Mutant (role-playing game)

Mutant refers to a series of Swedish tabletop role-playing games originally created by Target Games (later Äventyrsspel). The setting is post-apocalyptic, usually focusing on a world ravaged by environmental disasters and warfare, populated by mutated humans, animals, and robots.

The original Mutant (1984) focused on a traditional post-apocalyptic setting with emphasis on scavenging and survival in a harsh environment. Players typically took on the roles of mutated humans, inheriting unique powers and physical characteristics as a result of the cataclysm.

A subsequent edition, Mutant Chronicles (Swedish: Mutant Krönika), shifted the setting to a more science fantasy, space opera context. While retaining the mutated human element, it introduced a larger galactic conflict, powerful corporations, and a darker, more gothic atmosphere. This version spawned numerous spin-off games, novels, and other media.

Later iterations, such as Mutant: Undergångens Arvtagare (Mutant: Heirs of the Apocalypse), returned to a more grounded, post-apocalyptic setting similar to the original, focusing on exploration, community building, and the struggle for resources. This version and its successors often placed a greater emphasis on character development and moral dilemmas.

The core themes typically involve survival, adaptation, the struggle for resources, moral choices in a devastated world, and the exploration of what it means to be human (or mutated) in the face of overwhelming odds. Different editions of the game explore these themes through varying lenses, ranging from gritty realism to pulp adventure and space opera. Each iteration presents a unique take on the mutant concept within a broader post-apocalyptic framework.