Four non-D&D games that show the breadth of TTRPGs

[TiQuinn]

I wouldn't include The Quiet Year. It is a great game, awesome for collaborative setting creation. But the player does not take on a role in the world that you are collectively developing, so I can't really call it a role-playing game.

In a way, I think they do take on a bit of a role because each player has different interests and interpretations that I’ve found can foreshadow what they bring to the table with their characters if they continue to play through the setting. The whole game is kind of a take on Spout Lore - Dungeon World-style. At least that’s how it’s played out for our group. We used the Quiet Year as a lead in to Rime of the Frostmaiden and created an alternate non-FR setting for it.

 

[TheHand]

How about these 4 (I tried to pick recent games that do something very different than D&D)

Vampire the Masquerade
Call of Cthulhu
Dungeon World
FATE Accelerated

 

[Tonguez]

How about these 4 (I tried to pick recent games that do something very different than D&D)

Vampire the Masquerade
Call of Cthulhu
Dungeon World
FATE Accelerated

heh, I was just thinking to myself "no-ones mentioned VtM or Ars Magica, which seems odd"

 

[Parmandur]

heh, I was just thinking to myself "no-ones mentioned VtM or Ars Magica, which seems odd"

Those games are not all thst current, though admittedly my choices are either older than me or came out when I was a child.

 

[jdrakeh]

Those games are not all thst current, though admittedly my choices are either older than me or came out when I was a child.

Both of those games have new-ish editions. The most recent printing of Vampire (5e) came out in 2021 and a new edition of Ars Magica was Kickstarted last year.

 

[Thomas Shey]

To some extent it would depend on whether I was trying to show bredth of approach, bredth of game type/genre or both. In the case of the first, something like @TheHand has above seem fairly good, but I suspect I'd do a poor job with FA, and am not sure I'd do better with Dungeon World.

 

[Umbran]

In a way, I think they do take on a bit of a role because each player has different interests and interpretations that I’ve found can foreshadow what they bring to the table with their characters if they continue to play through the setting.

With respect, I don't take "vaguely suggesting what kind of person they might play if there were a role playing game" does not qualify as an RPG in my book.

 

[TiQuinn]

With respect, I don't take "vaguely suggesting what kind of person they might play if there were a role playing game" does not qualify as an RPG in my book.

Sigh. Fine. You win.

Never mind no one else took anyone else’s choice down a peg but you do you, man.

So over this.

 

[mamba]

Not sure why it matters that the players are "sort of familiar with 5e". Someone else's level of familiarity with D&D is going to have zero effect on what I'll run.

the main reason for that to me is that you avoid using something 5e adjacent as one of the four

 

[Bill Zebub]

In order of play:

• Fantasy: Dragonbane
• Horror Investigation: Vaesen
• Post-apocalyptic survival: Mutant Year Zero
• Sci-Fi: Coriolis The Great Dark

Oooh...Coriolis is a good nominee for your thread on "5 games in 2026". (I already have Dragonbane and Vaesen.)

Free League is really crushing it, huh?

(Actually, if I had one wish for 2026 it would be for Free League to combine their Tolkien license with their Dragonbane system.)