Tabletop role-playing games are awesome for several reasons. They allow you to get together with all of your friends and go on a journey that ends differently every single time.
There’s few other styles of games offer the luxury of having an element of the unknown to their gameplay.
Maybe you enjoy having a game that challenges you to come up with vast details about the world you’re creating. Perhaps you want to have control over the story-line with only a few guidelines to get things going.
Whatever the case may be, here are the best tabletop RPG choices that you should give a try this year!
1. Pathfinder
If you enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons but are looking for a new challenge, why not start with D&D’s closest competitor? Pathfinder takes the third edition of Dungeons and Dragons and flips it on its head, offering better details for the fights. Its rule book has a thoroughly-detailed skill system to simplify things for everyone that’s involved in the game. It also has several regulations on things like curses, domains, spells, diseases, and so much more. You’ll also have no shortage of magic items to choose from. Customize your equipment to prepare for any combat.
This game offers the freedom that players are looking for, while also protecting the integrity of the playthrough with revised and revamped rules. You have the opportunity to use your imagination without fear of other players adding ludicrous elements along the way. If you’re an avid D&D’er but are looking for a new variation to play, Pathfinder is the hands-down choice for you!
2. Fiasco
Some of you reading this may not want to play the hero. You’re looking for a role-playing game that puts you inside the shoes of someone with an edge to them. Maybe you’re tired of playing through an RPG where the GM essentially sets the entire stage for you and the other players.
If so, then try out Fiasco, which is an RPG centered around the struggles of common criminals that are striving for more. They’ll do anything they can to make it big, but at what cost? Will you adjust to the tables that turn or be lost in the grind of it all? This game provides a pre-set story for 3 to 5 players that contain two acts to the story. Be prepared, gameplay in this game is fast, it uses the already-provided scenarios to give quick twists and turns that players aren’t prepared for. It truly is a game in which your roles and outcomes are all decided by one entity: the role playing dice that you use!
3. Bubblegumshoe
Maybe you’re looking to get your children, nieces/nephews, or younger cousins interested in role-playing games and all they can offer. However, you don’t want to sacrifice the limited time that you get to play, to play a lesser RPG that they’ll understand. If so, Bubblegumshoe is the perfect fit. It’s great for younger players to get involved with it.
The game is a teen-driven RPG, focused on solving the copious amount of mysteries that are afoot. It’s a great fit for family playthrough’s because of the involvement. You can call on different players to help you get out of a sticky situation. Bubblegumshoe does a great job of mixing typical teenage drama with mysteries that you’ll find complex and rewarding to solve. It’s a game that young ones can relate to and older players will feel nostalgic about.
While some of you may struggle to be back in the shoes of a kid that is borderline nosey… it’s always fun to get back into the swing of being a teen, if only for an RPG game.
4. Dungeons & Dragons- The Fifth Edition
Whether you’re a tabletop RPG fanatic or someone that’s never played one before, everyone has heard of Dungeons & Dragons. Little debate can be made that it is the best RPG of all time. If that was ever in doubt, the release of the fifth edition solidified it. Since the fifth edition was rolled out, it has led to a new wave of popularity. That praise has been given for a good reason. This edition offers several game-official avenues for expanding the D&D universe you and your friends are exploring.
The makers of Dungeons and Dragons heard all of the feedback from their customers in the forty years of playthroughs and modernized the rule book accordingly. Thanks to that, you’ll find it much easier to stay engaged with your journey. Don’t have any friends that are interested in playing it with you? No problem! Being the most popular tabletop RPG game in the world, there’s never a shortage of groups looking to play or have you join them. Dungeon Masters won’t sweat it out anymore when they run campaigns. They can either choose the free rules that are on the Dungeons and Dragons website or purchase one of two other books. Information such as starting gold 5e may also help you in your D&D journey.
No other RPG can offer the vast and wide universe and adventures that D&D can. For that reason alone, many people claim it as the best tabletop RPG of all time.
What’s Your Favorite Tabletop RPG?
The beautiful thing about tabletop RPG games is that different people have different interests. While some love the mystical world of D&D, others enjoy the tactical plots of Fiasco. Nevertheless, any game that you pick up from this list will result in hours, if not days, of fun and exploration. Be sure to read our other articles that pertain to both this topic and other topics that are just like it.