[VOTING IS OVER!] Vote For The Most Anticipated RPG of 2021!

As we do every year, it's time to vote for the most anticipated tabletop roleplaying game of the coming year! Here is last year's Top 10 (spoiler: the winner was the Dune RPG, which hasn't actually made it out yet - will it make it onto the list for the third year running?) Previous winners include 13th Age (2013), Star Wars Force & Destiny (2015), Rifts for Savage Worlds (2016), Trudvang Chronicles , and Vampire: the Masquerade 5th Edition (2018), and Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (2019).

VOTING IS NOW OVER

We took nominations. Now it's time to vote. What will be the most anticipated RPG of 2021? You can vote for up to 3 games. Voting will be open for 7 days, until January 2nd.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why isn't my nomination on the list? Check the nomination thread. If you made a valid nomination (name, link) and it's not in the poll, let me know ASAP so I can add it.
• How does a game qualify? It must have been nominated by you in the nomination thread with a valid formatted nomination, it must be a standalone tabletop RPG (not a setting, adventure, supplement, etc.), and it's projected release date to the general public (not just Kickstarter backers) should be in 2021.

 

[Frogbad]

It is said the cover should not be the primary determinant for a good book. Yet, the classic art style of pulp era novella and comics that graces "Acthung Cthulhu 2d20" is sure inspiring me consider it my primary Lovecraftian entertainment RPG. Though I may checkout Pulp Cthulhu too.

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Not to get into Cthulhu edition wars, is "Pulp Cthulhu" built on the BRP of Call of Cthulhu core? I just checked out an advert for Pulp Ctuhulhu and it seems so different in style from call of Cthulhu and I quote:

Pulp Cthulhu is a game of two-fisted adventure, weird science, dark deeds, and brave heroes. With this book, some roleplaying dice, and the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, you have everything you need to adventure and explore games set in the pulp genre.

Tired of your investigators dying in quick succession when jaunting around the world in a desperate bid to save humanity? Wishing that sometimes your investigator could make a stand instead of hiding and waiting for the eldritch horror to pass? Pulp Cthulhu ups the ante and provides you with tougher, more capable heroes—ready to take on the villainous machinations of the Cthulhu Mythos!

Yes it based on the same rules with some tweaks around character creation (more hit points, talents etc)

 

[imagineGod]

Yes it based on the same rules with some tweaks around character creation (more hit points, talents etc)

Thanks for the response. So just a few tweaks to the original Call of Cthulhu rules and suddenly you have a cool pulp heroes against the mythos? I did not know it was that easy to fix my problems with Cthulhu. Must try out this Pulp Cthulhu version of Call of Cthulhu in the new year.

 

[Imaculata]

I'm excited for advanced 5e (level up). I don't play 5e myself, but a good friend of mine does, and she may end up dragging us kicking and screaming into a 5e game in the near future. Advanced 5e would make a nice birthday gift.

 

[TrippyHippy]

The big difference between Lovecraftian horror and SF horror is the weakness of the enemy. The xenomorph is horrible and scary but mortal and the Alien RPG strikes the right balance, especially with the Stress dice mechanics. Lovecraft on the other hand offers too many no-win scenarios with his horrors that cannot be destroyed but just escaped, hence, shy I avoid the Call of Cthulhu RPG. Even Robert E Howard borrows from Lovecraft but still offers opportunity for Conan to beat the horrors, and the Modiphus Conan game plays true to pulp.

Finally, what the Achtung Cthulhu 2d20 RPG does, from what I saw in the playtest, is bring Lovecraft to a playable game rather than just no-win narrative of weak hero characters.

I don’t really buy into that analysis of Lovecraft. While the cosmology of Lovecraft is clearly pessimistic and humanity is insignificant on those cosmic terms, individual protagonists manage to progress against particular antagonists in various stories and ‘win’ in the short term. The actual story and design of Alien was heavily influenced by Lovecraft, regardless.

 

[ART!]

Perhaps I am somewhat boring in my current ttrpg interests, but my group is very happy with D&D 5E, so I voted for Beowulf (which I backed!) and Level Up.

 

[Guest 7025638]

Well, it was difficult to pick even one system, which may be unfortunate..

 

[Mistwell]

Picking only three was tough. I had 8 choices I really wanted. What a great list and a nice thought for the upcoming year!

 

[Tonguez]

Worlds without Number as Kevin Crawford is a RPG maestro,
Villagesong sounds intriguing

 

[Menachem]

Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Wanderhome, Monster Care Squad.

 

[aramis erak]

Some have even more editions...

And the D&D marketing team pulled a real whopper in calling the 1999 edition "D&D 3rd Edition" since it's at least the 5th edition released (OE, AD&D, Holmes/BX/BECMI/Cyclopedia, AD&D2e. Most sane people don't consider Holmes' Basic part of the BX/BECMI/Cyclopedia line, many sane people lump Holmes either in OE or AD&D 1E. Many consider it a separate edition of its own, since it is neither a match to the OE mechanics, the AD&D Mechanics, nor the later BX/BECMI/Cyclopedia line)

Me, I'm anticipating Dune (corebook), T2K 4E, and TOR 2E... (That "revised" isn't considered a different edition despite all the changes... that leaves me wondering about C7's collective sanity. Still, it was a strong improvement.) I didn't vote for, but am anticipating, Stargate. I've already got enough play out of it to pay for my KS purchase.