About The Game
Welcome to World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition! This award-winning game of professional wrestling action enables you to create your own professional wrestling franchise through play, showcasing satisfying and surprising storylines. It’s about feuds, championships, betrayal, and righteous victory. It’s about the clash of good and evil on the grandest stage. It’s about whether you’ve got what it takes. And, in the end, it’s about what the audience thinks of your efforts.
Game Features
This Second Edition combines and refines all of the material published for the original game into one action-packed package!
Supports in-ring action, backstage drama and the development of pro wrestling storylines that tie them together.
Rules that create classic pro wrestling storylines while also allowing you room to subvert and invent your own.
Provides all the tools for players unfamiliar with the genre to participate, while supporting fans in playing out their favorite wrestling tropes.
Episodic play that accommodates irregular attendance and fluctuating group sizes.
World Wide Wrestling shared the Indie RPG Awards Indie Game of the Year 2015 award with Night Witches. It also won the Best Support 2015 award.
About the Second Edition
World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition combines all of the material from the original World Wide Wrestling RPG and the International Incident supplement into one streamlined, updated game that supports both quickly getting to the action and long-term dynamic exploration of the promotion around the wrestlers.
If you enjoyed the first edition, this is an evolution of everything you're already familiar with. If you're new to the game, this is the perfect time to check it out, with additional focus on onboarding new players and more support for the wrestling-curious to dive into what makes professional wrestling such an enduring art form.
What's New:
The set of 15 core Gimmicks consolidates the most popular and interesting playbooks released for the first edition into one diverse roster of wrestling archetypes.
More support for in-ring storytelling, from revised Match Stipulations to visual play aids to more focused deep dives into wrestling psychology and how to bring that into your games.
Living Promotions add the Promotion as a character in your game, growing and changing along with the wrestlers.
12 example Living Promotions, giving pick-up-play settings from the bar-room to the international jet-set, along with over 60 wrestlers and staff to use for your own games.
Going on the road is now fully integrated into the rest of the game, adding support for playing out scenes between arena shows to explore the people behind the masks.
2 brand new essays, along with 7 revised essays from game designers and wrestling aficionados about wrestling, roleplaying and how the two work together.
... and more!
More Information
World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition is a game of narrative professional wrestling excitement, action and drama. It scales well from 3-9 players. One player is Creative, tasked with booking the shows, introducing antagonists and coming up with basic storylines. The other players take on pro wrestling archetypes, called Gimmicks, and play their wrestlers through feuds, partnerships and betrayals. Everyone at the table is competing for that "top spot," but they're also working together to entertain their viewing audience!
This game is accessible to both wrestling fans curious about roleplaying, and experienced roleplayers who want to see what professional wrestling is all about.
Creative (the Game Master role) comes up with basic storylines and literally books each Episode of play, deciding who's on screen when, who's in what match and, most importantly, who's going to win. The players play out their wrestlers as they participate in these segments, but they have agency to pursue their own agendas and "swerve" what Creative has in mind. Creative has to roll with the punches and make it look like that’s what they had in mind all along!
Wrestling matches are handled by back-and-forth dramatic narration, mediated by the character’s in-ring abilities and how the dice fall. Whether a quick squash or an epic full-roster Battle Royal, wrestling matches are exciting affairs that both build character and drive the ongoing storylines.
World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition was funded via Kickstarter in April of 2020.
The World Wide Wrestling RPG was funded via Kickstarter in September of 2014.
Here's an extensive (text) interview about the first edition.
The Second Edition
The World Wide Wrestling RPG was originally published in 2015, and it’s been amazing to hear all of the exciting stories from players as they’ve clashed in the ring, played out incredible feuds and explored the reaches of Parts Unknown.
World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition combines all of the material from the original World Wide Wrestling RPG and the International Incident supplement into one streamlined, updated game that supports both quickly getting to the action and long-term dynamic exploration of the promotion around the wrestlers.
Purchase The Game
This is a 260-page color softcover book, 6.625” x 10.25” (graphic novel size). It collects and revises all of the material published for the original World Wide Wrestling and its supplements. All print orders include the Digital Bundle.
The Move Deck is a 52-card deck of standard poker-sized playing cards containing the Basic, In-Ring, Role and Specialist Moves for easy reference and handling during play.
The Digital Bundle of World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition includes the 260-page screen-ready PDF, epub version, plaintext version for low vision accessibility, and printable Gimmick and reference sheets (including print-and-play Move cards).
Direct From ndpdesign
COMMUNITY SPECIAL: If you have the first edition of the game or are experiencing financial hardship, use code INSPORT at checkout to get this PDF for $7. This is an honor system offer. Thanks for being cool and only using this if it applies to you!
Other Outlets
Unfortunately I cannot sell directly to EU residents at this time (here’s more on why). If you live in the EU, you must purchase the PDF through one of the outlets below. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Community Special: Both itch.io and Payhip are set at a minimum price of $7, but you can fill in your price at checkout. “List price” is $15. Unfortunately, I cannot offer the community special through DriveThruRPG at this time.
via itch.io
Translations
World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition has a German translation thanks to System Matters. Available in print and PDF. Click here to check it out!
FREE DOWNLOADS
Want to check out the changes? Click the button below to download the playtest PDFs. The playtest bundle was last updated August 2020.
Printable play aids for the Second Edition:
The Gimmicks - all 15 Gimmick sheets, blank Gimmick sheet and Promotion sheet, in color. Last updated January 2021.
The Gimmicks (Alternate Art) - alternate art Gimmick sheets, in color. Last updated January 2021.
Play Aids PDF - Creative worksheets, Move reference sheets, wrestling maneuver illustrations and print-and-play Move cards, in color. Last updated January 2021.
Play Aids Portrait-Orientation PDF - Creative worksheets and Move reference sheets, in portrait orientation for GM screens or personal preference. Same content as the main Play Aids PDF, last updated January 2021.
Third Party play aids for the Second Edition:
Form-fillable Gimmick sheet PDFs - created by Jefri Kadoshi. Thanks Jefri!
Hailing From World Wide Wrestling
Have your own project inspired by or compatible with World Wide Wrestling? Hailing From World Wide Wrestling is how to license your work. Click here for more info.
Crakhouse Productions Instant Heat Cards - expand your Heat questions with this deck of cards inspired by real-world wrestling storylines! Compatible with World Wide Wrestling: Second Edition.
New Year’s Fray is a standalone game of pro wrestling for the holidays! Hailing from World Wide Wrestling, the 2022 version is now available in print and PDF.
Community
Questions or ideas to share? The community forum at itch.io is where to go.
Join the “unofficial official” World Wide Wrestling Discord Server!
Play aids for the First Edition:
B&W Gimmick Sheets (First Edition - all Core + International Incident Gimmicks)
Color Gimmick Sheets (First Edition - all Core + International Incident Gimmicks)
World Wide Wrestling Play Aids (Creative & Move Reference Sheets and 3-page Quickstart aid)
International Incident Play Aids (Promotion & Stipulation Reference Sheets)
Maneuver Illustrations (Gregor Hutton’s wrestling move graphics from both books as standalone image files)
All play aids updated June 2018
Custom Gimmick Template (First Edition): Use this InDesign template to create your own custom Gimmick!
You will need the Cassanet Font and Arial installed on your computer. (The official Gimmick sheets use the Avenir Next typeface, if you have that available to you)
InDesign INDD File (Creative Cloud)
InDesign IDML File (CS4 or later)
Reviews & Remarks
…on the Second Edition:
Rob G (via email) "I've been running games for 30+ years and this is one of the best examples of setting/subject matter gelling with the system... I was impressed by how effortlessly the system truly made it feel like you were playing a wrestling RPG -- not just using generic rules to simulate a wrestling experience.
The care and attention you've put into not only the RPG aspects but the understanding of the nature of wrestling, the psychology of a match and the ins and outs of the personalities, the promotions, etc. were in-depth but still incredibly approachable and easy to understand. I've been a fan of wrestling since back in the 80's when the territory system still survived and this game is just a fantastic wedding of two things I love. The essays were inspired and genuinely well written and researched helping to flesh out the world of professional wrestling immensely for both the veteran fan and those newly introduced to the sport."
Jeff O (via email) "The group that I play Creative for in the [Stay-At-Home Wrestling League] range in experience and previous interest in wrestling and RPGs all over the board. We have first timers, DMs, hardcore wrestling fans, and people who’ve never watched a minute of wrestling. We’re located in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Los Angeles... After our second session we transitioned over to the 2e rules and I have to say they are an unbelievable improvement to a game I didn’t think even needed it. The system seems to just reward the right things and push players in the right direction to create the most dramatic, fun RPG sessions I’ve ever run."
Jacob Creswell at CBR (4/2022) “One of the smartest parts of the WWWRPG's design is how it handles player competition. While players are often fighting against each other in feuds, there's a level of cooperation that the heat system heavily encourages…The WWWRPG understands that storytelling in wrestling can take on many different forms, so it gives players the tools to explore the style that they want, rather than limiting them.”
Rob Wieland at ENworld (5/2021) “My experience running World Wide Wrestling has been fantastic. I’ve turned RPG fans into wrestling fans and wrestling fans into RPG fans with this game. The new edition goes deeper into the experience but still remains accessible to anyone with an interest in running a pro wrestling game. No matter who you might think is the best wrestler of all time, World Wide Wrestling will let you tell those stories well while making you think about the strange moments in real life that connect to those tales.”
Arthur at Refereeing and Reflection (4/2021) “Wrestling-themed soap opera” isn’t a genre which many RPGs have tried to serve, and for that matter “non-supernatural/science fictional soap opera” more broadly is a storytelling field which is under-explored in the tabletop RPG field, with the hobby’s roots in geek culture tending to strongly bias games towards SF, fantasy, and horror. The Powered By the Apocalypse ecosystem seems to do a good job of turning out games which push back against this, and World Wide Wrestling has to have a spot as one of the prime examples of that.”
…on the First Edition:
Polygon (1/2018) "By the end of the game’s opening hour, we had all the makings of a primetime soap opera, and enough bitter rivalries to last an entire campaign. At one point, my character, an aging 40-something veteran who wrestled under the name “The Director of IT,” had vanquished his arch rival, a twenty-something YouTube personality called DJ Bitcoin, with the help of a monstrous heel called The Heavy Fog. It was glorious, and made all the better by television-style commentary from the other characters at the table and a live audience holding up signs around the table. It was a magical night, and it reminded me once again that there is more to tabletop role-playing than Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder."
Shut Up and Sit Down (9/2016) "Roleplaying games most often fail to teach the players how to appropriately play them as games. Secondarily, they fail to teach players how to appropriately employ the subject matter of the game in furtherance of their own fun. What is perhaps World Wide Wrestling’s greatest triumph as a game is that not only does it resoundingly succeed in teaching you how to play, it puts you in a gentle, nurturing headlock that forces the appeal of wrestling deep into your eye sockets like a screwdriver during a hardcore match. And, you know what? I don’t think more than one person has to have read the book to play. That is not something I say a lot."
Geek & Sundry (8/2016) "Like most games based on the Apocalypse World engine, the rulebook serves as an excellent guide to running a game in the pro wrestling genre. It explains terminology, discusses how the big time federations work, and even illustrates various moves so that the uninitiated can point to a move for their character to do in the ring. Fans that already know how the backstage machinery works will find thoughtful essays on wrestling and might even be surprised by the origin of a word or two."
Aura Belle (Player) "It speaks from a genuine love, a powerful relationship with the subject matter, one you don't get by just deciding on an idea and shrugging, putting down whatever to paper. It's a wrestling game made by a fan, for fans, designed to help you create a new mythology. And that doesn't mean you can't play if you haven't watched wrestling - the game is all too eager to get you excited about the idea, to lure you in. It doesn't mean either that you can't play if you're not into wrestling at all...But if you're even the slightest bit on board, you'll soon realize the game has a charm and a passion, and you can't help but be pulled in. You want to see why this matters." (Full Post Here)
Ben M (Player) "I run 4 D&D groups a month as well as a Monsterhearts game, & WWW is by far the one that gets the most 'Love'. I'm not sure if it is the floating 'Creative' mechanic, the co-op/competitive story telling, or just the ease of the rule set you've refined, but it is truly wonderful."
Jason Morningstar (Designer of Fiasco) "First of all, it is an excellent game...Literally everything you need is built into the game's mechanics. The process of making your wrestler builds in delicious rivalries and plot hooks, the individual moves are colorful and fun, and the actual wrestling events play out like a badass, character-driven minigame... as a player you have really interesting choices throughout. It is just a bathtub full of fun and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to play again next week!"
Fredrick, Kickstarter Backer "...WWWRPG is truly what I feel is worthy of the moniker a "labor of love". Nathan clearly feels that this is an amazing game and he is able to convey that without ever telling us that the game IS great or IS fun, it shines through in his writing and in his explanations in the book itself. It makes the book a delight to read and I can't help but get enthused about the game."
GeekNative (2/2015) "World Wide Wrestling should be an absolute no-brainer pickup for anyone into Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, or Monster of the Week...Absolutely NO knowledge of professional wrestling is necessary to pick up WWW and have a blast with it and your friends...you’ll be blown away by the excitement and fun this game can bring you. World Wide Wrestling is, quite possibly, the best game the Apocalypse has produced yet."
Critical Hits (9/2014) "This game is packed so full of wrestleicious flavor that it’s ridiculous. Everybody always has something to do, and most of it even moves the story forward. The end goal is to collectively be really entertaining, and in my experience this is a winning formula for an extremely good night of gaming."
Appearances & Actual Play
Role to Cast LIVE - A full one-shot live episode introducing R2C Wrestling!
Plus One EXP: The Battle - Nathan runs a one-shot Episode featuring a new Promotion from the Second Edition, with a short interview/chat afterwards.
Shut Up & Sit Down Play... The World Wide Wrestling RPG! (A One-Hour Special)
3W6 Plays World Wide Wrestling - This is a 10-session Let’s Play by the German podcast 3W6. It’s in German, but I also did an interview with them (in English) about the Second Edition.
World Cosplay Wrestling on Twitch - This traveling cosplay wrestling federation has been playing the game on their Twitch channel! Here’s an episode, and here’s a highlight package.
Gauntlet League Wrestling on Youtube (Playlist for the 8-Episode season + extras)
Six Feats Under Podcast plays World Wide Wrestling (including podchat about wrestling and RPGs!)
Die Party Friday Night Fights Twitch series, archived on Youtube!
Thrill Squad Podcast plays World Wide Wrestling (with custom music!)
Ringle Rangle Mania (video using Roll20)
Find links for the 9-Episode Journeyman's Cup Tournament (Youtube and MP3) at the bottom of this page.
Journeyman's Cup Exhibition Series
The "Journeyman's Cup Tournament" Actual Play Series. Originally broadcast as live Google-Hangouts-On-Air, each Episode is archived on Youtube (at the links below). Audio is available to download as lightly edited 128 kpbs MP3s.