If you’re looking for a fantastically fun activity with your family and friends, but you don’t want to venture out into the world, then we’re bringing you the best tabletop role-playing games of 2021.
Pulling out your old connect four or monopoly sets may be an easy option, but it’s also a boring option that isn’t going to last long, and then you’re back to watching TV and not talking or interacting with anyone. So the better alternative is to get a great, fun, and interactive tabletop role-playing game so you can spend hours or multiple days playing and connecting with people.
So, let’s get started on our top picks of the best TTRPGs available in 2021.
Dungeons and Dragons – 5th Edition
“A limitless fantasy world for every player”
Dungeons and Dragons is probably the most well-known tabletop role-playing game that’s ever been created. But don’t worry, they’ve been keeping it updated for exciting new experiences and to introduce it to a new world of players.
In D&D, you can create your character to be anything you want; you will form a party with other players and go on adventures to explore and solve problems in a fantasy realm that your dungeon master has created.
If you prefer, you can buy supplemental adventure packs for Dungeons and Dragons so that you can keep adventures fresh and exciting. You can even buy D&D gift sets for your kids, grandchildren, or even friends you want to introduce to the game.
So this game is really about choice, and it molds to the players in the current game, rather than pushing you into specific scenarios or tasks that you must perform.
Probably the most interesting new addition to the 5th Edition is that it’s become a lot more inclusive. There has been a specific shift by the authors to include more than just young white men looking to fight dragons. So the new edition is well worth a retry if you tried and didn’t like it before.
Call of Cthulhu – 7th Edition
“A horror survival mystery adventure”
Players have enjoyed Cthulhu since 1981, and now in 2021, we’ve got the 7th edition that continues the legacy as a fun horror mystery game.
This game is not for people looking for battles or war; it’s a mystery where you are an average person in our current (but darker) world. You must play detective to solve some of the horrifying things in the fantasy world, such as occultists and other dark entities.
Like D&D, you can buy supplemental adventure packs to enhance and extend the game, especially if you want to play in specific scenarios or locations.
Blades in the Dark
“Criminal adventures in Victorian England”
If you’re tired of playing the good guy, consider Blades in the Dark, where you and your friends play scoundrels or criminals in the underworld of Victorian England.
In this criminal adventure game, you will pick what type of criminal you will be and then band together with your friends to pull off heists. Of course, you’ll then need to deal with the consequences, where other crime bosses want to take you out, or the police are coming after you.
There’s also a supernatural element with ghosts roaming the city, and if you die, you can even continue to play as one of the ghosts.
Cyberpunk Red
“Fighting to survive in a dystopian future.”
If you loved Blade Runner or Altered Carbon, then Cyberpunk is the perfect game for you, flinging you into a dystopian world that you’ll need to survive.
It’s another game where you won’t necessarily be the hero but potentially the anti-hero. Your team of adventurers will be made of thugs, criminals, and just people trying to survive in a future filled with technology and problems if you’re not in the upper class.
Legend of the Five Rings
“Ancient Japanese mythological adventure and action”
If you’re looking to dive into the world of samurai and ancient Japanese mythology, then this is a perfect game for you. You don’t have to be a samurai; you can also be a monk, a magic welding priest, or even a spy.
Your goal in this game will be to battle with other clans, face monsters, and ultimately become the most powerful player. A lot of emphasis goes towards building your character, and there are some unique features such as different dice used for different tasks or scenarios.
When rolling the dice, you pick from one of the five elements that your five dice represent, so if you’re trying to be stealthy, you may want the earth die; if you’re trying to be powerful or fast, then something like the fire die would be a better option. So there is a lot of strategy even in just rolling the dice.
Conclusion
We’ve given you five of the best tabletop role-playing games of 2021 so that you can make a selection that’s right for you. There are so many TTRPG’s available, with new options and new supplemental adventure packs coming every day, it’s tough to sort through and pick one. However, consider some of the more well-known options that many people love and have continued for years as they’ll be a great option to start with and then extend your adventures.
