Complete Rifts by Publication Date List

[JoshDavis]

I am endeavoring to provide a complete list of all Rifts® books and supplemental materials by publish date. I would appreciate any help from the community that you might be able to offer. I am interested in doing a retrospective reading of these books and reading in publish order to relive the development of Rifts since its release 35 years ago. What follows below are all the details I have managed to gather on my own through perusing my fairly extensive Rifts library as well as a few other sources. I have also attempted to categorize the books. I did attempt to search this forum as well as other places on the internet and couldn't find anything this thorough.

If there is a month and year listed, I have generally personally verified the print date on a physical copy I own or a legit copy I purchased on DriveThruRPG. There are a few exceptions to cases where I have NOT personally verified the publish dates, and these have a note indicating where the information came from. I did not start playing Rifts until 1997 and did not always have the money for new releases, so I often have second or later printings. In some cases the subsequent printing lists the month and year of the first printing. In other cases it does not, and so I resort to copyright date in which case "???" is listed; this is only an approximation however because sometimes the copyright was issued before the book was actually published, so any clarifications would be welcome. In the event that I uncover an egregious print error (such as listing an incorrect year), there will be a footnote on the error, followed by the correct year, but I am not currently aware of any such errors. I am aware of a few errors in print month, but I will choose to ignore most such errors as (from what I understand) this generally means the final copy manuscript was ready on that date and printing delays resulted in a later release date. If you would like to make the case for print month needing a note, I will include any major errors. I certainly welcome feedback from those more versed in the topic than I.

I have chosen to rely solely on DriveThruRPG as Palladium appears to partner with them for official pdf products. I have chosen not to rely on Amazon, eBay or similar secondary sellers, because these sites do not always list such information accurately. In a very small number of cases, I have been able to find old newsletters in the archives that describe a book being available for the first time in which case I can infer a publish year, but I know that on more than one occasion these books were available in my FLGS before they were announced on the newsletter, so I have not relied on these dates either.

If you have any information you can contribute to help fill in the gaps, I would greatly appreciate it and will update this thread as time goes on.

Core Rule Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	???	1990	Rifts® (Core Rulebook)
	Sep	2001	Rifts® Game Master Guide™
†	Oct	2001	Rifts® Book of Magic™
†	Feb	2002	Rifts® Adventure Guide™
	Aug	2005	Rifts® Ultimate Edition™
>>	???	2016	Rifts Primer How to Play Rifts® and Create Adventures
>>	???	2021	Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover Edition

Sourcebooks

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	???	1991	Rifts® Sourcebook One™
†	Nov	1992	Rifts® Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids®
	Mar	1992	Mutants in Orbit
	Aug	1994	Rifts® Mercenaries™
>>	Dec	1994	Rifts® Manhunter
	Jul	1994	Rifts® Sourcebook 3: Mindwerks™
	Aug	1997	Rifts® Sourcebook 4: Coalition Navy™
>>	???	1998	The Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy
†	Sep	2002	Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook
	???	2005	Rifts® MercTown™
>>	May	2005	Rifts® Merc Ops™
	Feb	2007	Rifts® Sourcebook One: Revised and Expanded™
	Apr	2009	Rifts® Sourcebook: Shemarrian Nation™
	Aug	2012	Rifts® Black Market™
	Apr	2013	Rifts® Sourcebook 5: Vampires
	May	2016	Rifts® Sourcebook – The Coalition States: Heroes of Humanity
	Jul	2019	Rifts® Bestiary, Volume One
>>	???	2023	Rifts®: The Cyberworks™ Collection Hardcover
*	Apr	2022	Rifts® Coalition Manhunters™
*	May	2023	Rifts® Titan Robotics™ Sourcebook
>>	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Bestiary, Volume Two
>>	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Living Nowhere
>>	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Secrets of the Coalition States: The Disavowed
>>	TBD	TBD	The Coalition States: Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal Sourcebook

Chaos Earth

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	Jun	2003	Rifts® Chaos Earth™
	Nov	2003	Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook Two: Rise of Magic™
	Dec	2003	Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook One: Creatures of Chaos™
	Nov	2015	Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: Resurrection
>>	???	2021	Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover
	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Chaos Earth™: NEMA™ Mission Book One
	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Chaos Earth™: Psychic Storm™
	TBD	TBD	Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: First Responders™

Conversion Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
†	Nov	1991	Rifts® Conversion Book One
	Apr	1994	Rifts® Conversion Book 2: Pantheons of the Megaverse®
	Nov	2002	Rifts® Conversion Book One, Revised
	Dec	2002	Rifts® Dark Conversions™

World Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
†	Jul	1991	Rifts® World Book 1: Vampire Kingdoms™
	Aug	2011	Rifts® World Book 1: Vampire Kingdoms: Revised & Expanded™
	Sep	1992	Rifts® World Book 2: Atlantis™
	Mar	1993	Rifts® World Book 3: England™
	Jun	1993	Rifts® World Book 4: Africa™
†	Feb	1994	Rifts® World Book 5: Triax™ & The NGR™
	Oct	1994	Rifts® World Book 6: South America™
	Jun	1995	Rifts® World Book 7: Underseas™
>>†	Oct	1995	Rifts® World Book 8: Japan™
	Nov	1995	Rifts® World Book 9: South America Two™
†	Mar	1996	Rifts® World Book 10: Juicer Uprising™
†	Jul	1996	Rifts® World Book 11: Coalition War Campaign™
	Dec	1997	Rifts® World Book 12: Psyscape
	Apr	1997	Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star™
†	May	1997	Rifts® World Book 14: New West™
	Jul	1997	Rifts® World Book 15: Spirit West™
	Oct	1997	Rifts® World Book 16: Federation of Magic™
	Nov	2004	Rifts® World Book 16: Federation of Magic: Revised & Updated™
	Aug	1998	Rifts® World Book 17: Warlords of Russia™
	Dec	1998	Rifts® World Book 18: Mystic Russia™
	Jan	1999	Rifts® World Book 19: Australia™
	Aug	1999	Rifts® World Book 20: Canada™
	Sep	1999	Rifts® World Book 21: Splynn Dimensional Market™
>>	Apr	2000	Rifts® World Book 22: Free Quebec™
	Nov	1999	Rifts® World Book 23: The Xiticix Invasion™
>>	Jan	2004	Rifts® World Book 24: China One™ - The Yama Kings
>>	Aug	2004	Rifts® World Book 25: China Two™ - Heroes of the Celestial Court
>>	Jun	2004	Rifts® World Book 26: Dinosaur Swamp™
	Feb	2006	Rifts® World Book 27: Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp™
	Mar	2006	Rifts® World Book 28: Arzno™
	Jul	2006	Rifts® World Book 29: Madhaven™
	Apr	2007	Rifts® World Book 30: D-Bees of North America™
	???	2010	Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two
	Apr	2012	Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria
	Oct	2013	Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun 1
	May	2014	Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun 2
	Aug	2014	Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse in Flames
	Mar	2018	Rifts® World Book 36: Rifts Sovietski
	TBD	TBD	Rifts® World Book: Lazlo™
	TBD	TBD	Rifts® World Book: Antarctica™

Coalition Wars

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	Jun	2000	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 1: Sedition™
	Aug	2000	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 2: Coalition Overkill™
	Oct	2000	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 3: Sorcerers' Revenge™
	Dec	2000	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 4: Cyber-Knights™
	Feb	2001	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 5: Shadows of Evil™
	Aug	2001	Rifts® Coalition Wars® 6: The Final Siege™
	Apr	2002	Rifts® Aftermath™

Dimension Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
†	Dec	1993	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 1: Wormwood®
†	Dec	1994	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 2: Phase World®
	Mar	1994	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 3: Phase World® Sourcebook™
	May	1998	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 4: Skraypers™
>>†	May	2002	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 5: Phase World®: Anvil Galaxy™
	???	2003	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Phase World®: The Three Galaxies™
	???	2004	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 7: Megaverse® Builder
	Apr	2004	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 8: Naruni™ Wave Two
			Unpublished Rifts® Dimension Book™ 9: Phase World®: United Worlds of Warlock®
	Aug	2007	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 10: Hades - Pits of Hell™
	Mar	2009	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 11: Dyval - Hell Unleashed™
	Mar	2010	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 12: Phase World®: Dimensional Outbreak™
	Jul	2009	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 13: Phase World®: Fleets of the Three Galaxies™ Sourcebook™
>>	Apr	2011	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Phase World®: Thundercloud Galaxy™
>>	Jul	2017	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 15: Secrets of the Atlanteans™
	Sep	2010	Rifts® Phase World®: Heroes of the Megaverse® Sourcebook™

Adventure Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	Feb	1996	Rifts® Index & Adventures Volume One
†	Aug	1996	Rifts® Game Shields and Adventures
†	Aug	1996	Rifts® Game Master Reference Screen (packaged with Game Shields and Adventures)
†	Aug	1996	Rifts® Magic & Psionics Screen (packaged with Game Shields and Adventures)
	Dec	1997	Rifts® Index & Adventures Volume Two
	Mar	2003	Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Chi-Town 'Burbs™: Forbidden Knowledge
	May	2003	Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Chi-Town 'Burbs™: Firetown™ and the Tolkeen Crisis™
	Jul	2003	Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Chi-Town 'Burbs™: The Black Vault™
	Sep	2003	Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Chi-Town 'Burbs™: The Vanguard™
	Oct	2005	Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: Mercenary Adventures

Novels

Note	Mon	Year	Title
†	Mar	1999	Rifts®: Sonic Boom™
†	Jul	1999	Rifts®: Deception's Web™
>>†	Jan	2000	Rifts®: Treacherous Awakenings™
	Aug	2008	Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs™
>>	???	2020	Hammer of the Forge™ Vol. 1: The Cosmo-Knight™
>>	???	2020	Hammer of the Forge™ Vol. 2: The Reckoning™
*	Feb	2021	Rifts® Novel: Duty’s Edge™*

Screenplays

Note	Mon	Year	Title
	Dec	2011	Rifts® Path of the Storm™

Graphic Novels

Note	Mon	Year	Title
>>	???	1990	Mechanoids 1
>>	???	1991	Mechanoids 2
>>	???	1991	Mechanoids 3
>>	???	2007	Rifts® Machinations of Doom™

Art Books

Note	Mon	Year	Title
>>	???	2000?	RiftsworkZ Portfolio
>>	???	2006?	The John Zeleznik Collectible Rifts Coloring Book
	Jul	2007	Rifts and the Megaverse: The Art of John Zeleznik

>> Publish date listed is either personally verified by examining a 1st edition I do not currently own or verified by a preview page on DriveThruRPG which shows the date of the first printing.
* 2024-12-03 first publishing dates for Titan Robotics, Manhunters, and Duty's Edge added courtesy of Francois DesRochers (desrocfc)
† These dates were listed on Mad Dog's Temporal Nexus and appear to be current up to 2002.

Edit 2025-01-26 Corrected some typos. Added books I received in my Grab Bags.
Edit 2025-05-18 Added some information from first editions I have recently acquired as well as data from Mad Dog's Temporal Nexus.

[desrocfc]

I've done reviews of most of the Rifts line of books; Baseline, World Books, Conversion Books, Sourcebooks, Dimension Books and the ancillary products as well.

A quick glance at some of the dates you have outstanding could be confirmed by the review (e.g. Titan Robotics is May 2023, Manhunters April 2022, Duty's Edge is February 2021); I've also endeavoured to include the first printing publishing date.

Reviews at the blog address in my signature block below.

Cheers.

[JoshDavis]

I've done reviews of most of the Rifts line of books; Baseline, World Books, Conversion Books, Sourcebooks, Dimension Books and the ancillary products as well.

A quick glance at some of the dates you have outstanding could be confirmed by the review (e.g. Titan Robotics is May 2023, Manhunters April 2022, Duty's Edge is February 2021); I've also endeavoured to include the first printing publishing date.

Reviews at the blog address in my signature block below.

Cheers.

Thank you! That's very helpful. I will add those to the list.

[Shorty Lickens]

Great project. Thank you.
I would go year first and month second. Makes it easier to skim down the list.

[JoshDavis]

Great project. Thank you.
I would go year first and month second. Makes it easier to skim down the list.

Thanks for pointing that out. It was kind of messy to skim because of the fact that the years didn't align. I think I figured out a better way to organize it. I am putting everything into a table. It's in progress at the moment, but I should have time to finish it tomorrow. I've also started organizing by year rather than book number, because book numbers don't always neatly align with publish date. I may not keep it that way, as it is easier to look for a particular book in some cases. I might end up doing book number (if any) and then publish date. There are oddly five numbered sourcebooks and a bunch of other sourcebooks that are unnumbered.

[JoshDavis]

I've done another update. I found a couple more first editions to add to my collection. I also came across Mad Dog's Temporal Nexus which has publish dates for all RIFTS books up to 2002. I've noted those with a dagger mark † if I have not personally verified them. If the publish date is corroborated with another site I've indicated that as well.

Interesting note, as I have searched the web for sources on publication dates I am increasingly seeing this post rising to the top of my queries.

[JoshDavis]

Here is the current master list of books which do not have a complete publish date. If you happen to have a first edition and wouldn't mind sending me a picture of the first page (the one with the publish date and month on it), would you please DM me?

Note	Mon	Year	Title
>>	???	1990	Mechanoids 1
	???	1990	Rifts® (Core Rulebook)
>>	???	1991	Mechanoids 2
>>	???	1991	Mechanoids 3
	???	1991	Rifts® Sourcebook One™
>>	???	1998	The Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy
>>	???	2000?	RiftsworkZ Portfolio
	???	2003	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Phase World®: The Three Galaxies™
	???	2004	Rifts® Dimension Book™ 7: Megaverse® Builder
	???	2005	Rifts® MercTown™
>>	???	2006?	The John Zeleznik Collectible Rifts Coloring Book
>>	???	2007	Rifts® Machinations of Doom™
	???	2010	Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two
>>	???	2016	Rifts Primer How to Play Rifts® and Create Adventures
>>	???	2020	Hammer of the Forge™ Vol. 1: The Cosmo-Knight™
>>	???	2020	Hammer of the Forge™ Vol. 2: The Reckoning™
>>	???	2021	Rifts® RPG 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover Edition
>>	???	2021	Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover
>>	???	2023	Rifts®: The Cyberworks™ Collection Hardcover