Postal (franchise)

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}} {{short description|Video game series}} {{Infobox video game series | title = Postal | image = Postal logo.png | caption = | developer = {{Unbulleted list|'''Primary'''|Running with Scissors (1997–present)|Trashmasters (2011)|'''Secondary'''|Avalon Style Entertainment (2005)|HeroCraft (2009)|Ministry of Fun (2009)|Hyperstrange (2020)|CreativeForge Games (2020)|RWS C Team (2023)}} | publisher = {{Unbulleted list|'''Primary'''|Ripcord Games (1997)|Loki Entertainment (2001)|Whiptail Interactive (2003)|Akella (2005–2011)|Running with Scissors (2012–present)|'''Secondary'''|HeroCraft (2009)|GlobalFun (2009)|Hyperstrange (2021)}} | platforms = Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Classic Mac OS, J2ME, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | first release version = ''Postal'' | first release date = September 24, 1997 | latest release version = ''Postal: Brain Damaged'' | latest release date = June 9, 2022 }}

'''''Postal''''' is a series of shooter video games created by Running with Scissors known for its high-speed gameplay, violence and off-color humor. The series' mainline games span several shooter sub-genres, including top-down shooters (''Postal'' and ''Postal Redux''), first-person shooters (''Postal 2'' and ''Postal 4''), and a third-person shooter (''Postal III''). The series has spawned several spin-off games and other media, including an eponymous film adaptation by Uwe Boll.

== Games == {{Video game series reviews | game1 = Postal | mc1 = 56/100<ref name=Metacritic>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal|title=Postal for PC Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=June 21, 2014|archive-date=March 1, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301091022/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal|url-status=live}}</ref> | game2 = Postal 2 | mc2 = 50/100<ref name="Postal 2 pc: 2003: Reviews">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2 |title=Postal 2 (pc: 2003): Reviews |access-date=May 23, 2008 |publisher=Metacritic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518054308/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2 |archive-date=May 18, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | game3 = Postal III | mc3 = 24/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/postal-iii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Postal III for PC Reviews |website=Metacritic|access-date=27 May 2022}}</ref> | game4 = Postal 4: No Regerts | mc4 = 31/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/postal-4-no-regerts/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=POSTAL 4: No Regerts for PC Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=27 May 2022}}</ref> | mc5 = 71/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/postal-brain-damaged/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title= Postal: Brain Damaged for PC Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=26 September 2022}}</ref> | game5 = Postal: Brain Damaged }}

{| class="wikitable" |- !Year !Title !Platforms !Notes |- |1997 |''Postal'' |Android, Dreamcast, Linux, Mac OS, macOS, Microsoft Windows | |- |1998 |''Postal: Special Delivery'' |Mac OS, Microsoft Windows |an official expansion adding four additional levels and improved Netcode for the multiplayer. |- | rowspan="2" |2003 |''Postal 2'' | rowspan="3" |Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows |the sequel to ''Postal'', firstly introducing a first-person perspective. |- |''Postal 2: Share the Pain'' |an official expansion, which adds PvP multiplayer and two new areas to the single player. |- |2004 |''Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend'' |an official expansion continuing after ending of the base game. |- |2011 |''Postal III'' |Microsoft Windows |the sequel to ''Postal 2'', developed by Russian developer Trashmasters in cooperation with Running with Scissors and published by Akella, which introduced a third-person perspective. Upon release, the game was panned by critics and fans of the series, which resulted in Running with Scissors publicly apologizing for the release and mishandling of development. |- |2015 |''Postal 2: Paradise Lost'' |Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows |an official piece of DLC for the Steam version of ''Postal 2''. It tells of the Postal Dude's adventures after ''Apocalypse Weekend'', and retcons ''Postal III'', referring to it as a "horrible vision of a future gone wrong."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=2015-04-17 |title=Postal 2 expansion Paradise Lost announced, out today |language=en |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/postal-2-expansion-paradise-lost-announced |access-date=2023-09-22}}</ref> |- |2016 |''Postal Redux'' |Linux, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |a remake of the original ''Postal'', featuring renewed textures and multiple changes made to adapt it to modern games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lugris |first=Mark |date=2020-09-25 |title=After 23 Years, The Original Postal Game Is Coming To Nintendo Switch |url=https://www.thegamer.com/postal-redux-nintendo-switch-release/ |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=TheGamer |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gorgas |first=Tracy-Mark |date=2016-07-01 |title=Postal Redux, a time capsule in HD |url=https://www.wgrz.com/article/entertainment/postal-redux-a-time-capsule-in-hd/71-261846490 |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=wgrz.com |language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2022 |''Postal 4: No Regerts'' |Microsoft, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 |described by Running with Scissors as the "true sequel" to ''Postal 2''. The game was announced and released on October 14, 2019, as an early access game and left early access on April 20, 2022.<ref name="Gematsu">{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|date=October 14, 2019|title=Postal 4: No Regerts announced for PC, available now via Steam Early Access|url=https://gematsu.com/2019/10/postal-4-no-regerts-announced-for-pc-available-now-via-steam-early-access|access-date=October 14, 2019|website=Gematsu}}</ref> |- |TBA |''Postal 2 Redux'' |Microsoft, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch |An upcoming remake of Postal 2<ref name="Gematsu2">{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|date=June 12, 2025|title=POSTAL 2 Redux announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2025/06/postal-2-redux-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc|access-date=November 14, 2025|website=Gematsu}}</ref> |}

=== Spin-offs === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Platforms !Notes |- |2005 |''Postal 2: Corkscrew Rules!'' |Microsoft Windows |an official spin-off and expansion to ''Postal 2'', developed by Avalon Style Entertainment and published by Akella. The plot concerns a man named Corkscrew, who wakes up in an asylum to find that his penis has somehow been amputated and goes on a mission to find it. |- | rowspan="2" |2009 |''Postal Babes'' | rowspan="2" |Android, J2ME |a mobile video game spin-off developed and published by HeroCraft. It tells the story of two "Postal Babes" who must rescue hostages from their local university which has been taken over. |- |''Postal Mobile'' |a mobile video game developed by Ministry of Fun and published by GlobalFun. It tells the story of the Postal Dude who has to fight his way through a town filled with corrupt police officers and street thugs in order to retrieve his stolen car. |- |2022 |''Postal: Brain Damaged'' |Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch |an official spin-off of the ''Postal'' series, developed by Hyperstrange and CreativeForge Games and published by Hyperstrange and Running with Scissors. The game is a retro-styled first-person boomer shooter. A demo was released in October 2021, the game was released on June 9, 2022. |- |2023 |''POOSTALL Royale'' |Microsoft Windows |an official spin-off of the ''Postal'' series, developed by the RWS C Team and published by Running with Scissors. The game was released on April 1, 2023, as an April Fools' Joke.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wisniewski |first=Dominik |date=2023-04-03 |title=POOSTALL Royale - darmowa gra akcji na Steam. Miała być żartem na Prima Aprilis, a okazała się małym hitem |trans-title=POOSTALL Royale - a free action game on Steam. Supposed to be a joke for April Fools' Day, it turned out to be a small hit |url=https://www.purepc.pl/poostall-royale-darmowa-gra-akcji-na-steam-miala-byc-zartem-na-prima-aprilis-a-okazala-sie-malym-hitem |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=PurePC |language=pl-PL}}</ref> |}

=== Cancelled === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Platforms !Notes |- |2025 |''Postal: Bullet Paradise'' |Windows, Switch, PlayStation |A cancelled bullet heaven game to be developed by Goonswarm Games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Joseph |date=5 December 2025 |title=(Updated) Postal: Bullet Paradise Is a Brand New Bullet Heaven FPS Coming Soon |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/postal-bullet-paradise-announced |work=TechRaptor}}</ref> Announced on December 3 for a late 2026 release, it was cancelled two days later after a fan backlash accused the developers of using generative AI without disclosing it,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chalk |first1=Adam |date=4 December 2025 |title=Remember Postal? In the last 48 hours publisher Running With Scissors has announced a new game, insulted fans, apologized, canceled the game, the studio making it denied wrongdoing, shut down anyway, and we can thank the magic of AI for all of it |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/remember-postal-in-the-last-48-hours-publisher-running-with-scissors-has-announced-a-new-game-insulted-fans-apologized-canceled-the-game-the-studio-making-it-denied-wrongdoing-shut-down-anyway-and-we-can-thank-the-magic-of-ai-for-all-of-it/ |work=PC Gamer}}</ref> which the developer denied before announcing their closure.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Valentine |first1=Rebekah |date=5 December 2025 |title=Developer of New Postal Game Shuts Down Studio After Game Was Announced, Then Canceled Over Gen AI Allegations |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/developer-of-new-postal-game-shuts-down-studio-after-game-was-announced-then-canceled-over-gen-ai-allegations |work=IGN}}</ref> |}

== Film == {{Main|Postal (film)}}

A film adaptation of the ''Postal'' series was directed and co-written by Uwe Boll. Though the film shares the title of the first ''Postal'' video game, it is more heavily drawn from the sequel, ''Postal 2''. New characters are introduced in the film, such as Faith (Jackie Tohn), a young barista who joins the Postal Dude in his adventure, and former U.S. president George W. Bush (Brent Mendenhall).{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

== Books == Two books were published only in Russia. In 2011 published book ''Postal. Реальный Чувак'' (Real Dude), which was written by Andrei Shlyachov and published by AST.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Реальный Чувак|last=Шляхов|first=Андрей|publisher=AST|year=2011|isbn=978-5-17-068915-6|location=Russia|pages=320}}</ref> In 2012 published book ''Postal. Чувак и надувная свобода'' (Dude and inflatable freedom), which was written by Igor Gradov and published by AST.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Чувак и надувная свобода|last=Градов|first=Игорь|publisher=Astrel (AST)|year=2012|isbn=978-5-271-41291-2|location=Russia|pages=320}}</ref>

A book based on the first ''Postal'' game in the series, named after the game's expansion pack, ''Postal: Special Delivery'', was written by Alisa Bogodarova and published on October 29, 2015, by Publish Green in the form of an Amazon Kindle eBook. The book retells the game's story and the various events leading up to it and introduces several new characters including the Postal Dude's high school friends and teachers as well as original fantasy characters.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

On April 15, 2020, a documentary book about the franchise was published – ''Postal'' – written by Brock Wilbur and Nathan Rabin, which included an interview with Vince Desi and Mike Jaret.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilbur, Brock|title=Postal|others=Rabin, Nathan, 1976-|date=April 7, 2020|isbn=978-1-940535-22-7|location=Los Angeles|oclc=1111973438}}</ref>

== Documentary film == ''Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold'' was released at the Santa Fe Film Festival on February 19, 2025 and digitally on May 30.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold {{!}} The Santa Fe Film Festival |url=https://santafefilmfestival.com/index/film/going-postal-the-legacy-foretold/ |access-date=2025-06-13 |website=santafefilmfestival.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://goingpostaldoc.com/ |access-date=2025-06-13 |website=Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold Documentary |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Postal (franchise) Category:American black comedy Category:Metafictional video games Category:Obscenity controversies in video games Category:Satirical video games Category:Single-player video games Category:Video games developed in the United States