find it wherever it ends up =)

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Customer avatar
Geoffrey W March 19, 2019 3:51 am UTC
PURCHASER
Yep. That worked. Thanks.

So, hey, it's goin' on two years since I asked. How's that 2nd edition coming along?
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Customer avatar
S. John R March 19, 2019 4:14 am UTC
PURCHASER
The new Companion continues to come along faster than the original Companion did. But if you weren't here for that: that means lots of years of me reassuring people that it'll never be rushed =)

Don't worry. It'll never be rushed!
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Customer avatar
Carl H April 18, 2023 6:57 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Any new update on the 2nd edition of the Companion?

I hate to be "that guy", but with the sale of Risus, are you in charge of that or is the new owners?
Customer avatar
Chris K February 01, 2016 1:13 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Great to see Risus here on DTRPG. Cannot recommend too highly. Really wonderful little system, fun and fast. easy to learn, easy to teach. Couple of dice, a pencil, a few scraps of paper - things we all carry at all times - you can be ready to play anywhere in minutes ( the rules are simple enough to just remember - even at a bar ). It may change the way you approach whatever other rule-set you use too.
Customer avatar
Robert B January 08, 2016 2:56 am UTC
Actually I'm kind of shocked it took this long to show up here. One of the classics of RPGing, a game you can set up and run in minutes and an amazing level of fun. Read it, it will change your life (maybe somehow.. ok not 100% on that last statement.. I'm like 80... 60% yeah I'm 60% on that.)
Customer avatar
PHILLIP D January 07, 2016 11:09 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Finally! I love Risus and am happy DTRPG is spreading the good word!
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4
File Size:
3.21 MB
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File Last Updated:
June 07, 2021
This title was added to our catalog on January 05, 2016.
Publisher
Big Dice Games
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