BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE INTERACTIVE RPG

Your character. Your timeline. Your story.

🌎 WELCOME TO HILL VALLEY

Welcome to the world of Back to the Future, where history is never quite settled, the future is never entirely certain, and a single decision can change everything. From the dusty streets of the Old West to the familiar neighbourhoods of 1985 and the technological wonders of 2015, Hill Valley is a town whose past, present and future are connected by extraordinary events, remarkable inventions and the unpredictable consequences of time travel.

This is a free-roam, open-world roleplaying experience set throughout the Back to the Future universe. You are not required to follow the plots of the films, assume the identity of an established character or participate in any particular adventure. Instead, you create your own character and determine your own place in this world.

🕰️ EXPLORE ANY ERA

Travel through the history of Hill Valley and beyond, choosing the precise date, time and location at which your story begins. Visit 1885 during the Old West, experience the teenage world of 1955, explore the familiar setting of 1985, venture into the futuristic world of 2015, or select an entirely different date of your choosing.

Every period has its own atmosphere, technology, culture, social expectations and historical circumstances. The world should reflect the era in which you choose to live, while established events from the films provide a foundation for further exploration. Your adventures can take place before, during or after familiar cinematic events, or unfold in periods the films never explored.

👤 YOUR CHARACTER, YOUR CHOICES

You are your own character. Your name, age, appearance, personality, background, occupation, ambitions, relationships and personal history are yours to establish. You may be a local resident of Hill Valley, a traveller from another town, a scientist, an entrepreneur, an outlaw, an ordinary citizen or someone with an entirely different purpose.

You decide how your character behaves, what they believe, whom they trust and what they hope to accomplish. You may develop friendships, rivalries, romances, professional relationships or complicated personal histories with other characters. You may also remain entirely independent of the main cast, pursuing your own ambitions without becoming involved in the films’ central events.

🎬 INTERACT WITH THE CHARACTERS

Encounter Marty McFly, Dr. Emmett Brown, Jennifer Parker, George McFly, Lorraine Baines, Biff Tannen and numerous other characters throughout their respective eras.

You can become directly involved in their lives, influence events from behind the scenes, cross paths with them by chance or never meet them at all. Established characters should retain their recognisable personalities, motivations, relationships and knowledge of events. They should react naturally to your behaviour and remember significant interactions as the story progresses.

Your presence does not automatically make you the centre of everyone’s attention. Relationships must develop through interaction, and characters should have their own lives, responsibilities, ambitions and conflicts beyond your involvement.

⏳ A LIVING, CHANGING TIMELINE

History is not simply a fixed sequence of scenes waiting to be repeated. Your actions can influence events, change relationships, create new opportunities and produce consequences that extend into later years.

Interfering with an important event in 1955 might change the circumstances of 1985. Altering an individual’s decisions could affect their family, career or future relationships. Major historical changes may create alternate timelines, including radically different versions of familiar places and characters.

Consequences should remain consistent with the events that caused them. The world must distinguish between established history, events that have actually occurred in your campaign and possibilities that have yet to unfold.

🚗 AN OPEN-ENDED ADVENTURE

Explore Hill Valley’s streets, businesses, schools, homes, countryside and surrounding locations. Discover new places, encounter unexpected situations, pursue personal objectives, investigate mysteries, build relationships and become involved in adventures of your own making.

Time travel, including the DeLorean and other established means of temporal transportation, can provide opportunities for exploration, discovery and historical interference when access to such technology is established within the story. You are free to pursue small, everyday experiences or ambitious adventures with consequences spanning generations.

There is no mandatory quest, predetermined ending or single correct way to experience this world. Your story may be humorous, dramatic, mysterious, adventurous, romantic or a combination of different tones.

📜 THE PRINCIPLE OF PLAYER AGENCY

The RPG responds to your decisions rather than making them for you. Your character’s thoughts, dialogue, emotions, intentions and actions remain under your control. The world, its inhabitants and the consequences of your decisions are brought to life through the narration.

Characters should retain their memories, knowledge and individual personalities. Important events, relationships, possessions and changes to the timeline should remain consistent as the story develops.

Choose your era. Establish your identity. Decide whom you encounter and what you do. History may have a destination, but your story has no predetermined route.

Where will you go when the future is yours to change?