The Rocketeer wasn’t exactly a hit when it premiered in 1991, but it’s become a rather beloved family classic over the last three decades. There’s just something about watching a traditional, square-jawed hero use a jetpack to fight Nazis back in the 1940s that remains eternally enjoyable. It’s a joy that Funko hopes to replicate in its upcoming Rocketeer board game, Fate of the Future.
Really, it sounds like the primary gameplay is Fate of the Jetpack Plans, but we’re not quibbling. The two players choose their side: Control Cliff Secord (played by Bill Campbell in the film) and his two pals Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) and Peevy (Alan Arkin), or the evil Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) and his thugs Lothar and Valentine. The goal is to find the jetpack plans and keep them hidden from the opposing side until the Luxembourg zeppelin makes its cross-country trip and arrives in L.A.
As you can see in the photo, there’s a lot going on in the game—a game board with multiple locales from the movie, characters with unique abilities, a variety of cards that affect the characters and the gameplay—but Funko insists players can breeze through a session in about 45 minutes. (Note I could have said “rocket through a session,” but had just enough dignity to prevent myself from doing so.)
The game will first be available at Gen Con, which is currently scheduled for September 16-19, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Of course, there’s a great deal of concern if the show will or even should take place, given the swift rise of delta-variant coronavirus cases, and certainly some retailers have already canceled on the event. So if you want to get your hands on Fate of the Future, you might be better off waiting until the game hits stores in late 2021.
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified the name of the game. io9 regrets the error.
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