Summary
Thanks toDungeons & Dragons, fans of RPGs can embark on breathtaking fantasy adventures and save the world while doing all sorts of shenanigans. Interestingly, TTRPG fans would soon realize that more games exist outsideD&Dthat might suit their fancy. Aside fromDungeons & Dragonsare TTRPGs that explore other genres, tackle new themes, or even take place in some of the best worlds pop culture has to offer.
Unfortunately, the existence of a ton of TTRPGs may become overwhelming to newcomers to the genre. After all, whatTTRPGs should they try that are similar toD&Dbut still different enough to offer new and captivating experiences?
Updated on July 21, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:With Dungeons & Dragons teasing its updated Monster Manual for a 2025 release, Dungeon Masters of the acclaimed TTRPG might be excited to finally be able to use their creatures with much smarter strategies and tactics to make more high-octane and fulfilling fights against their players' characters. However, for those who want to wait for the Monster Manual release might want to consider giving other TTRPGs a shot — specifically those with new mechanics such as a post-apocalyptic military survival sim, a full-blown mecha experience, the recreations of an iconic sci-fi horror franchise for tabletop, and a conversion of a hit franchise where players can now become their own Teenagers With Attitude.
1984
Cons
While the backstories ofTwilight: 2000editions differ in their major elements, some plot points remain the same — that at some point during Earth’s history, a catastrophic Twilight War (essentially World War 3) breaks out between the world’s superpowers that plunges the globe into an all-out war for survival. Characters inTwilight: 2000are survivors of said war, with players having to help them navigate an alternate-history Earth where nothing is what it seems.
Compared to other narrative-heavy games, players ofTwilight: 2000editions will appreciate the RPG’s focus on survival mechanics. Whether it’s using the original iteration’s rules or the newer Year Zero Engine, players constantly have to track ammunition and supplies while intricately traversing a hex map. The game is just as compelling in its portrayal of gripping scenarios, with players forced to confront the consequences of stress (something they also track) or choices such as killing a wounded soldier.
2019
Triple ENNIE Award-winningAlien: The Roleplaying Gameis the horror of theAlienfranchise turned into a more personal experience. Set in theAlienuniverse, its titular RPG takes advantage of the straightforward Year Zero Engine to make both character creation and overall gameplay less demanding for fans. To simulate the thrill of having a multi-specialist crew,Alien: The Roleplaying Gameallows players to create a character of different classes — such as the Colonial Marine, Company Agent, Medic, and Scientist - all of which have special Skills and Talents that can only go above a certain level.
Actions create a dice pool that players can roll, with an in-game Stress system that enables them to “reroll” at the risk of their characters becoming mentally unstable. It’s Stress and its underlying implications whereAlien: The Roleplaying Gameshines, as its mechanics count on players eventually over-Stressing themselves to overcome obstacles until the time when it “actually” matters. This is especially the case when facing Xenomorphs, of which there are many different kinds, amid environmental risks such as running out of oxygen, the chance of getting stranded in space, among others. Survival is not guaranteed inAlien: The Roleplaying Game, and with both Xenomorphs and one’s own mortality being enemies players face, true terror is at their midst.
2022
Power Rangers Roleplaying Gamefollows in the same footsteps of other RPGs for other Hasbro IPs, such asG.I. Joe,Transformers, andMy Little Pony. It uses the Essence20 system, an in-house system where Essences (essentially stats) determine a slate of Skills that “rank up” in the form of die-type boosts. Similar to other TTRPGs, Essence20 skill checks require a d20 added to the die type of the Skill in question with Modifiers. Unfortunately, this rather “blank slate” system can make certain mechanics inPower Rangers RPGrather tame in comparison, especially when flavor is involved — something important forthePower Rangersfranchiseconsidering its innate wackiness.
Thankfully, the game does compensate in the form of an interesting conversion of in-franchise concepts into mechanics. Ranger Colors are now represented similarly to “classes,” each with their own bonuses and specializations that grow as players level up. Abilities are broken down into Perks that provide different bonuses as well as Grid Powers that are tied to one’s Ranger Color — the latter of which requires Power Capacity to use, which reflects how characters only use their special weapons differently. Zords can be summoned but have a time limit, which also reflects how they appear in the show.
Set in the distant future after the formation of the galactic Union, which in itself was formed thousands of years after Cradle (Earth) ventured into the stars, the political intrigue among the factions inLancermight make players feel as though they’re about to play a social-heavy RPG instead of a mecha title. And yet, this attention to detail in potential grand scale elements seemingly beingaGundamcallback, is what makesLancerdelight to mecha fans. When players create their characters in the game, they only have to increase a License Level to make progress. Instead of “classes,”Lancerplayers build a Background and possess Triggers — both of which can be invoked in narrative play in a freeform manner likeFATE.
However, it’s in building mechas whereLancershines. Pilots having a separate Mech Skill for specific types of mechs is just the beginning. Aside from being able to choose mechs (and mech parts!) across different types, mechs also come from a variety of manufacturers with wildly different specialties (from generalist, to sleek, tointerdimensionalmechs). As players increase their License Levels, so too can they add more components into their mecha — allowing them to build machines of the same caliber asMechWarrioror as sleek as other mecha-centric anime.
Thanks toAvatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game,players can deep dive into the vast and extensive world ofAvatar: The Last AirbenderandThe Legend of Korraas benders, martial artists, or even technological experts. Set across different time periods, players can take their characters to world-saving adventures, sessions of political intrigue, or help the Gaang defeat the Fire Nation from behind the scenes. As a game that uses the Powered by the Apocalypse system,Avatar Legendsresembles its siblingMasksin terms of a more freeform system.
Unlikeother TTRPGs, balance plays an important role inAvatar Legends. Characters work with four major attributes (Creativity, Focus, Harmony, Passion), all of which offer different abilities depending on the playbooks or templates chosen. Much of the game involves choices that affect a character’s inner balance, where decisions often lean towards conflicting ideals and have technical effects on gameplay. In turn, conflicts aren’t always in the form of combat and may involve more character-driven factors. Due to balancing concerns, the game doesn’t offer the opportunity to play as the actual Avatar — although this can be a blessing for players who want to explore the series’ more ordinary characters.
2015
Unlike other horror games,Ten Candlesby Stephen Dewey is pegged as a tragic horror title rather thana survival horror TTRPG— this is because all characters inevitably die in the story. Hope is the central theme ofTen Candles, and the game equips both the game master and players with everything they need to attempt to succeed. The game is ideally played with ten lit candles, with each candle representing a scene. When situations result in challenges, players (and possibly the GM) roll communal dice to seize narration rights and dictate what happens next. However, losing a conflict will extinguish a candle, ending the scene.
While rolling ties and losing candles will be in the GM’s favor, other mechanics support the players as much as possible. Characters possess Trait Cards that they literally burn and incorporate into scenarios to potentially change the results of a conflict, but losing all of them will result in the death of the user. Scenes also begin with establishing new Truths, or facts about the story that may work in the players’ favor. The more candles lost, the more opportunities are lost to the players: the GMs build their own dice pool, fewer Truths can be declared, and fewer dice are retained for players to use. In the end, all characters die, and a recording they prepared at the start of the game is replayed for anyone who manages to stumble upon their remains.
2020
Players who want the thrill of hunting monsters in a city whose name is lost to time will appreciate the urban fantasy setup ofSlayers. Set in the ever-expanding reach of The City,Slayerscharacters take on the role of at least four Classes (the Blade, Gunslinger, Arcanist, Tactician) that serve as a straightforward template for methods of hunting monsters. Scenarios called Hunts take place in sprawling Districts, all made unique with a variety of NPCs and situations that may pique the interest of a party.
What makesSlayersrather interesting is its Rule of 4+, essentially a system that allows all Classes to approach combat in different ways with an ever-present rule: a roll 4+ is always a hit. This system allows players to become their own self-actualized monster hunters without relying on complex mechanics, ensuring more engaging sessions.Slayersalso has a wide variety of supplements, includingDustwhich reveals a new location and a new Class, as well asDrifterswhich takes the game to a weird west setting.
2002
Comic book fans eager to bring their dream superhero or supervillain to life will appreciate the level of depthMutants & Mastermindswill offer players. Utilizing the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast,Mutants & Mastermindsprovides an interesting take on superpower-themed campaigns while maintaining familiar base mechanics throughthe d20 System as popularized byD&D.The superpowered focus ofM&Mmeans removingD&Dstaples such as Opportunity Attacks and Character Classes, but the game does incorporate new mechanics such as new Skills, Feats, as well as Super Powers that include equipment and gadgets.
Unique toMutants & Mastermindsare mechanics that simulate various aspects of stories revolving around superhumans. Characters begin at Power Level 10, which already provides them with points to allocate to strengthen their abilities - similar to how comic book stories often begin with heroes and villains already getting used to their powers. Damage is based on a damage source’s rank and is compared against a Toughness Save, reflecting how most attacks don’t damage heroes in comic books unless the plot states otherwise. Meanwhile, Hero Points allow players to simulate heroic acts in times of turmoil, with technical benefits such as rerolls and ignoring penalties.
1989
While theShadowrunfranchise is best known forits trilogy of RPGs, all of them are inspired by the coreShadowrunTTRPG. The game is set in a dystopian version of Earth where a magical cataclysm has caused the “return” of magic to society, slowly mutating humans into traditional fantasy creatures. The political-economic collapse that followed this event paved the way for corporations to control much of the known world, relying on Shadowruns or feats of techno-magical industrial espionage to get ahead.
It’s in these Shadowruns that players get involved with the title. Players create humanoids of various origins and specialties that live a life of crime, be it as traditional bodyguards and mercenaries or even specialized deckers that can hack through the setting’s techno-mystical tech. The simplified combat mechanics allow players to fight a plethora of opponents, including agents and monsters, as well as robots, cyborgs, and even AI-esque Intrusion Countermeasures throughout their many missions.
Inspired by the statement of H.P. Lovecraft that the greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, theCall of CthulhuTTRPG is likely the best resource players have for experiences that dabble into the maddening aspects of exploring the primordial. Technically set anywhere, the Lovecraftian RPG allows players to take on the roles of ordinary individuals who are slowly drawn into mystery through various situations. The crux of the gameplay lies in the slow reveals of the horrors of the unknown, where players have to contend with otherworldly forces using mysterious magic, knowledge, and artifacts at the risk of the very Sanity they are working to preserve.
The game’s skill system also encourages continuous usage of a character’s skillset, with their capabilities improving as long as they succeed in using them while in a healthy state. The lack of levels and recovering hit points through conventional “experience” adds a layer of dread to any session, making this perfect for a more horror-inclined experience.
