A downloadable game

Jurassic Park: Edge of Chaos an unofficial, fan-made tabletop roleplaying game set in the universe of the first Jurassic Park film. It offers fans a blend of survival horror gameplay and interactive storytelling on the night of on June 11, 1993, where they face the deadly aftermath of Dennis Nedry’s corporate espionage.

The game is designed to diverge from the original narrative, providing “What If?” scenarios that explore alternate outcomes to the iconic story. Characters range from park staff and consultants to corporate spies and journalists, enabling players to either adopt existing roles or create their own to navigate the chaos of InGen’s corporate malfeasance. 

Edge of Chaos expands the scope of the setting, integrating new characters, dinosaurs, locations, and scenarios to enrich the world of Jurassic Park, depicting a park just on the edge of fully-functioning. 

Gameplay utilizes a unique rules-light system designed for quick learning and engaging play, focusing on storytelling over complex mechanics. The mechanics emphasize strategic decision-making, utilizing dice rolls and action cards to progress through player-driven storylines. It supports solo play, collaborative group play, or sessions led by a Game Warden. 


Edge of Chaos explores the gray areas between canon and adaptation. With a franchise that spans books, movies, television shows, comic books, video games, viral marketing campaigns and more, what “feels right” for one fan may be very different than what resonates with the next. Were there Herrerasaurus and Troodon on the island during the events of the film? Have any animals escaped to the mainland as explored in the book? Did the Tun-Si tribe occupy Isla Nublar before the events of the incident? In Edge of Chaos, you decide.

To create the most authentic “1993” experience, this game primarily references material from the first Jurassic Park film and book. Additional elements have been filled in by the soft-canon of cut material from the script and previous drafts, details from the production history, several other films in the franchise, the television show, the two original novels, as well as bits of the comics, the video games, and other media when not in conflict with what is seen on screen. In addition, some authorial license has been taken to fill in additional gaps where necessary and expand certain elements of the story for the purposes of making a richer, fuller game world.


The included maps for Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna have been crafted to marry together numerous conflicting canons and visual references, as well as modified to create a more compelling gameplay experience. They lean heavily on the research and speculation from many others in the Jurassic Park community, but modified to flesh out the world of the game and to fit a visual aesthetic seen on-screen in the guest brochures. Special thanks go especially to the Jurassic Park Legacy team for their exhaustive map and everyone who has contributed to Jurassic Wiki and Jurassic-Pedia over the years.


Play takes place against the backdrop of Isla Nublar, where the resurrection of extinct dinosaurs has become a terrifying reality. As the park prepares for inspection amidst investor concerns, corporate greed threatens the park’s security. Players enter the story at this critical juncture, their actions poised to influence the fate of this prehistoric world...

Note: The Core Rulebook is all that is needed for play, all additional materials are optional. An alternative High Quality version is provided for those who wish for better visual fidelity, or a Mobile version for those who wish to view it on their portrait-oriented devices. The Maps file contains interactive and editable versions of the Isla Nublar map for more fluid gameplay, and the Character Sheets file contains printable character sheets.

Download

Download
Jurassic Park: Edge of Chaos — Core Rulebook.pdf 58 MB
Download
Jurassic Park: Edge of Chaos (Mobile).pdf 59 MB
Download
Jurassic Park: Edge of Chaos (High Quality).pdf 355 MB
Download
Gameplay Maps (Recommended but Optional) 353 MB
Download
Editable Character Sheet (Optional) 69 MB
Download
Editable Card Templates (Optional) 480 MB
Download
Dinosaur Cards (Optional) 72 MB
Download
Locations and Facilities Cards (Optional) 200 MB
Download
Character Cards (Optional) 80 MB
Download
Item Cards (Optional) 101 MB
Download
Weapons Cards (Optional) 65 MB
Download
Vehicle Cards (Optional) 89 MB
Download
Chaos Cards (Optional) 205 MB
Download
Attack Cards (Optional) 134 MB
Download
Sorna Expansion Cards (Optional) 75 MB

Install instructions

The Core Rulebook contains everything you need in order to play Jurassic Park: Edge of Chaos. Included in the high-quality PDF are the maps and cards for convenience and easy reference, but the cards are also available separately in high resolution if you are interested in printing them for physical use. If you would prefer a smaller but lower-quality file, there is a Compressed version of the PDF available. If you would prefer a single-page formatted version for your tablet or mobile device, the Mobile version is for you.

Everything else is optional! The Gameplay Maps ZIP file contains interactive Photoshop map files, the Editable Character Sheet ZIP file contains an editable or printable character sheet, the Editable Card Templates ZIP file contains templates to create your own custom cards, and the other ZIP files contain all the card types needed for play, all in high-resolution PNG files for play or printing purpose.

While an ideal play session would involve printed materials due to the ease of drawing cards at random from decks, suggestions are given in the Core Rulebook to play in a purely digital environment. Using a random number generator can take the place of a dice roll or card draw if necessary.

Note: This project makes extensive use of imagery that was AI-generated, then heavily modified and overpainted. Since everything within a non-commercial fan work is derivative and used without permission, this feels to the creator like the only current appropriate and ethical use of such a technology. If that turns you off, no worries—to each their own—but please be respectful! If any artists are interested in helping to replace these images with real illustrations, I would love to and prefer to feature works created by the community over art made in part through AI-generation.

Comments

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(1 edit)

Hey, first of all - I really adore the idea behind the cards, especially for animals, reflecting their instinctive behaviour. I'm planning to test the game soon. But I need some clarifications. How do stats work (in sense of mechanics/die rolls)? They are supposed to "determine the character’s abilities and effectiveness in various situations throughout the game", but I don't see any examples, except "while one (NPC) with high Strength could be pivotal in a confrontation with a hungry carnivore", but it isn't helpful. Am I missing something? Second - is there any difference between "Dinosaurs on the Brain" and "Animal Handling" expertises? They sound exactly the same. Do their effects stack? Another question - Search icon indicates, that an area is searchable and a 6 is a success, but some locations (e.g. bungalow) require halving the result. So according to the rules a PC cannot find anything there? Or they find something on a 3 (5-6 result on a die)? Or "natural" 6 always means success (I guess not, then halving makes no sense)? And last one - how does lethal damage work? The weapon cards lack any damage ratings. Does each weapon deal  1 damage per shot? Or some of them should be more lethal? Do PCs need to make a check to hit something? Anyway, great job!

(2 edits) (+1)

Hey, appreciate the feedback! And great catches. I'm currently working with some folks on a second version of the game at the moment, and I'll definitely include clarification in these areas. What you picked up on is primarily stuff that was changed between drafts and never readdressed. For now, here are some thoughts:

  • Stats primarily exist in the current version for the purposes of more immersive roleplay, in helping the group or the Game Warden determine effects of Attack and Chaos Cards, as well as effectiveness of player actions. In retrospect, it makes sense to include a D6 roll for Strength/Insight/etc. Check. when performing relevant actions. TBH they were more important in an earlier, crunchier draft. For reference, here is some of that section from the previous draft if you want to incorporate:
    • All characters are ranked between 1 and 5 in the categories of Courage, Insight, and Strength. A lower rank means that the character is less skilled in this area, while a higher rank means that this character is more skilled in this area. Stats are primarily used in situations where a Game Warden wants a player to check their character’s ability in a given area to determine if they succeed or fail at their action.
    • To make a stat check, the player will roll a D6 and compare the result to their relevant stat. If the result of the roll is equal or lower, the player succeeds. If the result of the roll is higher, the player fails. Rolling a 1 is always a critical success, with the character performing the action with ease, achieving the most desirable version of their intended action. Rolling a 6 is always a critical failure, with the character facing negative consequences to their actions such as injury or placing the character in a disadvantageous position for the next turn.
    • For example, if a player with a ranking of 2 in Insight wants to understand whether their character perceives any danger when entering a new building, they would perform an Insight Check. When they roll a D6 they get a 3. Because this is higher than their Insight rank, they fail the action and do not perceive danger even if it is present. Had the player rolled a 2 or a 1, they would have perceived any danger present.
    • Courage: Courage reflects a character's resolve, bravery, and ability to face danger or fear. It's not just about recklessness; it's about the capacity to confront challenging or perilous situations with composure and determination. Characters with high Courage are often seen taking the lead in risky scenarios, making tough decisions under pressure, or standing their ground against overwhelming odds.
    • Insight: Insight encompasses a character's intelligence, awareness, and observational skills. It involves the ability to analyze situations, understand complex systems, and deduce information from subtle clues. Characters with high Insight are adept at problem-solving, strategizing, and foreseeing potential outcomes. They excel in gathering and interpreting data, understanding dinosaur behavior, and navigating the park's technological systems.
    • Strength: Strength is a measure of a character's physical prowess, endurance, and ability to perform demanding physical tasks. It's not just about brute force; it's also about stamina and the capacity to handle physically challenging situations. Characters with high Strength can perform feats like lifting heavy objects, enduring physical strain, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat or other physically demanding activities.
  • "Dinosaurs on the Brain" and "Animal Handling" are indeed the same at the moment, due to a last minute change to how the Dinosaur Detectives item works. For the purposes of play at the moment, you can combine the two into just "Dinosaurs on the Brain."
  • When a dice icon is halved, the resulting dice roll should be rounded up. This makes it a 1/3 chance of finding an item rather than a 1/6 chance.
  • For weapons and health, this was another victim of the crunch-cutting of the stats, as well as changing the information present on the weapons cards. A D6 should be rolled when attacking, with 1-2 being ineffective, 3-4 being low damage (likely 1 damage, at the discretion of the GW), and 5-6 being direct hit (likely 2 damage, at the discretion of the GW). For a natural 6 on a grenade launcher, the GW may determine that it is a fatal hit, or a natural 6 on a pocket knife against a brachiosaurus may result in the loss of 1 health.

Excited to hear the results of your test, would love any and all feedback on areas of improvement.

as a huge jurassic park fan i love this, i have used other systems to butcher a story but this is fantastic, could you please consider doing a jurassic world themed expansion? please??

(1 edit) (+1)

A full Isla Sorna expansion will be coming, at the very least! However, for at least the foreseeable future you may want to work with the card templates to create additional Dinosaur Cards for JW play. Hopefully a full JW version will be in the cards (heh) down the line.

The premise looks really good! Although I noticed that the Gameplay Maps and Chaos cards cannot be downloaded; strange, because everything else works fine.

(1 edit) (+1)

Strange! They seem to be working for me now. If they still don't work for you, I've added everything to a Google Drive folder as an alternative download. Thanks for the kind words :)

They are working now, it must have been a glitch; thanks for the quick reply!