Press Release: Mongoose Publishing Kickstarting Pioneer, a Near-Future Space Exploration RPG, Today at 2 PM GMT
- Dirk Vandereyken
- Oct 30
- 5 min read
Designers with NASA experience bring realism and excitement to tabletop space missions – Kickstarter launching today, the 30th of october, at 2 PM GMT.
Download the full press release in enriched PDF format by clickin on the link above
Dear reviewers, journalists, bloggers, and vloggers: we would love to have you cover Mongoose Publishing’s newest tabletop roleplaying game, Pioneer!
Using rules derived from one of the most recognized and beloved SF TTRPGs ever, Traveller, Pioneer is set 10 to 30 years in the future. It invites players to create characters who are ready to take on mankind’s next bold move: to explore the solar system, including our own Moon, Mars, asteroids, and the planets that lie beyond. Uniquely, this near-future tabletop experience lets them play in a setting that easily mirrors some of the best films, series, and books out there, such as The Martian by Ridley Scott, Mission to Mars by Brian De Palma, Ad Astra by James Gray, The Expanse, Ascension, Red Mars, The Moons of Jupiter, Aurora, and much more.
With recent discoveries made public, Pioneer seems to be more relevant than ever, as we are discovering our solar system holds many more opportunities and that the building blocks of life are genuinely present mere light-minutes from our home planet.
Pioneer doesn’t need any additional rulebook. Rooted in the legacy of Traveller but entirely standalone, it holds all of the mechanics you need to experience the thrill of human space exploration within the reach of plausible science—without the clutter of overly complicated rules, but still with enough crunch to allow for fully immersive play at the table.
Amazingly, Mongoose Publishing has managed to assemble an author/designer dream team, as award-winning Traveller veterans Geir Lanesskog and Chris Griffen have teamed up with none other than Dr. Sandy Antunes, who has worked on multiple high-level NASA projects.
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What is Pioneer?
Pioneer is a near-future space exploration RPG set just 10–30 years ahead.
Though mechanically inspired by Traveller, Pioneer is a fully standalone system – no prior Traveller books or rules are required.
Players (the ‘Pioneers’) take on daring firsts: building permanent bases on the Moon, establishing a Martian outpost, mining asteroids, and more.
A free preview scenario is included: an emergency rescue in Low Earth Orbit. The Pioneers have just 24 hours to launch and save three billionaires – and a pop star (and her dog!) – stranded in a capsule whose heat shield has failed.
Character options come from diverse backgrounds: military, engineering, science, but also influencers, media personalities, and billionaire patrons.
Pioneers design their own spacecraft via modular components, choosing boosters, capsules, and interior systems to suit mission needs.
The greatest threats are not sinister conspiracies or alien invasions – the biggest danger is the harshness of space itself: radiation, vacuum, equipment failure, and exposure.
Successfully completed missions grant Pioneers the ability to mentor a new generation, advancing exploration further into the solar system.
At launch, Pioneer will be offered with:
o The Core Rulebook
o A Referee’s Screen
o The Pioneer Companion (variant rules, side missions, modular add-ons)
o The first full campaign: humanity’s inaugural manned mission to Mars
o Plus any additional stretch goals that might get unlocked
The game is authored by Dr. Sandy Antunes (with experience working on NASA projects) and developed by Traveller veterans Geir Lanesskog and Chris Griffen.
Why Pioneer Matters Now
Space exploration is edging closer to reality – commercial firms, renewed lunar ambitions, asteroid prospecting, the discovery of ice and water on multiple planets and moons, a re-examination of what the building blocks of life might be, and emerging spaceports are redefining what ‘science fiction’ might look like in the next few decades. Pioneer offers a tabletop bridge between current developments and the dreams of tomorrow, with grounded mechanics, modular design, and storytelling freedom, while still firmly embracing the other tropes that make TTRPGs so exciting, such as character interaction, deal-making, exploration, travel, and – yes – combat.
Media Opportunities & Assets
To assist journalists, bloggers, and content creators, we are prepared to provide:
Sneak preview PDFs (Core Rulebook sample, preview adventure)
High-resolution art, maps, and module images
Interview opportunities with Dr. Sandy Antunes, Geir Lanesskog, and Chris Griffen
Early access to playtest reports, videos, and community content
Review copies (print or digital)
Exclusive behind-the-scenes content for vloggers/video creators
We believe Pioneer will especially appeal to fans of hard science fiction, space opera, simulation-driven narrative, and players seeking a more scientifically grounded RPG experience.
Call to Action
We invite you to:
Request a review copy – receive early access to the rulebook and materials.
Cover the crowdfunding launch – schedule your post, video, or social coverage to coincide with the campaign’s kick-off.
Interview the creators – explore how real science, engineering, and narrative combine in Pioneer.
Share it with your audience – whether via blog, review site, vlog, podcast, or social platform.
Organize contests – run competitions and giveaways (awards available in limited quantities).
Pioneer is more than a game – it’s an invitation to imagine ourselves as explorers on the next frontier and overcome the obstacles presented not just by known space, but also by what still lies beyond our understanding. We value and need your partnership in helping the rest of the world discover it.
About Mongoose Publishing
Founded in 2001, Mongoose Publishing is a UK-based publisher of tabletop roleplaying games, including some of the most renowned and celebrated TTRPGs out there, like Traveller, 2300 AD, Paranoia, as well as groundbreaking titles like Shield Maidens, Legends, and Sea of Thieves.
About Dr. Sandy Antunes
Dr. Antunes has contributed to NASA-related projects and published works on space science and astronautical engineering. As a graduate of Boston University with a dual degree in astronomy and physics, a master’s degree in astronomy from Penn State, and a PhD in computational astrophysics from George Mason University, his research and work have been published in a large number of peer-reviewed journals and magazines, such as Science. He designed mission-scheduling software for NASA and was the science scheduler for the NASA/ISAS ASCA mission from 1992 to 1994. His work on Project Calliope (a picosatellite designed to convert space sensor data to music), the four books he authored for O’Reilly Media, and other experiences made Dr. Antunes ideally suited for the Pioneer TTRPG.
Even though he is a scientist par excellence, Dr. Antunes is no stranger to tabletop roleplaying games either. In fact, he has been an avid member of the gaming community since 1992, and together with his wife, Emma, he founded the immensely successful TTRPG website RPGnet in 1996. He authored several RPGs, including Miskatonic University, a supplement for Call of Cthulhu; Rules to Live By (a LARP rulebook); Priceless, published by Rogue Publishing; and the Origins Award–nominated A Faery’s Tale. Dr. Antunes was also chief editor of the Origins Award–nominated Metagame Magazine for its mass-market run, 1997–1999, and he was executive director of the GPA in 2000 and 2002.
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