The What, How and Why of TTRPG and RPG Games: Article
RPG Games are Role Playing Games. These are games in which you play a character on a quest to accomplish something. Sometimes the quest is a large challenge like fighting a dragon and winning a lot of treasure, sometimes it’s just to keep growing your farm or start a little village.
RPGs are different from traditional, more linear game structures because your decisions impact the game and can change the story in an RPG whereas other games have a specific series of events you need to accomplish in order to get to the end.
So when you are explaining the meaning of RPG it all comes down to player choices being able to influence the world.
What RPG means
When you are playing a game, whether it’s a tabletop role playing game (TTPRG) or a computer game, RPGs should always allow players to change the story by having their actions matter.
In terms of computer games, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPGs) are a good example of this. Their open world allows hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions of folks from all over the world to live in a shared online environment and impact one another.
And in terms of TTRPGs, arguably one of the biggest role playing games is Dungeons and Dragons. While there are pre-written campaigns, guides, worlds and even one-shots, the player’s decisions impact the game significantly.
Why play RPGs and TTRPGs?
Role Playing Games allow a different kind of gaming experience. Typically it lasts longer than other kinds of games because you need to spend time in the world to grow and cultivate your character.
RPGs allow a more immersive experience and they are often played in groups which includes a social element.
TTRPGs allow much more influence on the world than computer-based RPGs because there are people behind every aspect of it, including storytelling. When you sit around a table together playing a role playing game you truly tell the story together. Each character brings something to the story that just cannot be recreated in a computer game.
What TTRPG should I play next?
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If you haven’t yet played D&D then do yourself a favour and play it. Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role playing game that is wildly popular globally. You can start for free just using the Basic Rules. The system takes a little bit of learning but when you are familiar with it you can use it to tell just about any story. There are also a mountain of source books and interesting new worlds and stories to explore. Typically the games tend to be fantasy, particularly high fantasy, but there are a lot other genres to explore in the world too.
We also highly recommend Monster of the Week if you like horror. It’s easy to get into, very easy to start playing and has a small but active community. It’s a TTRPG version of tv shows like X Files, Buffy, and Dresden Files.
If you love the idea of space horror then check out the TTRPG game of Alien. Based on the popular films, these games allow you to be a crew of space ship or outpost when things begin to go terribly wrong. The character mechanics are easy to understand and done in such a way that it’s really easy to run a fun one shot with deep character stories.
Blades In The Dark is the game to get if you want to play a daring scoundrel who is seeking your fortune. If you love the idea of an industrial fantasy city with occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, heists and chases then look this one up. This game also has an active online community with a lot of passion.
If you enjoy horror that is reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft then Call of Cthulhu is something you need in your life. It’s a game of unravelling dark secrets, mysteries and horror. The chances of survival are slim but the ride is exciting.
Do you want to play an angsty teenage monster? If so then Monsterhearts is your go-to. You have dark secrets and you live in the hormone fuelled world of teenagers. It’s an easy game to get into and a fun game for those who love to role play.
The world of cybernetics awaits. You have plugs in your body, chips in your brain and you are ready to take on the dark streets, gangs or even corporations. If this appeals then you should try a Cyberpunk game. One of the more popular ones is Cyberpunk Red.
Do you want to be a pirate in a world of undead skeletons, fantasy horror, rum and Kraken? Whether you want it to be scary or ridiculous, Pirate Borg is an absolute blast to play with an easy set up. We love this game.
Kids on Bikes is also really easy to get into and play. The players are a group of kids in a small town investigating a mystery. If you want to play a game that is like Stranger Things or The Goonies then this is a great system for that. We really love the mundane items, backpacks and bikes as the gear the kids have to work with.
Vampire the Masquerade is a little more complicated and time-consuming to get into than most of the games on our list. But for those who love the idea of political intrigue between ancient lineages, and the battle for vampire supremacy then this game is worth looking into. This one is good for longer campaigns.
What Computer RPG should I play next?
Some of the Best RPG Games for PC or online are listed here with a brief description. Worth noting is that many of them are free to play but items, money and certain areas are unlocked when you pay for them.
Guild Wars is one of the most popular fantasy RPGs. You start off playing a hero from Ascalon, a region that is typical for fantasy games. Ascalon has fallen on hard times because of assaults by creatures called charr. Not only do you get to be a hero and go on quests. You also get to do player vs player fighting in arenas.
Runescape is another of the more popular fantasy RPGs for PC and Android. It allows you to play across platforms and to start for free. Unlike many of the other games, you can train in a range of fighting types instead of being boxed into just one kind of fighting style like melee, ranged or magic.
Lord of the Rings Online allows players to make a character and explore the world that Tolkien imagined in his books. With entire regions to explore and interact with, you can spend a ton of time in this world. It is free to play with certain updates and areas being paid for.
Neverwinter is the Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG. You get to play as a D&D character in the world of the Forgotten Realms. There are ongoing storylines and large areas in which you can live and interact. If you love D&D and want to play without the scheduling issues then this is a pretty good alternative.
World of Warcraft now offers you a free game start, up to level 20. Then you need to buy the game. The game itself gets mixed reviews with folks either loving or hating the game. But with the dragon flight expansion, there seems to be a renewed excitement for this high fantasy.
We hope you enjoyed our thoughts on The What, How and Why of RPG and TTRPG Games.
