What Does a "Successful" RPG Look Like?

[SlyFlourish]

A while back I posted a thread on "What does it take for an RPG to die?".

Now I want to flip the question. What does a "successful" RPG look like?

With Daggerheart just released, Shadowdark having completed a gangbuster Kickstarter, MCDM's Flee Mortals coming out soon, Dragonbane running their own Kickstarter, a new Player's Guide 2 for Tales of the Valiant Kickstarting right now, 13th Age v2 on the verge of release – we're seeing a lot of movement from a lot of different systems.

A common statement is that these never really compete with, much less beat, D&D. Ok, but who cares? Is that what success has to look like?

Obviously not. There have been hundreds of RPGs published for fifty years – some quite successful and some not.

So what, to you, does a successful RPG look like? How do you judge whether an RPG has caught on or not? What measures, metrics, or vibes (as the kids say these days) do you use to determine if an RPG was successful?

 

[aco175]

I would think there is a time expectation and a option of playing it. New games might come with a bang and die quickly so something that has been out longer than 3-5 years might be a gauge. The option of playing it might include seeing it advertised at local game conventions and game stores to play.

Bonus points for being an option still after a couple years. There might also be an option for book stores selling it after the initial cash grab. Also, the designers adding supplements and expansions might count since they would not do this is people were not playing.

 

[Reynard]

While I think success looks different to each company and creator, from sales to critical reeption to simply getting it out there, I think from a TTRPG consumer perspective the thing that makes me consider a game "successful" is if a) I see people talking about it in a positive way online, and b) I see people playing it at conventions or other public gaming events. Certainly a game can be "successful" while still being very niche, but if no one is talking about it or playing it, I would be hard pressed to think of that game as successful as a consumer/hobbyist. Note that it does not have to be a lot of people -- just visible.

Sometimes games make a big splash and then effectively disappear from the discourse. Can a game fail to be successful even if it had a million dollar kickstarter? Maybe, if after it fulfills everyone puts it on their shelf and no one ever plays it.

 

[soviet]

Commercially or artistically?

 

[Theory of Games]

So what, to you, does a successful RPG look like?

Dungeons & Dragons

How do you judge whether an RPG has caught on or not?

Numerous people playing and talking about the ttrpg for YEARS

What measures, metrics, or vibes (as the kids say these days) do you use to determine if an RPG was successful?

Launch and yearly sales numbers

 

[payn]

Makes it to my book shelf or on my hard drive as PDF.

 

[TiQuinn]

Are people still talking about and visibly playing the game on various forums, social media, and at conventions substantively after its initial release and hype?

Is a community growing around the game where people are talking about house rules, tweaks, artwork, adventures?

 

[billd91]

I think there's a difference between a successful game and a successful game product. A successful game has engaged players willing to come back to the table for more - regardless of its financial success. A successful game product is one that's sustaining enough for the owning company's needs to keep it in production and with enough support/follow-up product to maintain an engaged market. It's ideal if both apply, but sometimes you get one without the other.

 

[Jd Smith1]

8x11", artistic cover, lots of text and charts.


A loyal fan base. There are OOP games which still have a following.

But I would say that the clearest indicator is longevity. Games like War Hammer, Rolemaster, Petal Throne are nearing the 60 year mark, and still being played and printed. They soldier on while countless other RPGs have appeared, and then dropped away into obscurity.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Dungeons & Dragons

Numerous people playing and talking about the ttrpg for online YEARS

Launch and yearly sales numbers

By these criteria, there are no other successful RPGs but D&D? That was actually sort of the point in me asking the question.

That last one the public almost certainly has no access to so we can't use that as a measure.