Highlights
- Uncover TTRPGs beyond D&D to find new adventures, themes, and mechanics for captivating experiences beyond the norm.
- From eldritch horrors to modern techno-magic worlds, explore TTRPGs like Shadowrun, Call of Cthulhu, and Delta Green for unique experiences.
- Step into vibrant JRPG-inspired worlds with Fabula Ultima, or solve mysteries as teen sleuths in Bubblegumshoe for lighthearted storytelling.
Thanks to Dungeons & Dragons, fans of RPGs can embark on breathtaking fantasy adventures and save the world while doing all sorts of shenanigans. Interestingly, TTRPG fans would soon realize that more games exist outside D&D that might suit their fancy. Aside from Dungeons & Dragons are TTRPGs that explore other genres, tackle new themes, or even take place in some of the best worlds pop culture has to offer.
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Unfortunately, the existence of a ton of TTRPGs may become overwhelming to newcomers to the genre. After all, what TTRPGs should they try that are similar to D&D but still different enough to offer new and captivating experiences?
Updated February 28, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With 2024 marking the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the TTRPG graces its fanbase with the eventual arrival of a new Player’s Handbook bound to introduce groundbreaking rules for the game’s acclaimed Fifth Edition.
However, genre fans who are getting tired of D&D’s systems should consider trying other TTRPGs that offer similar compelling experiences but with the addition of unique premises, mechanics, and even story options. In this regard, D&D fans should consider trying other TTRPGs such as those that explore eldritch horrors, a techno-magic modern world, and a more vibrant take on JRPG-esque experiences.
1 Shadowrun
A Techno-Magic Future Overrun By Fantasy Creatures
Release Date | 1989 |
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Genre | Science Fantasy |
Publisher | FASA, Fantasy Productions, Catalyst Game Labs |
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While the Shadowrun franchise is best known for its trilogy of RPGs, all of them are inspired by the core Shadowrun TTRPG. The game is set in a dystopian version of Earth where a magical cataclysm has caused the "return" of magic to society, slowly mutating humans into traditional fantasy creatures. The political-economic collapse that followed this event paved the way for corporations to control much of the known world, relying on Shadowruns or feats of techno-magical industrial espionage to get ahead.
It's in these Shadowruns that players get involved with the title. Players create humanoids of various origins and specialties that live a life of crime, be it as traditional bodyguards and mercenaries or even specialized deckers that can hack through the setting's techno-mystical tech. The simplified combat mechanics allow players to fight a plethora of opponents, including agents and monsters, as well as robots, cyborgs, and even AI-esque Intrusion Countermeasures throughout their many missions.
2 Call Of Cthulhu
One Of The Best Approaches For Eldritch Horror
Release Date | October 30, 2018 |
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Genre | Survival Horror |
Publisher | Cyanide, Focus Home Interactive |
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Inspired by the statement of H.P. Lovecraft that the greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG is likely the best resource players have for experiences that dabble into the maddening aspects of exploring the primordial. Technically set anywhere, the Lovecraftian RPG allows players to take on the roles of ordinary individuals who are slowly drawn into mystery through various situations. The crux of the gameplay lies in the slow reveals of the horrors of the unknown, where players have to contend with otherworldly forces using mysterious magic, knowledge, and artifacts at the risk of the very Sanity they are working to preserve.
The game's skill system also encourages continuous usage of a character's skillset, with their capabilities improving as long as they succeed in using them while in a healthy state. The lack of levels and recovering hit points through conventional "experience" adds a layer of dread to any session, making this perfect for a more horror-inclined experience.
3 Delta Green
Investigate Supernatural Phenomena
Release Date | 2016 |
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Genre | Horror, Conspiracy Fiction |
Publisher | Arc Dream Publishing |
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While certainly not a video game inspired by Cthulhu, the eldritch inspiration of Delta Green is evident in its first iteration as a setting for the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG. However, the setting eventually spawned its own roleplaying game given its focus on the activities of the eponymous Delta Green, an undercover organization placed in deep cover within intelligence networks to investigate supernatural phenomena.
Despite its Call of Cthulhu foundations, Delta Green specializes in giving players better control over the investigative aspects of their journey. Being part of Delta Green or the rogue organizations that are spawned from disgruntled members adds a more human flair to adventures, especially when risks of madness are integrated with risks of encountering other dangerous operatives.
4 Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Engage In A More Brutal But Fulfilling Fantasy Life
Release Date | 1989 |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Games Workshop |
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In the Fated Place, or the world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the forces of the Chaos Gods have also wreaked havoc across the realm's multiple factions, be it Mankind, Dwarves, Elves, or Lizardmen, among others. While not featuring the glorious Space Marines and their heretical xenos enemies, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay maintains the brutal but realistic flair its franchise is known for. Such are the challenges that players face in their heroic tales that the percentile dice used to determine the fate of their actions can often turn against them, with powerful magic potentially having consequences for the unversed.
However, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay does take into account its rich world when it comes to roleplaying options. Its Career System replaces the traditional class archetype in RPGs, this time allowing players to take on vocations and grow in rank as they progress in their career - with options to switch disciplines should the story require. This depth of character actions can help players get more attached to their creations, adding a more immersive appeal to the experience.
5 Fabula Ultima
Fulfill JRPG Dreams In Vibrant Worlds
Release Date | October 6, 2022 |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Need Games |
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Fans of Final Fantasy games who want to experience the vibrance of the JRPG in their own TTRPG settings won't need to do an overhaul of D&D mechanics to accommodate a Final Fantasy-esque experience. Thanks to Fabula Ultima, fans may find a TTRPG especially tailored to JRPG mechanics. Emphasizing story-driven action, Fabula Ultima makes use of more simplified mechanics to perform actions as well as straightforward gameplay to easily get stories going.
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Particular to the game is its implementation of Fabula Points and Ultima Points, both resources players and villains can earn as they do actions that affect the course of combat. With heroic deeds possibly pumping adventurers for wondrous moments while villains can use the extent of their evil for one last hurrah, Fabula Ultima's gameplay can be fast-paced but impactful for its players.
6 Bubblegumshoe
Become Meddling Kids And Solve Crimes
Release Date | 2016 |
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Genre | Young Adult, Slice-of-Life, Mystery, Thriller |
Publisher | Evil Hat Productions LLC, 2016 |
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Those who want to take a break from typical dungeoneering and instead embark on solving various mysteries will delight in the story-fueled, straightforward mechanics of Bubblegumshoe. In this rather lighthearted-sounding TTRPG, Bubblegumshoe will have players take on the role of teen sleuths out to solve the most mundane or the most complex of mysteries plaguing parts of the town.
What makes Bubblegumshoe so intriguing is its practical setting and resource management, which allow players to take on mysteries just about anywhere without feeling overwhelmed; from the smallest of classrooms to the largest of cities. Given its mystery teen noir genre, the TTRPG also allows players to form intricate webs of relationships that give them a lot of room to deduce objectives, motives, patterns, and even alibis.
7 Feng Shui 2
Celebrate The Intense Action Of Chinese Martial Arts Films
Release Date | 2015 |
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Genre | Martial Arts |
Publisher | Atlas Games |
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Despite its 1999 release, Feng Shui 2 resonates a lot with fans of action flicks, particularly Hong Kong-inspired cinema, where martial arts blends with rich dialogue and exciting premises for rich cinematic storytelling. Its premise alone is intriguing. Players can travel through portals to get to various points in time - the Tang Dynasty, the Opium Wars, modern Hong Kong, and even post-apocalyptic settings.
Not only that, but these settings contain premises and stories similar to action flicks - emphasizing not just pure action but cinematically fluid martial arts. What’s intriguing about Feng Shui 2 is its straightforward gameplay. The game makes simple use of 1d6s (six-sided dice) and adds these results to their attributes and skills, making martial arts and other abilities much easier to perform.
8 Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
Become Azeroth's Savior Or Destroyer In A Pre-World Of Warcraft Setting
Release Date | 2005 |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | White Wolf Publishing |
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It should come as no surprise that a world as expansive as Azeroth would attract players of TTRPGs. Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game brings Warcraft into the realm of TTRPGs with an official ruleset and toolkit. Fans of D&D will feel right at home with Warcraft RPG, especially since it uses the Open Gaming License - meaning D&D’s signature D20 System will be in use most of the time.
What makes Warcraft RPG such an attractive game is the rich world that comes with it. Set just after the birth of the Alliance and the growing threat of both the Horde and the Burning Legion, players can embark on globe-trotting adventures that can change the course of history. And with the richness of Warcraft lore throughout the MMORPG, players can mimic storylines happening there and see if they could make other decisions as well.
9 Dragon Age RPG
Explore Thedas Outside The Video Game
Release Date | 2017 |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Green Ronin Publishing |
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Considering the richness of the world of Thedas, it makes sense for fans of Dragon Age to want to have grand TTRPG adventures set there. Luckily enough, Dragon Age RPG has an entire toolkit developed for this - alongside a straightforward set of rules that makes this TTRPG extremely easy to pick up.
What’s interesting about Dragon Age RPG is how the TTRPG makes use of Thedas as a huge setting for unique adventures. Players can take the role of warriors, mages, and rogues to either save the world or make a name for themselves. With each class having a unique set of specializations with unique abilities, players can have a fun time customizing their teams and making use of their archetypes’ skills both in and out of combat with their flexible systems.
10 Index Card
Create Stories On The Fly With Lightweight Mechanics
Release Date | 2022 |
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Genre | Any, Mixed |
Publisher | Runehammer Games LLC |
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In keeping with its simplistic name, Index Card poses one of the most flexible and straightforward TTRPG systems out there. Similar to the likes of Fate and GURPS, Index Card aims to provide a system that prioritizes storytelling, with mechanics flexible enough for players to adapt to various settings and genres.
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What’s cool about Index Card is how the system is made to quickstart one-shots and campaigns on the get-go. Its straightforward “skills-that-matter” outlook into toolkits allows players to quickly think of character archetypes and emphasize their innate strengths on the fly and can make for quick and delightful stories.
11 Fiasco
Create An Elaborate Story With No Complex Mechanics
Release Date | 2009 |
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Genre | Any, Mixed |
Publisher | Bully Pulpit Games and Amusements |
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Players who want to exercise their creative juices in quick one-shot sessions would appreciate the lack of complexity in Fiasco. Unlike most TTRPGs, Fiasco doesn't need a GM (Game Master). At its core, Fiasco allows players to play out their "caper-gone-wrong" film subgenre. To give an example, the players may be unrelated characters trying to steal the same artifact - only to fail because of their machinations.
Unlike most games, Fiasco barely needs any preparation. Players will almost always make plot elements on the fly. In turn, players decide on characters, types of relationships, their character's needs, as well as potential objects and locations of interest. With Fiasco's rules, each player gets to act out a scene. Interestingly enough, said player succeeds or fails in the scene at the behest of other players, with other cards opening surprise scenarios. In the end, players only succeed in Fiasco if they end up telling an interesting, entertaining, or hilariously wacky story.
12 Pathfinder
The More Stable Alternative To D&D
Release Date | 2009 |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Paizo Publishing |
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Originally a modification of D&D 3.5e based on the Open Game License, Pathfinder branched out into its own TTRPG. Now with a second edition, Pathfinder serves as a more streamlined alternative to D&D. Essentially, players will appreciate Pathfinder for a more straightforward take on things such as action economy and even stats - resulting in a simpler and more entertaining experience.
As with D&D, players of Pathfinder can play in their own homebrew worlds. However, where things drastically change lies in combat mechanics and character progression as a whole. Instead of having multiple action types, Pathfinder will have actions that cost certain points in a limited action pool - effectively simplifying turns. Moreover, all skills scale according to stats and player level, which in turn also simplifies roleplaying. Players who want to experiment with rule-tinkering with D&D can look at Pathfinder for some inspiration.
13 Star Trek Adventures
Explore Where No Person Has Ever Gone Before
Release Date | 2017 |
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Genre | Sci-Fi |
Publisher | Modiphius Entertainment |
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Players who want to boldly go where no man has gone before will love Star Trek Adventures. Anyone who's itching for a sci-fi TTRPG will appreciate the sheer depth Adventures has to offer, especially if it's based on one of the biggest sci-fi franchises around. In Adventures, players take on the role of a Starfleet officer, where they join the likes of Captain Kirk, Picard, or a captain amongst themselves to stop black holes, suppress alien civil wars, and save the Federation from all sorts of threats.
Anyone who loves Star Trek can finally embark on their adventures amongst the various quadrants of the galaxy. Moreover, hardcore fans can even tailor episodes of any Star Trek series to fit sessions in Adventures (there are a few hundred episodes, would anyone really recognize the inspiration?) - and have their players become full-fledged crews of the Enterprise or a legendary ship in the making.
14 Masks
Become Superheroes In Unique Worlds
Release Date | 2016 |
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Genre | Superhero |
Publisher | Magpie Games |
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In Halcyon City, it's just a regular day whenever superheroes and supervillains fight. And in Masks: A New Generation, players lead a team of young superheroes to forge their destinies. In this superhero TTRPG, players can finally live out their Marvel or DC Universe dreams. Moreover, unlike other RPG systems, Masks provides a relatively hands-off approach to creating superheroes.
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In Masks, players forge their superheroes based on playbooks or "basic" archetypes of supers. These include antiheroes (the Reformed), super agents (the Soldier), or people with secret identities (the Janus). Moreover, the degree of flexibility in Masks can inspire players to create their unique superheroes or just play one based on their childhood idols!
15 Leverage: The Roleplaying Game
Conduct Heists With A Flair For Comedy
Release Date | 2010 |
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Genre | Comedy, Thriller, Mystery, Heist |
Publisher | Margaret Weis Productions |
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This 2010 TTRPG is based on the TNT Leverage drama that ran from 2008 to 2012. And while the heist drama adds action-comedy twists to the likes of Ocean's and more serious caper stories, Leverage: The RPG highlights the show's best traits and gives full control of their stories to both players and fans. Albeit not as engrossing as other heist games such as Blades, Leverage: The RPG is a perfect fit for players who want to embark on modern Robin Hood stories.
In Leverage: The RPG, players create a crew based on five distinct Roles, each relying on specializations among similar skill sets. With the Cortex Plus system, players have a fast-and-loose method of creatively resolving problems they encounter throughout the heist. With its innovative Flashback System, the crew and the storyteller regularly trade "plot points" to make their stories interesting. As a TTRPG based on the heist show, players can even choose the series protagonists as their crew, or even have stories based on the episodes of the show.
16 Cyberpunk Red
Hack, Shoot, And Make A Name For Yourself In The Setting Of The Hit RPG
Release Date | 2020 |
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Genre | Sci-Fi, Dystopian |
Publisher | R. Talsorian Games Incorporated |
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Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 know the hit CD Projekt Red title comes from a TTRPG. As expected, the Cyberpunk TTRPG takes place in a futuristic dystopia where corporations and cybernetics decide the fate of mankind. Unlike other TTRPGs, Cyberpunk Red tasks players to resolve various issues among the interacting powers of this futuristic landscape. And true to its genre of origin, Cyberpunk forces players to take a stand and redefine their vision of humanity.
In terms of mechanics, D&D fans will appreciate the depth of combat and roleplay Cyberpunk has to offer. After all, the game offers separate mechanics for real-time combat and Netrunning in cyberspace. Additionally, the game has in-depth mechanics for cybernetics and computer programs - something sci-fi fans would immensely appreciate.
17 Blades In The Dark
Conduct Elaborate Heists Or Hasty Missions With Flexible System
Release Date | 2017 |
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Genre | Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Heist |
Publisher | Evil Hat Productions |
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While some call Blades In The Dark a heist RPG, it more or less falls along the line of urban fantasy. Players of the original game may want their sessions to take place in Doskvol, an industrial world where both criminals and supernatural creatures exist. However, where the game specializes is its incorporation of archetype playbooks and a fast-and-loose gameplay format that encourages on-the-spot play for fresher narratives.
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Moreover, the unique flashback costing of Blades makes for some colorful plot points. After all, this way, players can spend special resources on in-depth planning before the heist or rely on their flashbacks to make the heist work in their favor. Either way, Blades is designed to help the storyteller facilitate a challenging time for players - where they win in the end in a way that's still worth the while.
18 Legend Of The Five Rings
Elements And Martial Arts Become Major Highlights
Release Date | 1997 |
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Genre | Fantasy, Martial Arts |
Publisher | Alderac Entertainment Group |
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Thanks to Legend of the Five Rings, fans of TTRPG can bring their adventures to the mysterious land of Rokugan. In the Legend of the Five Rings franchise, Rokugan is home to a society and culture similar to feudal Japan and incorporating elements of Asian cultures. Players take on the role of samurai beholden to their lords as they encounter mythical beasts and magic inspired by the vast mythologies of countries in Asia.
Aside from Rokugan's deep lore and culture, players of LOTFR will appreciate the game's innovative approach to roleplay. It makes use of the Roll & Keep system, where players have to keep the results of certain dice rolls - be they good or bad. Moreover, players rely on Five Rings, each of which contains pairs of traits, to progress through the game. In LOTFR, consequences matter in progressing the story - a notable trait from the TTRPG.
19 World Of Darkness
Set In A Darker World Of Conspiracies, Vampires, Werewolves, And More
Release Date | 1991 |
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Genre | Supernatural |
Publisher | White Wolf Publishing, Onyx Path Publishing |
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Fans who want to focus more on storytelling and personal narratives would appreciate the character focus World of Darkness offers. In this TTRPG, players become a part of a darker version of the real world - where conspiracies are today's news, secret societies are open secrets, and supernatural creatures roam the night. Unlike other RPG systems, World of Darkness has separate rulebooks dedicated to various supernatural creatures, all designed to fit within the same world.
In turn, players can embark on adventures purely as Vampires, Werewolves, Mages, Hunters, or a mixture of all of them. With a system that relies more on creative attribute-skill mixtures, the World of Darkness can make dialogue just as interesting as combat, and hours' worth of sessions can be about fulfilling the same goal with different approaches - guns blazing, silent as the wind, or through pure bureaucracy. There's always something for all kinds of players in World of Darkness, provided they're willing to embrace the night.
20 Fate Core
A Highly Flexible TTRPG System For Every Genre
Release Date | 2003 |
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Genre | Any, Mixed |
Publisher | Evil Hat Productions |
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Players seriously in need of a more freeform TTRPG experience will love the Fate system. In fact, it's so free-form that there's no default setting - and other RPGs actually use Fate as their basis. As a result, players can rely on Fate to homebrew worlds of their own without being restricted by the mechanics of other TTRPGs.
Essentially, Fate offers a focus on roleplaying by lessening the need to roll a ton of dice. Instead of standard attributes, players declare special traits or "aspects" that their characters specialize in. As a result, characters more or less are considered "mediocre" in all things except their declared skills. In the process, there's more room for roleplaying and highlighting character strengths. For D&D fans, Fate serves as a good playground to learn how to roleplay both strong stats and dump stats.
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