From Suburbia to Superheroes: The Evolution of the ‘Kids on Bikes’ RPG System

The youth will inherit the world, but first, they must save it. This mantra has been the beating heart of Hunters Entertainment’s acclaimed tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) series, Kids on Bikes, for years. Now, the publisher is preparing to trade small-town mystery and magical boarding schools for the high-stakes world of comic book heroics with their upcoming Kids in Capes.

Nearly three years after its initial announcement, Kids in Capes is finally set to hit the crowdfunding circuit. On May 29th, the publisher will launch a Kickstarter campaign aimed at bringing this long-awaited superhero-themed iteration of their rules-light, story-driven engine to tabletops worldwide.

The Core Concept: A New Genre for a Proven System

Kids in Capes represents the third major pillar in the "Kids on" series. It follows the immense success of the original Kids on Bikes, which captured the 1980s-inspired, Stranger Things-esque zeitgeist of small-town gumshoes, and Kids on Brooms, which leaned into the whimsical, often chaotic atmosphere of magical education.

While the setting is shifting from mystery and sorcery to capes and extraordinary powers, the fundamental philosophy of the system remains unchanged. Players take on the roles of unassuming, often overlooked youths who possess more gumption than conventional know-how. In a world where adults are frequently portrayed as preoccupied, incompetent, or completely unaware of the supernatural threats looming over their communities, the burden of heroism falls squarely on the shoulders of prepubescent—and occasionally, distressingly teenaged—protagonists.

The transition to a superhero genre offers a distinct narrative shift. Where Kids on Bikes focuses on investigative tension and the horror of the unknown, Kids in Capes is poised to explore the intersection of monumental power and the messy, awkward realities of growing up.

A Chronology of Development

The journey to Kids in Capes has been one of careful anticipation. Since the project was first teased in July 2021, the TTRPG community has speculated on how the Kids on Bikes ruleset—a system designed for vulnerability and atmospheric mystery—would adapt to the explosive, high-action requirements of a superhero game.

• July 2021: Hunters Entertainment officially announces the project via social media, confirming that a superhero-themed game using the Kids on Bikes system is in active development.
• 2022–2023: The publisher focuses on refining the Kids on system, including the announcement and rollout of the Kids on Bikes Second Edition. During this period, the "Kids on" brand expands its cultural footprint, including notable actual-play appearances like Dimension 20’s Mentopolis, which showcased the system’s versatility in non-traditional settings.
• May 2024: After a lengthy period of quiet development, Hunters Entertainment confirms the official Kickstarter launch date of May 29th, promising a deeper dive into the mechanics and lore of the superhero setting.

Understanding the "Kids on" Mechanics

To understand why Kids in Capes is generating such significant buzz, one must look at the mechanical framework that defines the series. Designed by Jonathan Gilmour and Doug Levandowski, the system prioritizes character-driven storytelling over the exhaustive tactical crunch found in traditional tabletop behemoths like Dungeons & Dragons.

The Polyhedral Array

Every character in the Kids on system is defined by six primary attributes: Brains, Brawn, Fight, Flight, Charm, and Grit. Each attribute is assigned one of the standard polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, or d20). The larger the die, the more competent the character is in that area.

The "Exploding Die" Phenomenon

One of the most unique aspects of the system is the "exploding" mechanic. When a player rolls the maximum number on their die, they roll again and add the result, allowing for theoretically infinite success. This creates a fascinating mathematical irony: characters with lower-rated skills actually have a higher probability of triggering an "explosion," providing a "lucky break" that can turn a disaster into a triumph. It mirrors the narrative arc of a child underdog who, through sheer desperation or luck, overcomes impossible odds.

Adversity Tokens

To balance the inherent unpredictability of the dice, the system utilizes "Adversity Tokens." These tokens act as a form of bad-luck protection, allowing players to exchange their struggles for a second chance. It is a system that rewards narrative persistence, ensuring that players remain engaged in the story even when the dice turn against them.

The Intersection of Power and Melodrama

The leap to a superhero setting is a logical progression for the Kids on system. While games like Masks: A New Generation have already mastered the art of portraying teenage superheroes through the lens of emotional melodrama, Kids in Capes promises a different flavor.

The Kids on system excels at highlighting the inherent flaws of its characters. By applying these rules to superheroes, the game can explore the duality of being a powerful entity capable of "biffing bad guys in the face" while simultaneously struggling with the mundane, often humiliating, aspects of adolescence. The "Kids on" series has always been about the group dynamic—the way friends rely on one another to fill the gaps in their own capabilities. Kids in Capes will likely lean into this, emphasizing that even with superpowers, the true strength of the character lies in their connection to their peers.

Official Responses and Industry Impact

Hunters Entertainment has maintained a tight lid on specific gameplay details, preferring to save the "reveal" for the Kickstarter campaign. However, the excitement within the community is palpable. Industry analysts note that by utilizing the existing Kids on Bikes system, the publisher is lowering the barrier to entry for fans who are already comfortable with the ruleset, yet are looking for a shift in genre.

The decision to lean into crowdfunding is a strategic one. It allows the developers to engage directly with their player base, gauge interest in specific superhero archetypes, and potentially unlock stretch goals that could expand the scope of the game’s world-building.

Implications for the Future of TTRPGs

The success of the Kids on series signals a broader trend in the tabletop industry: a pivot away from the "combat-first" design philosophy toward "story-first" frameworks. As players become increasingly interested in high-narrative, low-barrier-to-entry experiences, systems like Kids on Bikes—and by extension, Kids in Capes—are becoming the new standard for short-to-medium-term campaigns.

Furthermore, the game’s success will likely test the limits of the Kids on engine. Can a system designed for the grounded, eerie mystery of a small town hold up under the weight of cosmic superpowers? If Kids in Capes succeeds, it could open the door for a host of other genre-specific adaptations, effectively turning the "Kids on" ruleset into a universal engine for young-adult-themed storytelling.

How to Prepare

For those looking to dive into the Kids in Capes experience, the coming weeks are the perfect time to familiarize yourself with the system. If you are a newcomer to the series, the Kids on Bikes Second Edition is the best starting point.

Additionally, potential players can look to actual-play media for inspiration. Dimension 20’s Mentopolis serves as a masterclass in how to apply the Kids on Bikes system to unconventional settings, demonstrating how to use the attributes and dice-pooling mechanics to drive creative, character-focused play.

As May 29th approaches, the tabletop community waits with bated breath. Whether Kids in Capes will capture the same lightning-in-a-bottle success as its predecessors remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the world is about to get a whole lot more interesting, and it’s going to be up to the kids to save it.