Remember those great Saturday morning cartoons? They're back – and you're the star. Be a panda, a postman, a possum, a pterodactyl . . . whatever you want!
Remember those great Saturday morning cartoons? Or those zany animation favorites you devoured after school or binged on your streaming platform of choice? They're all here – and you're the star. Be a panda, a postman, a possum, a pterodactyl . . . whatever you want!
In Toon, anything can happen, and nobody ever gets killed. Been punched out? Blown up? Steamrollered? Don't worry – you'll be back in the next scene, ready for more!
This new Second Edition features simplified character design, more than a dozen cartoon adventures, more and sillier Silly Tables, and lots of advice for the Game Master – oops, we mean the Animator! If you are already familiar with Toon mayhem, you can just scroll down to What's New In Second Edition? It's the big blinky-thing that says "WHAT'S NEW IN SECOND EDITION?" You can't miss it.
New to the mayhem of Toon? Welcome aboard! Happy to have you. Watch your step – we dropped an infinite hole and a squid somewhere around here.
Toon offers an entry-level roleplaying experience for the whole family, ages six and up.
Toon isn’t like other roleplaying games. In most RPGs, the idea is to plot and plan – to think before you act – and to make sure your character survives, thrives, and becomes more proficient at everything they do.
FORGET ALL THAT
Survival? Who cares? You can’t die, so you’ve got nothing to lose by jumping right in and having fun.
Think before you act? No way. If you take the time to think every action through, the game will get bogged down and less fun will be had.
If you find yourself turned into a cartoon character, you might wonder how you get anything done.
The answer is simple: Bribes.
By sliding a crisp $20 bill across the tab-
No, wait. Sorry, that’s how we get the DJ to play that one song that goes “OOON-tah-OOON-tah-OOON-tah” . . . you know the one.
No, doing stuff in Toon is easy! Like, “falling off a cliff” easy. There are only four basic stats and 12 skills in Toon, so you’re not going to freeze up with decision paralysis. And they’re all general enough that you’ll know what you can do (or at least try) in less time than it takes to chew on a carrot.
And how will you know if you succeed? You'll roll one 6-sided die.
The Rules and Being Silly: Flexible, just like you after being flattened by an anvil . . .
We don’t get too bogged down in “doing exactly what we’re told” around here, but there are a couple of fun rules in Toon that we’d like to introduce you to:
In the cartoon world, nobody ever dies – they just Fall Down. If you take more hits of damage than you have Hit Points, you Fall Down – which is bad, but not very bad. After three ACTIONS, you’re back in the game with all your Hit Points back.
In Toon, you’ll earn Plot Points by being awesome and funny and zany and the best “you” who’s ever “you’d” in animated form. You can spend those Plot Points to improve stuff like in other games, but you can also spend ‘em to buy Gizmos before an adventure starts, or One-Shot Shticks during a game to do something temporarily wild and incredible – once. Always wanted to blow yourself up like a balloon by blowing into your thumb? Or throw a baseball so hard it goes around the world and you catch it coming the other way? Or spell “chrysanthemum” right on the first try? No one can do these feats in the real world – but you can as a One-Shot Shtick!
What other rules are there? Hey, this isn’t one of those games where you gotta do the equivalent of a 1099-XPLADOCIOUS tax form before you can have fun. Yeah, there are rules, but don’t get hung up on ‘em; I can tell by the way you’re reading this sentence that you’ve got the Smarts and Chutzpah to get the cartoon going fast!
Be a talking sandwich, we dare you! Seriously, BE ANYTHING YOU WANT.
Creating your character in Toon is one of the best parts! You build your character with four stats (Brawn, Zip, Smarts, Chutzpah), each of which controls three cartoony skills. Oh, and you’ve got a Schtick – something that’s looney, cartoony, and maybe even balloony. Give a brief description of the silly and unique things that make you special, and maybe a quick illustration. You’ve got Hit Points to keep track of the kabooming and ka-bonging and kangaroo-kicking. Oh, and your "Wants" are core to your character's personality and suggest the way you’re going to behave while playing. It sounds easy, and plays even easier – like a drum set given to a six-year-old. (No need to thank us, parents; the expression on your faces makes it all worthwhile . . .)
You might be wondering, “If I’m the Animator, how difficult is it to run a game of Toon?”
First off, if you were thinking that exact sentence, then – wow! – pretty amazing, right? That’s gotta be worth your support. We’re like Nostradamuskrat or something.
But, hey, we hear you. The answer is none! None difficult! Wait, no. That’s wrong. I mean it’s right, but – ummm, can we fix this in editing, please?!
ANYWAY! . . . Toon has been a fan favorite for decades because it’s designed to be picked up and played quickly and easily. If you get the mindset right, everyone will be too busy laughing and having fun to notice that you might’ve missed a rule.
And how do you get in that mindset?! Well, if you’re the Animator for a Toon game, it’s best if you adhere to (dun-dun-DUNNNN!) The Toon Commandments!
What other hard-and-heavy rules are there? NONE! Absolutely NONE!!!
No, wait. There may be more.
Like, there’s the all-important Fifty Percent Rule!<spotlight and fanfare> Yes, if there’s ever anything that you – the Animator – don’t know the answer to and don’t want to worry about making up, simply reduce the conundrum to a “yes/no” question, then roll a die!
Does the labcoat have a pocket one could fit a hamster in? Is a cactus within eyesight of the sheriff? Are there any phone numbers on the wall in this questionable bathroom? If you don’t know, the dice do! Roll a die; on a 1-3, the answer is YES. On a 4-6, the answer is NO. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy, let the dice decide!
Of course, there’s plenty of guidance if you want it, to keep the game fair and fun. And you’ll also gain insight into the mindset of being a cartoon, such as mixing up cause and effect, dabbling in illogical logic, or engaging in cartoon coincidences. And if “engaging in cartoon coincidences” is the exact phrase needed to activate your home’s automated defense system . . . well, whoopsie!
But even when the rules are fast and furry-ous, it’s also important to remember:
When it doubt, roll and shout!
Being funny is serious business! Or is being serious funny business?! Who can say, with a gallon of tapioca pudding all over my notecards? Fortunately, my computer files are in the cloud, thanks to this giant firecracker. Wait, was that bad? Oh. Oh no.
“What’s new in the Second Edition?” you might also be thinking.
Well, if you are thinking that – and this is the second time we’ve read your mind . . . are you getting as spooked as we are?!KEEP AWAY FROM ME, RHETORICAL GHOSTS!!!
<ahem> The biggest thing is speed and ease of play. "But!" (you are probably thinking now). "Toon was one of the fastest-moving, easiest games I ever got into!"
And you are right. But the art and science of game design has moved forward. There were (gasp) NEW IDEAS out there! And we paid attention! So this is still the cartoon game that you know and love . . . but it's super-fast and easy even by 2026 standards.
What else? Well, lots of little bits through the book are new, of course. And we added a complete new section – a review of some of the most influential animations, from the very beginning to present day.
And because everyone loved the Silly Tables, there are more of them.
Oh, and did we mention COLOR?! Yes, animation’s come a long way since the days of the crowd-favorite monochromatic “Horse Dodges Anvil” zoetrope – and what better way to showcase the colorful side of animation than by actually using color?! A crazy newfangled idea, sure, but we think this “green” thing is really gonna take off. (It wasn't easy being green.)
Game design by Greg Costikyan
Development by Warren Spector Many more funny words by Allen Varney Second Edition Development by Steve Jackson and Jay Dragon Art byKyle Miller
Available Formats: PDF (includes accessibility improvements), Softcover, and Hardcover. The hardcover features a premium smythe-sewn binding, enabling lay-flat use.
Size: 8.5” x 11” Page count: 200+ (not final)
Toon Second Edition is deep into the editing process with layout coming up immediately after. Kyle has been hard at work on more than 40 amazing all-new illustrations to accompany the art from the First Edition. We will keep backers in the loop of any major progress via regular campaign updates.
After the project closes, we will open the pledge manager, where you may select additional items to add to your pledge. If you don't see what you're looking for in the campaign add-on section, that doesn't mean it won't show up in the pledge manager!
Grab additional copies of Toon Second Edition in softcover ($35) or hardcover ($60).
Toon is a family-friendly roleplaying game, so it only makes sense that the add-on store includes our best family-friendly games! Jump into the pastoral setting of the roleplaying hit, Wanderhome, concoct magical elixirs with your feline companions in Purrfect Potions, or draw your way through the dungeon in Deadly Doodles.
Looking to upgrade your classic d6 dice with something a bit more colorful? We will have a ton of unique, colorful custom dice sets to choose from.
The final shipping total will be calculated using the total weight of your pledge and any add-on items. Please see the shipping table for base costs.
These are estimates only. The final price will be shown in the pledge manager.
Estimated Ship Date (at project launch): Late 2026
We've currently set the the estimated delivery to 12/31/26 match the Late 2026 estimate we've provided. We strive to fulfill projects as soon as possible and if this changes we will keep you updated.
After the project closes and all pledges are processed by BackerKit, we will open the pledge manager. Expect the pledge manager to become available several weeks after the project closes. Once invited, you will be guided through the survey and add-on store. Then you will need to provide your physical address and finalize payment for shipping, add-ons, and any applicable taxes.
United States Shipping & Taxes: Pledges shipped within the United States will have state taxes applied where we are legally required to collect.
International backers are ultimately responsible for addressing any additional fees beyond what is collected in the pledge manager. In the event that your package is not collected or your required fees are not paid, the package may be marked "to abandon/destroy" (instead of "return to sender," which results in prohibitively expensive return-shipping costs for Steve Jackson Games). Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for pledges in these cases.
If you wish, you may choose to use a fulfillment service. This allows you to pledge for the project and then provide us with a qualifying address for the delivery of your rewards. Forwarding from the fulfillment service, as well as any local fees, is your responsibility when using a fulfillment company. We are not responsible for pledges sent to forwarding services after tracking has confirmed delivery.
If your country is not listed, please refer to the rest-of-world pricing.
We will not accept packages to the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. We reserve the right to update and change it at any time.
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Steve Jackson Games: Based in Austin, Texas, Steve Jackson Games has published games, game books, and magazines since 1980. Its catalog of hits includes Munchkin, ZombieDice, CarWars, the GURPS roleplaying system, Ogre, Illuminati, and more. Munchkin, Ogre, and Illuminati also have digital versions on Steam and other platforms, bringing tabletop classics to a new generation of fans. In 2025, SJ Games welcomed award-winning Possum Creek, creators of Wanderhome, Yazeba’s Bed and Breakfast, and the upcoming Seven-PartPact as an imprint.
