It would be a mistake to think tabletop RPGs only started to get diverse in recent years. Oldschool RPGs such as Traveller were no D&D clones, and they came out in the 70s, when tabletop gaming was at its most niche. If there’s a cool new world and nerds who want to explore it, there’s bound to be a tabletop game about it. For example, this returning classic from the 90s is all about humanity’s attempts to find a new home amongst the stars..
Blue Planet is a sci-fi tabletop RPG set on Poseidon, an aquatic planet with an ecosystem alien to our own. The game leans towards hard sci-fi compared to other tabletop RPGs, taking place in 2199 with theoretical tech. It also uses real-world marine ecology as the foundation for Poseidon. After a horrific event known as the Blight ravaged Earth’s population, mega-corporations and new governments fight it out to control Poseidon.
While the situation isn’t anywhere near as dire as Iron Lung, the thematic similarities with Blue Planet are there. There’s the dystopian aspects, sure, but what Blue Planet and Iron Lung capture so well is how tiny humanity really is. All these conflicts are set against the sheer magnitude of the unknown sea. Humans are less than drops in one of the galaxy’s biggest buckets.
That extends to real life, by the way. As of 2025, human explorers have only seen 0.001% of the deep ocean floor. And we’re only 70% ocean. Imagine how much worse a planet like Poseidon would be, even with advanced technology. All this to say, if you love feeling like an ant in the cosmic machine, reading the lore for Blue Planet is a fun way to start.
Oh, and there’s talking dolphins with frickin laser beams attached to their frickin heads.
Forgot to mention that part.
You can grab Blue Planet: Recontact, the newly-released edition of the game, on the official site here.
In a sea of tabletop communities, why not set sail with the Wargamer Discord? For more space horrors, read up on Warhammer 40k factions.