A downloadable RPG

Welcome to the studio. In Showrunner, you and your friends create your own TV series, from a gritty cyberpunk thriller to a sprawling fantasy epic. You're not just playing the heroes of the story, you're playing the ambitious Stars in the lead roles. You'll have to survive the notes from your producers, the demanding Karen and the chaotic Larry, who issue "Producer's Beat Sheets" that act as your script for each session.

Your job is twofold: portray a compelling character on-screen and play the ambitious actor off-screen. Wield your Influence to steal the spotlight, demand a retake on a flubbed line, and ensure your character shines, even when the story goes off the rails.


This Quickstart contains the first four 'Episodes' of your show, designed to teach you the game as you play.

  • Simple and Dramatic Core: A fast and intuitive 2d10 system keeps the focus on the story.
  • Take Control of the Narrative: Spend Influence to modify your rolls, demand a 'retake' on a failure, or seize the 'spotlight' to guarantee your character shines. 
  • High-Stakes Resource Management: Pushing for constant success will drain your Influence, leaving you vulnerable to disastrous outcomes when your luck finally runs out. Every choice has a cost.


The full Showrunner RPG will be available January '26 containing:

  • 20-Episode Show One Beat Sheet
  • Production Bible core rulebook
  • Full Supporting Cast List
  • Director's Callsheet quick-reference
  • Character Profile, Ensemble Profile, Flagship Asset, and Subplot Log sheets

Download

Download
Quickstart Supporting Cast List.pdf 79 kB
Download
Showrunner - The Quickstart.pdf 237 kB
Download
Welcome to Showrunner - Start Here.pdf 86 kB

Install instructions

Print out pages 1-8 of the Showrunner Quickstart and the Quickstart Supporting Cast List. Get scratch paper, pencils, 2d10s per player, and four colors of beads, poker chips, coins, or the like to act as Influence tokens starting in Episode 2.

Development log

Leave a comment

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.