Is Planet Apocalypse Sold Out?
Yes, the Planet Apocalypse core board game is currently sold out across every core edition listed on the Petersen Games site, with no restock date published. The good news: the Planet Apocalypse Graphic Novel, the 5E RPG sourcebook, its digital version, and the DM screen for it are all still in stock and don't require the sold-out core box.
That's genuinely useful if you're hunting for a Planet Apocalypse fix right now. The board game is the centerpiece, but Sandy Petersen and Petersen Games built an ecosystem around it, and most of that ecosystem is still on shelves.
Why Is Planet Apocalypse Out of Stock?
Petersen Games doesn't publish public inventory explanations on the product page, so we won't guess at a reason. What we can confirm directly from the store: the standard core box, a "VF" core listing, and a "DE" core listing all currently show available: false. That's not one variant running low. That's the core game itself, across every edition currently on the site, sold through.
If you've been refreshing the product page hoping for a green "add to cart" button, stop guessing and check petersengames.com/products/planet-apocalypse directly. That's the source of truth, not a reseller listing or a forum post.
What Is the Planet Apocalypse Graphic Novel?
It's the story of the invasion, told as a full-color comic. The Planet Apocalypse Graphic Novel follows a ragtag band of human heroes fighting to free Earth from the demons and "the very grip of Hell itself," as the product description puts it. It's priced at $24.99 and is currently in stock.
This is the easiest way back into the world of Planet Apocalypse while the board game itself is unavailable. You get the lore, the tone, and Keith Thompson's art style (the same artist behind the game's visual identity) without needing the core box at all. It's a standalone read, not a rulebook, so don't expect game mechanics here. It's narrative first.
Can I Still Get Planet Apocalypse Content If the Board Game Is Sold Out?
Yes, and this is the real answer to the "is this dead" question. Four separate products in the Planet Apocalypse line were confirmed in stock as of this post:
- Planet Apocalypse Graphic Novel: $24.99, in stock.
- Planet Apocalypse (5e RPG) sourcebook: $59.99 in print, in stock.
- Planet Apocalypse (5e RPG) Digital Version: $24.99, currently discounted from $59.99, in stock.
- DM Screen for Planet Apocalypse (5e RPG): $19.99, in stock.
None of these require you to own the core board game. The graphic novel is a standalone comic. The 5e RPG line runs on the 5th edition ruleset that most tabletop gamers already know, so if your group plays Dungeons & Dragons or a compatible system, you can bring the apocalypse into a campaign you're already running.
What's in the Planet Apocalypse 5E RPG Sourcebook?
It's a full campaign toolkit for turning any fantasy world into a Planet Apocalypse. According to the product listing, the 350-plus page tome includes new subclasses, new feats, new spells, and new magic items, plus three full adventures. It also includes 15 Arch Lords, each with Shadows that manifest their own personal Hells, and a bestiary with more than 70 monster stat blocks.
That's a heavy amount of content for a group that wants to run a demon-invasion campaign without homebrewing every encounter from scratch. If $59.99 for the print sourcebook is more than you want to commit right now, the digital PDF version is priced at $24.99, a real discount off its $59.99 list, and gets you the same rules content without the shipping wait.
Is There a Planet Apocalypse DM Screen for the 5E RPG?
Yes. The DM Screen for Planet Apocalypse (5e RPG) is a 3-panel game master screen built with the rules and tables you'd actually reference mid-session, priced at $19.99. If you're running the 5e sourcebook at the table, this is the small accessory that saves you from flipping through 350 pages to find a monster stat block or a spell save DC.
It's a natural pairing with the sourcebook. Buy the book to build the campaign, keep the screen in front of you to run it.
Should You Buy Into the Planet Apocalypse Line Right Now?
If you already own the board game, the RPG line and the graphic novel are the obvious next stop. Petersen Games designed the 5e sourcebook as an expansion of the same setting, not a separate product line, so it deepens a world you're already invested in.
If you don't own the board game and can't get it because it's sold out, the graphic novel is a low-cost way to get the story, and the 5e RPG line is a legitimate standalone entry point if your group already plays 5e. Neither substitutes for the tower-defense, dice-driven combat of the actual board game. They're different formats of the same setting, and honestly, that's the point of an expansion ecosystem: multiple ways into the same world at different price points and time commitments.
Sandy Petersen, the designer behind Planet Apocalypse, has a track record of building worlds that outlast a single box. He's best known in the horror and tabletop space for creating the original Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game and later Cthulhu Wars, and he designed 20 of the 27 levels in the original 1993 Doom, according to Wikipedia. That horror-and-demons pedigree carries straight through into Planet Apocalypse's tone, on the table and on the page.
Board game press has picked up on that tone too. Meeple Mountain's coverage of Planet Apocalypse describes it as a cooperative game built around battle, tower-defense, and role-playing elements as players build up their heroes over a campaign, matching what Petersen Games says about the core box on its own product page.
Where to Buy What's Still Available
Start with the graphic novel if you want the story: petersengames.com/products/planet-apocalypse-graphic-novel, $24.99, in stock now. From there, the 5E RPG sourcebook and DM screen are both live if you want to run the setting at your own table.
In-stock orders process within 48 hours (2 business days, Monday through Friday). US orders ship via USPS Ground Advantage, typically 2 to 5 business days in transit. Canada ships via DHL Ground, typically 3 to 7 business days in transit. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on destination, weight, and size. There's no standing free shipping offer, so don't expect one unless it's live on the site at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions About Planet Apocalypse Being Sold Out
Is Planet Apocalypse sold out?
Yes. The Planet Apocalypse core box and its other core listings on petersengames.com all show as unavailable as of this post. No restock date is published, so check the product page directly rather than trusting a secondhand claim.
What is the Planet Apocalypse graphic novel?
A full-color comic telling the story of humanity's last stand against a demon invasion. It's a standalone product, priced at $24.99, and it was in stock at the time of writing. Find it at petersengames.com/products/planet-apocalypse-graphic-novel.
Can I still get Planet Apocalypse content if the board game is out of stock?
Yes. The graphic novel, the 5E RPG sourcebook, its discounted digital PDF version, and the DM screen for the 5E RPG were all confirmed in stock as of this post. None of them require owning the sold-out core board game.
Is there a Planet Apocalypse DM screen for the 5e RPG?
Yes. The DM Screen for Planet Apocalypse (5e RPG) is a 3-panel screen with rules and reference tables for 5e play, priced at $19.99 and in stock.
What's in the Planet Apocalypse 5E RPG sourcebook?
A 350-plus page tome that turns a 5e fantasy campaign into a post-apocalyptic setting, with new subclasses, feats, spells, and magic items, three adventures, 15 Arch Lords, and a bestiary of more than 70 monster stat blocks. It's $59.99 in print, with a discounted $24.99 digital PDF version also available.
0 comments