Top RPG Games for Fall 2022: D&D, Pathfinder, 5E OGL, Vampire, Transformers

ICv2's latest report has come in, for the top five roleplaying games in Fall 2022. ICv2 interviews retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to compile these charts. I maintain an ongoing record of them here so that you can see them over time.

As is usual, D&D tops the chart, and Pathfinder comes in second. This is fourth time that third party 5E material has appeared, after Spring 2020, Spring 2021, and Fall 2022. The last two positions usually change according to what the current hotness is (last time it was Power Rangers and GI Joe, this time it's Vampire and Transformers).

Hasbro's and D&D's sphere of influence is very apparent -- Transformers is a Hasbro property licensed to Renagade, Dungeons & Dragons is of course owned by Hasbro, and both Pathfinder and 5E OGL have D&D roots.

Rank	Game	Publisher
1	Dungeons & Dragons	Wizards of the Coast
2	Pathfinder	Paizo
3	5E OGL	Various
4	Vampire: the Masquerade	Renegade Game Studios
5	Transformers	Renegade Game Studios

Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present

This is a compilation of the [URL='http://www.icv2.com']icv2.com[/URL] retailer surveys of Top Five Roleplaying Games. They are generally compiled quarterly (with some exceptions). ICv2 notes that "the chart [are] based on interviews with retailers, distributors, and manufacturers." Also see...

www.enworld.org

 

[bedir than]

A bit surprised about both vampire and the Transformers games, that they are on the list.

every Renegade licensed ttrpgs has made the top five

 

[Ulfgeir]

every Renegade licensed ttrpgs has made the top five

I understand that the 80/90s nostalgia boom is still going on. So that kind of answers why transformers, but I think next queet it will no longer be on the list. What I have heard though about the Transformers-game is that it is not that good.

And I am still surprised that vampire sells as well as it does.

 

[cbwjm]

I love the transformers game, I'm thinking of running a one-shot of it with my regular group. The game is based on 5e which morphed into the essence system so it should be fairly easy for my players to get to grips with it if I create some random characters for them.

Also, there are at least 2 transformers that convert to fire trucks in G1 alone.

 

[GreyLord]

I hope this isn’t Beast Wars hate.

Sounds more like Beast Machines...

 

[TerraDave]

From the linked article, the miracle continues:

After two great years, including a spectacular 2021, the hobby games channel grew 10% in 2022, capping a 14-year run of growth, according to an ICv2 estimate based on publicly released information and our interviews with game retailers, distributors, and publishers. The 10% growth in 2022 comes after a spectacular 2021, in which sales in the channel grew 30%, and a strong 2020, in which sales grew 15%. That’s growth of almost two-thirds for the hobby games channel since the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

We asked where retailers thought the growth was coming from...RPG sales continued to expand in 2022, with a new season of Stranger Things turbocharging ongoing organic growth in the category.

 

[TrippyHippy]

So there's Vampire: the Masquerade 5e that's Renegade Studios in the top five, but there's also Vampire: the Masquerade by World of Darkness. This is a confusing license.

This is a bit confused! The setting of Vampire: The Masquerade is the World of Darkness. The owner of the World of Darkness games, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Hunter: the Reckoning, Werewolf: The Apocalypse and others (all share the same setting) is owned by Paradox Entertainment. The licence to publish the game, now in its 5th edition is currently owned by Renegade Studios.

The license has been passed through different companies, including Modiphius, while it used to be the IP of White Wolf before they sold it off in the late 2000s. Technically White Wolf is also owned by Paradox, but the company was dissolved under new management, leaving just the game brands. Onyx Path and others have produced 3rd party publications for it, with many of the same writers. Some of these publications have been, or are about to be published by Renegade as official supplements.

What is notable is that Vampire continues to sell whoever owns it.

 

[deganawida]

Sounds more like Beast Machines...

Well, that's just prime.

 

[MGibster]

I'm a little surprised Vampire is on the list. Not that it isn't a good game, I just wasn't sure how popular it's been over the last few years.

 

[Blue Orange]

I hope this isn’t Beast Wars hate.

Well, not seriously. It was more of a gag for anyone who remembers the TRUKK NOT MONKEY arguments back in the 90s. I don't get seriously worked up over that stuff--you like what you like, it's not worth starting a flamewar over. But I did only watch the first two seasons of the Netflix War for Cybertron series.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

The license has been passed through different companies, including Modiphius, while it used to be the IP of White Wolf before they sold it off in the late 2000s. Technically White Wolf is also owned by Paradox, but the company was dissolved under new management, leaving just the game brands. Onyx Path and others have produced 3rd party publications for it, with many of the same writers. Some of these publications have been, or are about to be published by Renegade as official supplements.

Are "World of Darkness" and "Chronicles of Darkness" both still being supported?