With the torrent of bad news coming from the Dungeons and Dragons space currently, you might find yourself wanting to try something new. Really, most of us find ourselves in this spot sooner or later. Regardless of the politics surrounding D&D, there’s just more out there. We don’t have to be pigeonholed into one system, one genre, or one game. Eventually we just want to try something else.
Determining that ‘else’ though, that can be a little tricky. There is a lot available, spread across vastly different styles of play, settings, genres. We’ve chosen a few standouts here to hopefully guide you in finding that next big game.
Cyberpunk Red
If you are at all a gamer and haven’t been living under a rock, chances are – you’ve heard of Cyberpunk. The console/PC RPG Cyberpunk 2077 has been the target of both awful, and amazing, press. It had a rocky launch, for sure, but it has turned into one of the most loved games to come out in the RPG space in the past decade. There’s even a new Netflix series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, out now. But we aren’t here to talk about tv and video games. What may be less known to you is that Cyberpunk – the tabletop role playing game – has been around in various iterations since 1988.
In terms of setting, the name says it all. Cyberpunk will feel familiar to fans of the cyberpunk genre. If you’re into Blade Runner, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, the Matrix and RoboCop, you’ll find a lot to love here. Imagine a hellish captalist/corporate dystopia, complete with robot arms and super hackers and you’ve got the gist. If any of this appeals to you, I implore you to at least take a look at this game. You won’t regret it.
Vampire the Masquerade
I really love this game. Really, the second edition of the White Wolf World of Darkness games (Vampire the Masquerade, Mage the Ascension, and others) were what got me into role-playing in the first place. I wouldn’t say that we’re back to the point of those glory days for this game system, but we could potentially be headed that way.
Vampire the Masquerade is now on its fifth edition, with Werewolf: the Apocalypse on its way up next. These games are going to appeal to those that enjoy Gothic horror fiction, a la Interview with the Vampire or True Blood. I’m still not entirely convinced that True Blood didn’t start out as a VtM campaign.
Pathfinder / Starfinder
Pathfinder is the closest game to Dungeons and Dragons on this list. If you’re primarily into high fantasy, and just want to step away from DnD, this is your best replacement. A LOT of this game is going to be familiar territory to you.
Additionally, if you’re very into DnD d20 mechanics, but want to try out a different genre, Starfinder (Pathfinder’s sister product) could be exactly what you’re looking for. Think Dungeons and Dragons in space, and considerably more fleshed out than the current iteration of Spelljammer.
Mörk Borg
Holy crap, this game. It is an A+ on all fronts for me. From the spectacular visual design, a very rules-light system, and a setting that could easily have been inspired by an Electric Wizard album – this game is amazing. (Also, if you don’t know who Electric Wizard is, go listen to the album Dopethrone. If you’re the type of person that would like doom, that will 100% be your next favorite album, and give you a great soundtrack for a Mork Börg session).
Additionally, there is no cost to getting into this game. You can download the entire rule set, as well as several free adventures on their site: https://morkborg.com. That said, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not buying a core rulebook. The artwork is amazing, and the creator absolutely deserves the support.
Regarding the setting, if you find the typical post-apocalyptic settings to be a little too happy and hopeful, you’re in luck. Mork Börg is relentlessly bleak, the sun is literally gone, and the world is actively dying. I’m aware that this game will likely appeal to a very niche group, but if you’re in that niche, Mork Börg reigns supreme.
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