Rollerball

In 2006, I pitched Mongoose Publishing on the idea of a miniature boardgame based on the sci-fi cult classic “Rollerball.” It would have used the rules I’d been playtesting since 2001, when I scratch built a scale arena like the one seen in the movie. We got the tacit blessing of author William Harrison and talked to MGM about licensing, but Mongoose eventually passed on the project. While disappointing, it was just as well, as they soon cancelled most of their line and virtually abandoned the miniatures business.

Still, I had a set of rules that was fun to run and popular at conventions, so I made a few IP changes and, with the help of a gamer friend, published a print-and-play version on Wargame Vault.

Now you too can play the ultimate future sport with Rülerball. A complete game designed to be used with figures from 20mm to 40mm in scale, the rulebook comes with schematics and instructions on how to build your own arena, as well as where to find appropriate figures in several different sizes.

For those who don’t want to go to the trouble of building their own 3-D arena, the 50-page rulebook also comes with all the playing pieces and track sections you need to print and make your own boardgame.

Rülerball has a unique and original movement system that allows players to keep track of all the figures while simulating simultaneous motion, as well as incorporating the effect the angle of the track and gravity have on events. The result is a fast and fluid sense of game play that keeps players on their toes as strategies and tactics suddenly shift.

There is no paperwork in Rülerball — all stats for a figure (Speed, Skill, Combat & Toughness) are on the figure’s base, and combat is determined by a single dice roll, whether a fight is between two figures or a brawl involving two entire teams.

Finally, there ARE rules in Rülerball. The rules for the sport are included in the book, and a trio of referees are on hand to enforce them — but only if they catch a player committing a violation. Time it right, and you can get away with anything.

Rülerball is available now at Wargame Vault or DriveThruRPG for only $4.99.