Polaris (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Polaris
Polaris (published in 1997) is a French-language post-apocalyptic undersea role-playing game written by Philippe Tessier and published by Halloween Concepts.The third edition of the game was published in 2008 by Blackbook Editions. This edition is not equivalent to the third edition that could be found at one time on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
In this universe, humankind has fled the Earth's surface, made unhabitable by some cataclysm, to a life of hardship under the seas. Human declining fertility, war and political intrigues between great powers and piracy are only examples of the difficulties humanity has to face every day. But there may be hope, as strange phenomenons, known as the Polaris effect, could be the key to humans' salvation, or final demise.
Polaris (2004)
Polaris (published in 2004) is a science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
indie role-playing game
Indie role-playing game
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate...
originally developed in 1992 by Sean Dobes. The game is set in and around the Polaris
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
star system and features a cartoon-like and humorous environment.
Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at Utmost North
Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at Utmost North (2005) is an indie role-playing gameIndie role-playing game
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate...
written by Ben Lehman and published by These Are Our Games. Polaris is a collaborative roleplaying game, and as such differs from many role-playing games in that there is no single "game master
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
". A player's "opposition" is controlled by the other players in the game.
Polaris won the Indie RPG Award for Innovation (2005)
and Indie RPG Game of the Year Award (2005),
was "Runner up" for Best Support (2005)
and Best Production (2005),
and was also "Runner Up" for the Outie Award Best Sui Generis RPG (2005).
An Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
translation of the game was released by Janus Designs in 2009.