Tabletop Rpgs reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 145 Reddit reviews across 6 subreddits and 20 posts to rank the best Tabletop Rpgs brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/rpg, r/startrek, r/Solo_Roleplaying, r/tabletop, r/GirlGamers. Top-rated brands include Sine Nomine (5.0/5), Steve Jackson Games (4.0/5), Evil Hat Productions (4.2/5).
Stats
Reviews145
Subreddits6
Posts20
Brands90
Products30
145 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Sine Nomine
5.0
(9)
"Just to clarify for the OP (and add links): Stars Without Number, Worlds Without Number, and Godbound"
"Yes. You can get the free editions (which are huge) of Stars Wuthout Numbers, Worlds Without Numbers, and Godbound."
"Yes. You can get the free editions (which are huge) of Stars Wuthout Numbers, Worlds Without Numbers, and Godbound."
"Yes. You can get the free editions (which are huge) of Stars Wuthout Numbers, Worlds Without Numbers, and Godbound."
"Worlds without number has a free version too. Kevin makes such awesome products."
"Stars without number and godbound are some of the best rpg toolboxes out there."
"Most of the base game books from Sine Nomine have free versions with everything you need to play. Stars without Number for scifi, Worlds without number for fantasy and Godbound for new gods in an ancient world."
"Most of the base game books from Sine Nomine have free versions with everything you need to play. Stars without Number for scifi, Worlds without number for fantasy and Godbound for new gods in an ancient world."
"Most of the base game books from Sine Nomine have free versions with everything you need to play. Stars without Number for scifi, Worlds without number for fantasy and Godbound for new gods in an ancient world."
#2
Steve Jackson Games
4.0
(6)
"Obligatory GURPS recommendation :-D I should definitely check this out one day."
"You should look into GURPS. It has the source books for just about any genre."
"GURPS might be a better fit there, due to its fairly gritty and realistic starting approach."
"GURPS or FATE would cover over 90% of your needs."
"GURPS: Adaptations specifically with advice on just this. Fantasy, sci-fi, rich characters, Dune, Potter all entirely doable."
"With as broad a base as your book examples are, probably GURPS, FATE or a similar 'generic' system that you have to do work to build your own."
#3
Evil Hat Productions
4.2
(5)
"Another really good system is Fate."
"And there's an extensive SRD that is free to read online."
"Fate is pay what you want, so you can get it for free if you can't afford to pay."
"You can buy the Monster of the Week rule book and other MOTW material here."
"Fate is good for characters that are pretty broadly competent and had a lot of agency in the story."
#4
Ironsworn
4.8
(4)
"Ironsworn is excellent. I second this recommendation as I’m nearing Session #43 using it."
"Ironsworn. Can be played solo or with a group (with or without GM). Core rules are totally free, and there’s a paid expansion called Delve."
"Ironsworn and it’s companion Delve."
"If you opt for DnD, prepare for a steep learning curve and hours of prep time for every session. But you could pick a more narrative system that's lighter to run. Ironsworn is a good option."
#5
Stars Without Number
4.8
(4)
"My current favourite is Stars Without Number, which just this year released it's revised version on DrivethruRPG AND has a free download version available."
"Stars Without Number is free. Science fiction with an old school D&D esqe mechanical system."
"For Sci-fi: Stars without Number (free) or Scum and Villainy ($20). For mythological, medieval: Ironsworn (free)"
"Dune, for example, could be handled by Stars Without Number."
#6
Fiasco
4.5
(4)
"I have found Fiasco to be a great way to introduce roleplaying."
"Super simple rules and makes it easy to get the concept of collaborative storytelling."
"Fiasco or Lovecraftesque sound like a good fit."
"Fiasco is coming out with a card game version."
#7
Paizo
4.5
(4)
"All of Pathfinder 1e/2e and Starfinder is available on Archives of Nethys"
"Both versions of Pathfinder have an online SRD website that has all the info you should need to play."
"The Alien Archive series is the bestiary atamajakki mentioned, which also features rules for making your own adversaries."
"What you are looking for are Alien Archives 1 through 4, which you can also find the monsters over at aonsrd with a quick google."
#8
Gloomhaven
4.0
(4)
"Boardgame: Gloomhaven, no pvp."
"If you’re just looking for a somewhat more 'robust' dungeon crawling experience, I agree that games like Descent or (haha) Gloomhaven might be more appropriate."
"Gloomhaven"
"Gloomhaven maybe? The theme is there but it’s more of a combat game than a rpg."
#9
Star Trek Adventures
4.7
(3)
"Star Trek Adventures is THE TT RPG for Star Trek. As my GM puts it, it's a great Star Trek episode simulator."
"Just tossing another vote in here for Star Trek Adventures. It's not just a good system, it's a great system for replicating the feel of an episode of Star Trek."
"I would recommend Star Trek Adventures, it has the style of a Star Trek episode as someone has already said and it has great class features."
#10
Traveller
4.3
(3)
"- Traveller"
"Now there are solo engines for Traveller/Cepheus Engine such as Solo."
"Now there are solo engines for Traveller/Cepheus Engine such as No GM's Sky."
#11
Savage Worlds
4.0
(3)
"I like Savage Worlds for one-shots. Easy to learn, lots of settings."
"Savage Worlds is one of the best generic systems out there."
"I’d check out Savage Worlds and its expansions for various settings (ex. Sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes ect.)"
#12
Mongoose
4.0
(3)
"Mongoose Traveller is what you want to play for space opera."
"Traveller (any edition, but the Mongoose versions are a little more accessible). M-Space is also great."
"Traveller is basically the granddaddy of space opera RPGs. The original 1981 rules are good, but Mongoose's newer version isn't as old-fashioned."
#13
Mothership
5.0
(2)
"Mothership’s core rules are free as a PDF"
"Mothership's core rule book is free as a pdf and excellent"
#14
Cypher System
5.0
(2)
"Love the cypher system, because it got simple rules, but lots of things you can do with it."
"Cypher system would be my recommendation."
#15
Fate Accelerated
4.5
(2)
"Fate Accelerated is free and mostly narrative, if you don't want lots of mechanics."
"Fate Accelerated can pull off a lot of genres, including myth or cyberpunk, and is very affordable."
#16
OpenD6
4.5
(2)
"Open D6, it was the basis for the first and best starwars ttrpg. It has modern, fantasy, scifi source books available and is a great system to play and GM."
"OpenD6 Space, adventure and fantasy are free."
#17
Risus
4.5
(2)
"It's free, it's fun, it's simple."
"Risus is free, generic/universal, and short! Light on the wallet and light on the time to learn!"
#18
Modiphius
4.5
(2)
"Modiphius. Hands down"
"Modiphius has games based on Star Trek, Dune and Homeworld, for space opera goodiness."
#19
Pelgrane Press
4.5
(2)
"I've had some great times playing *Cthulhu Confidential,* which is duet version of *Trail of Cthulhu,* which is a Gumshoe version of *Call of Cthulhu.*"
"Pelgrane Press are expanding their GUMSHOE games into 1-to-1 games."
#20
Lancer
4.5
(2)
"Lancer, hands down. Mech-based tactical combat that demands a grid map."
"I should point out that all of Lancer's player-facing material is free, but if you want stuff like lore, enemy stats, and enemy data for its online tools, you need to pay for the full version."
#21
Shield of Tomorrow
4.5
(2)
"I cannot recommend shield of tomorrow highly enough!"
"Seconded. I've been watching Shield of Tomorrow on YouTube and it's a hell of a lot of fun."
#22
Lady Blackbird
4.0
(2)
"Lady Blackbird for example."
"Lady Blackbird, Dungeon World and Free Universal are very simple and user-friendly."
#23
Legacy of Dragonholt
4.0
(2)
"Might be worth looking into if you want something with no GM."
"FFG's Legacy of Dragonholt."
#24
Numenera
4.0
(2)
"Numenera is quite simple."
"You might like Numenera. It's Science Fiction with Medieval Fantasy trappings."
#25
Cyberpunk
4.0
(2)
"Have you tried the updated classic Cyberpunk Red?"
"Someone sent me a pm with this bundle for medieval. Couldn’t pass on the deal! And Cyberpunk 2e with what was left!"
#26
D.O.G.S.
3.5
(2)
"D.O.G.S., the generic version of Dogs in the Vineyard, is one. Popular ones include Savage Worlds, GURPS, Genesys System, Gumshoe, and Cypher system."
"I've been trying a couple of different systems lately. One is the dogs in the vineyard system. And the other is from a really obscure RPG called soap."
#27
Cairn
3.5
(2)
"Cairn by Yochai Gal. Rules light OSR/NSR."
"For low complexity Cairn and Mork Borg are where I would go."
#28
Wizards of the Coast
5.0
(1)
"Dungeons and Dragons 5e starter set."
#29
Augur VTT
5.0
(1)
"The Augur VTT was built for Ironsworn and Starforged. Works great!"
#30
Ironsworn Companion
5.0
(1)
"Ironsworn has several different browser-based aids which handle 100% of the game for you. I prefer Ironsworn Companion."
#31
Strike!
5.0
(1)
"I love Strike!, it has a very "purposeful" approach to game design, which resulted in an extremely lean and flexible game, plus a nice tactical combat system."
#32
Mindjammer
5.0
(1)
"Mindjammer really blew my mind, check it out!"
#33
The One Ring
5.0
(1)
"My favorites in fantasy right now are The One Ring, Tales of Argosa, and Worlds Without Number."
#34
Tales of Argosa
5.0
(1)
"My favorites in fantasy right now are The One Ring, Tales of Argosa, and Worlds Without Number."
#35
Worlds Without Number
5.0
(1)
"My favorites in fantasy right now are The One Ring, Tales of Argosa, and Worlds Without Number."
#36
Blades in the Dark
5.0
(1)
"- Blades in the Dark"
#37
Night's Black Agents
5.0
(1)
"- Night's Black Agents"
#38
Pathfinder 2E
5.0
(1)
"- Pathfinder 2e"
#39
RuneQuest
5.0
(1)
"- RuneQuest"
#40
Starfinder
5.0
(1)
"- Starfinder"
#41
Swords of the Serpentine
5.0
(1)
"- Swords of the Serpentine"
#42
Trail of Cthulhu
5.0
(1)
"- Trail of Cthulhu"
#43
TWERPS
5.0
(1)
"Easiest.. TWERPS or GURPS Ultra-Lite."
#44
GURPS Ultra-Lite
5.0
(1)
"Easiest.. TWERPS or GURPS Ultra-Lite."
#45
Tales from the Loop
5.0
(1)
"I was planning on having Tales from the loop as my first RPG."
#46
Beat to Quarters
5.0
(1)
"For straight historical RPGs, I love "Beat to Quarters," the Horatio Hornblower style RPG"
#47
Beyond the Wall
5.0
(1)
"I am *constantly* recommending this game for exactly this reason."
#48
Dream Askew
5.0
(1)
"I’d honestly suggest newcomers start with Dream Askew."
#49
Lone Wolf
5.0
(1)
"The 'Lone Wolf' was a great series for example."
#50
Ganesha Games
5.0
(1)
"4AD from Ganesha Games"
#51
Tunnels & Trolls
5.0
(1)
"Tunnels & Trolls."
#52
Cthulhu Confidential
5.0
(1)
"That’s exactly what Cthulhu Confidential is for! You could strip out the Mythos stuff super easy."
#53
Halloween Knights
5.0
(1)
"[Halloween Knights](http://swordandbackpack.tumblr.com/post/166985735048/the-halloween-knights-rpg-and-mixtape) by Gabe Soria and Sam Mameli."
#54
Night Witches
5.0
(1)
"Night Witches is a game where you play as Soviet airwomen fighting misogyny, hardship, and the Nazis during Operation Barbarossa."
#55
Alas for the Awful Sea
5.0
(1)
"In Alas for the Awful Sea, you play as characters trying to eke out a living in the harsh hinterlands of the 19th century Outer Hebrides."
#56
Toon
5.0
(1)
"Toon!"
#57
Kobolds Stole My Baby
5.0
(1)
"Kobolds Stole My Baby."
#58
Indie
5.0
(1)
"*For the Queen* might fit the bill for you. It is an innovative new "indie storytelling" game that I'd expect to see on many RPG games of the year lists."
#59
Mutant Future
4.0
(1)
"Mutant Future, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Labyrinth Lord, Old School Essentials, Basic Fantasy RPG all have free versions."
#61
Warhammer
4.0
(1)
"Mud and blood, brutal fantasy setting, Warhammer 4e starter set."
#62
Mongoose Publishing
4.0
(1)
"You can always go with Traveler (specifically the versions by Mongoose)."
#63
Artificer Games
4.0
(1)
"Misfortune is a game I made that is literally, literally created to translate the structure of written stories into tabletop form."
#64
Fantasy Flight Games
4.0
(1)
"Genesys narrative dice system."
#65
Stargrave
4.0
(1)
"+1 for Stargrave."
#66
Shadowrun
4.0
(1)
"For my money if I want tactical combat I'd use Shadowrun."
#67
Mörk Borg
4.0
(1)
"Doom Eternal death metal vibe in a brutal fantasy setting, light rules, Mork Borg."
#68
Fate
4.0
(1)
"Fate is hard to beat for ease and simplicity of adapting."
#69
Burning Wheel
4.0
(1)
"Burning Wheel is a system I often think of as the bridge between novels and RPGs. It is character focused, everything is about the characters and driven by the characters beliefs and goals."
#70
Over the Edge
4.0
(1)
"Look up Over The Edge. The base system is really dimple and can easily be divorced from the acid trip that is the setting."
#71
Owlbear Rodeo
4.0
(1)
"If the rpg not complete and hard, you may try the Owlbear rodeo as well. It's more easily to learn the basics of webb-app and run your games solo or complete ttrpg."
#72
Dungeon World
4.0
(1)
"Dungeon World has a similar fictional space but is a much more narrative system."
#73
Savage Worlds Deluxe
4.0
(1)
"If you want something in print for about $10, Savage Worlds Deluxe is a great option for flexibility."
#74
Spark
4.0
(1)
"You could look at Spark or Fate. Those are both good systems, which let you choose the setting."
#75
Against the Darkmaster
4.0
(1)
"I like Against the Darkmaster in the high complexity range."
#76
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
4.0
(1)
"WFRP, ALIENS ,PATHFINDER"
#77
Aliens
4.0
(1)
"WFRP, ALIENS ,PATHFINDER"
#78
Pathfinder
4.0
(1)
"WFRP, ALIENS ,PATHFINDER"
#79
Roll20
4.0
(1)
"Check out [Roll20](https://app.roll20.net/lfg/search//?page=1&days=&dayhours=&frequency=&timeofday=7:00PM&timeofday_seconds=1499097600&language=Any&avpref=Any&gametype=Any&newplayer=false&yesmaturecontent=t)"
#80
Lasers and Feelings
4.0
(1)
"Lasers and Feelings is pretty damn easy as long as you can improvise."
#81
Goblin Quest
4.0
(1)
"Goblin Quest would be easy for a group that has never played an RPG."
#82
Mouse Guard
4.0
(1)
"Mouse guard has a nice intro that teaches you how to create characters and walks you though a sample adventure."
#83
Legend of the Five Rings
4.0
(1)
"I would recommend Legend of the Five Rings 4th edition."
#84
13th Age
4.0
(1)
"13th Age is my favorite and really easy to learn."
#85
Descent
4.0
(1)
"If you’re just looking for a somewhat more 'robust' dungeon crawling experience, I agree that games like Descent or (haha) Gloomhaven might be more appropriate."
#86
Cogent Roleplay
4.0
(1)
"I strated GMing with Cogent Roleplay the first time I played it."
#87
Joe Dever
4.0
(1)
"If you want to go old school, and you can find them, the Lone Wolf books by Joe Dever are pretty good."
#88
Fantasy Games Unlimited
3.0
(1)
"Space Opera by FGU would work."
#89
Mork Borg
3.0
(1)
"For low complexity Cairn and Mork Borg are where I would go."
#90
Dungeons & Dragons
2.0
(1)
"I think D&D tends to be too complicated for my liking as a starter RPG, especially 3.5."
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