I was really into TTRPGs in college, but it’s been about ten years since I’ve had a stable group to play with. I’ve run a bunch of one-shots since then, mostly using systems I was already familiar with, and I’ve also played a D&D 5e campaign through Discord, but playing online just isn’t my jam.
Now my wife says a couple of people from her work would like to try the whole RPG thing. The safe bet would probably be a 5e one-shot, but I don’t like D&D or D&D-clones all that much. My usual go-to is Chronicles of Darkness, but I enjoy getting into new games, so I decided to ask what the new hot stuff is that everyone is talking about.
About ten years ago, people wouldn’t stop talking about Powered by the Apocalypse and Forged in the Dark, but that stuff didn’t really gel with my group at the time. Maybe I should give those games another try, though I’m not sure they’d work all that well with new players. I generally prefer urban fantasy or weirdo high-concept stuff.
Do you have any suggestions?
So, there are a couple key leading design movements.
In mainstream spaces (i.e. 5e D&D-adjacent) you have a new generation of games with a focus on well-tuned tactical combat and trying to tie in more narrative mechanics for non-combat scenarios. These games are generally similar in complexity to D&D 5e, albeit with higher optimization ceilings. Examples: Pathfinder 2e, Daggerheart, Draw Steel, Lancer. I would also slot Fabula Ultima here even if the tactical combat isn’t spatial in nature.
In indie spaces, you have a lot of post-PbtA microgames, where the idea is to riff on an established mechanic with bespoke material for capturing a specific vibe. The 24XX movement is a key example. Really, any of these can be picked up and played with little prep, you just have to find something that you like. You also have diceless (and often GMless) games based on Belonging Outside Belonging, which are super narrative heavy and based on collaborative storytelling. Jenna Moran’s games (Nobilis, Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, etc…) are also a major precursor to this movement, but Jay Dragon’s games (Sleepaway, Wanderhome, Yazeba’s Bed and Breakfast) are probably the most notable modern examples.
The other major indie movement is the New School Renaissance (NSR) movement, which is derived from the Old School Revival/Renaissance (OSR) movement. While the OSR movement was mainly about recapturing what was perceived to be lost modalities of play (generally based on a nostalgia for Basic/Expert D&D), NSR games take the core mechanical aspects of the OSR and apply them to more diverse genres and themes. Mothership and Mork Borg are the biggest games in this space, with a mountain of 3rd party support, but games based on Into the Odd (Bastionland, Cairn, Mausritter, etc…) are also a major current.
In addition to these design movements, you still have a lot of stable currents as well, including PbtA/FitD games, trad games published by legacy publishers (Onyx Path, Arc Dream, Chaosium, Free League, Pelgrane Press, Green Ronin, etc…) as well as a fair number of 5e-clones/hacks.