15 Best Games Like D&D That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Games Like D&D

There are many other tabletop games out there, and Dungeons & Dragons is certainly not the only one. These are also good.

We can’t ignore Dungeons & Dragons when it comes to role-playing games, fantasy world construction, and character development. Modern fantasy fiction and video games have a lot to thank this tabletop for.. RP was incorporated into the game (G). The Baldur’s Gate video game series, for example, has the same rules as D&D, although this list only includes tabletop games. You needn’t worry, because there are a lot of them. If you’re a fan of D&D, you’ll enjoy these ten tabletop RPGs. On this list, you’ll find a mix of classic and contemporary games, as well as a wide range of imaginative locations and storylines.

Tabletop games of various kinds are helping to keep humanity’s collective sanity intact as we all spend more time indoors these days. When it comes to playing a role-playing game, it’s like reading a great novel while also taking part in a board game. An indoor sport that’s growing in popularity all the time, tabletop RPGs contain a wide array of genres, distinctive characters, family-friendly locations and more to appeal to a wide range of interests.

1. Pathfinder

Pathfinder

This could be the most popular alternative to Dungeons & Dragons.

It is one of the more recent games on our list, having been released in 2009. In the event that you’re a fan of 3rd Edition D&D, don’t let that deter you. In order to be compatible with the previous version of Pathfinder, it has been reworked to include new modules. Besides tabletop games, the brand includes card games and books in written and audio formats. Though it was in the works, an MMORPG never progressed beyond early sign-up.

2. Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients

Shadows of Brimstone:City of the Ancients is a good place to go for a change of pace from the usual fantasy fare.

As a group, the players take on the roles of characters from the Old West, like a gunslinger or a saloon girl. Often, dungeons take the form of arid caverns or abandoned mining villages, and they’re chock-full of treasure and otherworldly portals. Characters can further modify their appearance and abilities by acquiring new gear and accessories, as well as by using a skill tree.

 3. 13th Age

13th Age

Tabletop role-playing game 13th Age, like D&D, has roots in the D&D culture. D&D players will recognize the class and skill system used in this game. Jonathan Tweet, the third-primary edition’s designer, collaborated with Rob Heinsoo on this one as did Rob Heinsoo. One of the most recent RPGs to be released was recently named RPG Geek’s RPG of the Year 2013. Freeform backgrounds and distinct character skills decide the environment, and you get to customize your time and place as the game progresses.

4. HârnMaster

If you’re seeking for D&D-like worlds, lore, and races, but with a little more bite, check out this game. It’s termed “high realism,” and it doesn’t hold back in its depiction of the human condition. A medieval or ancient setting may include plague, hunger, rape, and the hanging of the guilty. You should think twice before playing this game with your spouse or children. Often referred to as “Harn,” this game has been available since 1986 and is a direct competitor to Dungeons and Dragons. Harn, a medieval European world with a few old Roman hints, is the setting for the game, which depends more heavily on historical and realistic settings than D&D.

5. Mice & Mystics

Mice & Mystics

RPGs aren’t all about gloom and doom, and they don’t all cater to adults who prefer a high degree of realism. Mice and Mystics is the perfect game to play with the kids or when you just want to feel like a kid again. Your character has been transformed into a mouse, and the challenges they must overcome are imaginative reinterpretations of what it’s like to be a little rodent. Cockroaches and cats are just some of the creatures you’ll have to cope with as you make your way out of a castle. Because it only takes roughly 90 minutes to complete, it’s a good fit for younger gamers.

6. Gloomhaven

Gloomhammer is a D&D-style dungeon crawler with a lengthy storyline that spans multiple sessions. Games like this one, which incorporate elements of horror as well as fantasy, are becoming increasingly popular due to the increasing need for more realistic games. What makes this game unique, though, is that it can be completed in a single session, whereas most D&D games require multiple sessions. If you enjoy RPGs but want something with a shorter length and more replay potential, this is the game for you.

7. Star Trek Adventures

In the Star Trek universe, there are numerous movies and television shows that may be compared to RPG modules, so why not a tabletop role-playing game? Even characters could be given D&D classes.

In theory, it should be a perfect match for those who appreciate both Star Trek and the D&D universe, and there’s enough material to span almost any game session. Those who enjoy fantasy video games but want to experience a new setting in a sci-fi setting can go this route.

8. Legend of the Five Rings

Legend of the Five Rings

Legend of the Five Rings is mostly set in the feudal Japanese realm of Rokudan.

The fictitious universe includes myths and legends from all around Asia, such as magic, wonderful animals, and mythical locations. High-realism games likeHârnMaster are compared to it since it employs only 10-sided dice and has brutal combat and early deaths. This game has a lot of literature related to it, including game tips, manuals, and a long series of books. Since its initial debut in 1997, the game has maintained a devoted following, and its most recent iteration, which was launched in 2018, has garnered even more fans.

9.  7th Sea

Imagine 17th century Europe, but with each country depicted as an exaggerated and mystical representation of itself. Although the swords are from the medieval era, the magic and legends are Lovecraftian. Swashbuckling novels, novels concerning certain modules, legends of treasures, religious mythology, and more can be found in the game’s literature library. Despite the fact that the game was originally withdrawn from the market in 2005, a successful Kickstarter campaign allowed for a rerelease in 2016. The genre has remained popular.

10. Bulldogs!

In the Marvel Universe, there’s a fascinating fan idea going around. It serves as a link between the Avengers films and the Guardians of the Galaxy video game. Bulldogs would be the best game in the world if you could play as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Mercenaries are hired to undertake the dirty or dangerous jobs that are too dangerous or messy for the average person, but not prestigious enough for real superheroes. As a result of the corporation’s hiring policy, the teams are made up of a diverse group of cosmic misfits who are always up to weird things.

11. The Dark Eye

The Dark Eye

For years, The Dark Eye was the most popular RPG game in Germany and even outsold D&D. In 2016, it was finally translated into English. Those were the 5th and current editions of the game, respectively. It was first released in English as “Realms of Arkania,” which may be familiar to some. You can select from one of five classes, each of which has a predetermined race linked to it, to play as your Hero. It’s a challenging game with a leveling system reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons in several ways.

12. Blades in the Dark

Blades in the Dark takes set in a dark and scary city’s squalid underworld. Conventional D&D games don’t have as many fights and melee fighting as this one does. Instead, the story revolves around the exploits of a ragtag group of outlaws, smugglers, and other criminals who live on the periphery of society. As you progress in the criminal underworld, your goal is to amass as much wealth as possible.

13. World of Darkness

World of Darkness

With figures like Deadpool and the Joker appearing in their own big-budget Hollywood movies, playing a villain or an anti-hero makes more sense. Vampires, werewolves, wraiths, and other dark fantasy figures can be found in a number of role-playing games, and this isn’t new. The initial edition of World of Darkness appeared in 1991, and the most recent iteration was released in 2018. The World of Darkness and the Chronicles of Darkness are two distinct versions of the game.

14. Changeling: The Lost

With a similarly depressing origin, this one follows suit with the prevailing mood of the series. Ancient Irish folklore concerning the kidnapping of children by fairies inspired your character’s transformation. In this RPG, the Fey, as they are called, ravage your character’s body, mind, and soul. Escape from captors is where the game begins and where it ends.

15. GURPS

GURPS

You’ll receive ten different definitions of GURPS if you ask five gamers what it stands for. GURPS stands for “Generic Universal RolePlaying System,” indicating that it can be used in a wide variety of contexts. Tabletop adventures mainly centered on place or genre have been around since the early days of gaming. The Origins Award for 1988’s best roleplaying rules went to this document. If you’re a fan of D&D but find the settings too limiting and lacking in the storytelling part of role-playing, this is an excellent alternative.