Best tabletop RPGs 2024: Must-have adventures you need to try

There's never been a better time to get started with the best tabletop RPGs (or 'TTRPGs'). thanks to the likes of Critical Role, Stranger Things, and a certain Baldur's Gate video game, the hobby is more popular now than ever. Plus, there are games to suit pretty much any interest, genre, or style at the moment. Want a supernatural mystery like the X-Files? Not a problem. A zombie apocalypse? Sure thing.

Actually, the level of choice can be slightly overwhelming. That's why we've rounded up the very best tabletop RPGs here to point you in the right direction. While some of these choices will be familiar, a few won't... and that's the joy of the best TTRPGS - discovering something new.

Not sure what you're in the mood for? Check out our advice on how to choose the right tabletop RPG for you. That's because we've been hands-on with all of the tabletop RPGs listed on this page. As we mention in the 'how we test' section later on, our writers and editors will only ever recommend something that they've played themselves - if they don't love it, it's not getting into the guide.

Written by

Written by

Benjamin Abbott

Benjamin's been writing about tabletop RPGs professionally for over four years, and has been running games for almost as long.

Best tabletop RPGs - quick list

Want to start rolling dice as quickly as possible? No problem - here's a quick rundown of all the best tabletop RPGs. To find out more, simply click on the link below each entry.

Best tabletop RPG overall

What you need to know: For many gamers, 'tabletop RPGs' and 'D&D' mean the same thing. And that's hardly surprising. Besides being one of the oldest games in the business, it's also the most popular. Particularly now – there's been a resurgence of interest thanks to shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role. Basically? It should be your first port of call if you want that traditional pen-and-paper experience.

Although they have their flaws, you can't overemphasize how much of an impact Dungeons and Dragons books have had on the industry either; they're the gold standard in terms of classic roleplay, world-building, and mechanics. Plus, the franchise has built a wealth of content to explore with infinite possibilities on-tap. Want to make your way through dusty old tombs or travel the stars in a Jules Verne-style space adventure? You can do that. Yes, other TTRPGs are better at specific things like roleplay, stealth, or combat, but few provide as well-rounded an experience as D&D. 

How it works: Unlike the best board games, there aren't just players of the game – you also have a 'Dungeon Master' who acts as a referee and storyteller for everyone else. They're responsible for setting the scene, describing what happens, judging rules, controlling non-playable characters, and running enemies in combat. Think of it like an interactive ghost story (the kind told around a campfire at night, where it's all about atmosphere) and you won't be far off.

Once you've decided what species your character is going to be (ranging from the familiar to the weird), you'll assign scores to attributes like Strength and Charisma. You'll then settle on a 'class.' These are real classics, and almost every other RPG has nicked them in the decades since D&D launched. You know the kind – we're talking warriors, rogues, and wizards.

Gameplay: Almost every action you can take in D&D involves rolling dice – normally a 20-sided one, known as a d20. Whenever you want to do something (be it picking a lock or crossing swords with a bandit), you'll roll one of those dice and add your character's relevant attribute score to the result. If you beat a target number decided by the Dungeon Master, you've succeeded! If you fail... well, things might get ugly.

The result is an elegant and intuitive system. Sure, other games are easier to understand and handle specific aspects better. But generally speaking, D&D's a good all-rounder with lots of versatility. It's easily the best-supported option out there as well, so you'll never struggle for something new to play or someone you can play it with. And even if it wasn't,  D&D is crammed with worldbuilding material that will help you make your own adventures.

The bottom line: D&D is seen as the quintessential tabletop RPG for a reason – it's one of the best. While competitors nail the specifics better than a jack-of-all-trades like Dungeons & Dragons can, few can match its scope or support.

It offers a solid grounding that'll serve you well if you decide to try something different, too. A lot of the rules you'll encounter here share DNA with many of the suggestions listed below. 

• Read more: Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set review

Best tabletop RPGS: For beginners

What you need to know: If you're new to the best tabletop RPGs and have no idea what you should do with a d20, this clever system by Runehammer is a great place to start. Designed with accessibility in mind, Index Card RPG is about getting into the action as quickly as possible. You won't need to dust off your math skills in order to play, either; its mechanics are streamlined and emphasize ease-of-use.

How it works: The book simplifies actions by consolidating tasks into categories that always use the same kind of dice. This results in much less rules-confusion where players pause the game so they can look up how much damage a particular attack should do. (We can never remember which dice are used for certain weapons in D&D, so not having to scan spreadsheets is a blessing in our eyes.) When combined with no-fuss character creation and a straightforward health system inspired by video game 'hearts', you can be playing Index Card RPG in an impressively short amount of time.

Much of that comes down to the book's conversational tone; it's much easier to read than other TTRPG tomes. 

Gameplay: Its accessibility doesn't mean Index Card RPG is boring. this doesn't mean it's boring. Instead, its classes feature clever twists to help them stand out alongside left-field player options like ghosts carried within a suit of robotic armor. What's more, it's home to not one but five settings (the fantasy-themed Alfhiem, starship-focused Warp Shell, supernatural western Ghost Mountain, superhero romp Vigilante City, and prehistoric Blood and Snow). 

No matter where your adventures take place, your sessions will run smoothly and even the greenest greenhorn can get involved. This game jettisons a lot of the faff and needless minutiae that can bring games crashing to a halt, so everyone can focus on having a good time instead.

The bottom line: Besides being one of the most accessible tabletop RPGs, Index Card is one of the most flexible. Its system can be used for almost anything you're able to dream up, and that makes it a great example of everything this hobby is about.

• Read more: Index Card RPG review

Best tabletop RPGs: Sci-fi

What you need to know: You don't have to know Starfinder is the sci-fi followup to Pathfinder to enjoy it. You just have to like laser swords and ship combat and strange alien species and, ideally, a wee bit of fantasy mixed in with your sci-fi. 

How it works: Starfinder uses a familiar array of stats to modify your usual D20 attack and ability rolls, but also leaves the door open to bringing in space dwarves or cosmic elves if you can't stand to roleplay without them. However, even if you want your campaign to feel like Pathfinder or D&D in space, new ideas like character themes (which emphasize your place in the galaxy, not just how you fight) and the health/stamina system ensure that Starfinder plays like a game that can stand on its own two feet.

Gameplay: While its rulebook weighs in at a very dense 500-odd pages, Starfinder is fairly easy to get into. You don't necessarily need to learn everything before setting off for the stars, either; it takes a refreshing mix-and-match approach. 

Its mechanics (which find their roots in Pathfinder) also keep things moving quickly – if you're familiar with d20 games like D&D, you'll feel right at home. There are just enough new additions via shields, energy weapons, and spaceship combat for it to really differentiate itself, though. Plus, a vast array of new species and cultures provide a fascinating universe to explore that seems far more established than it actually is.

The bottom line: If you'd rather go cosmic with laser guns and starships like the Millennium Falcon than slogging it on horseback across the medieval countryside, Starfinder is ideal. It manages to nod at beloved franchises such as Star Wars or Star Trek while still carving out an identity of its own.

Best tabletop RPGs: Fantasy

What you need to know: There's a reason why Tolkien's work continues to be the framework for (and inspiration of) countless fantasy settings today; it exemplifies everything great about the genre. And although capturing its tone can be tricky, this system from Free League passes that test with flying colors. Whether it's flawless production design using Tolkien's signature red notifs, a reluctance to go overboard with monsters and magic beyond the books' scope, or elaborate pencil illustrations that look like they've been stolen from the sketchbook of Alan Lee, The One Ring nails Middle-earth in every way that counts.

How it works: In a development that D&D or Pathfinder players will appreciate, The One Ring's mechanics are elegant and easily understood. Along with dividing skills into three categories (Strength, Heart, and Wit), they all feature clear 'Target Numbers' that you have to beat when rolling for a challenge. This makes things very straightforward even if you've never played a tabletop RPG before.

Gameplay: Sure, it's lacking in pre-written adventures at the time of writing (there's only the starter set and one dedicated book of adventures, 'Tales From the Lone-Lands'). But there's more than enough material on-hand to create your own adventure. The beginner box and core rulebook are as stuffed as a hobbit's larder with details on the northern kingdoms of Middle-earth, so you won't ever be struggling to find inspiration.

What's more, its emphasis on roleplay and fellowship over combat or magic make it feel very true to Tolkein's vision. The One Ring doesn't use Middle-earth as a costume; it's dedicated to what makes it so beloved the world over.

The bottom line: This is an evocative and surprisingly accessible way into one of the most popular settings in fiction. If Tolkein were still with us, we suspect he'd approve of this tabletop RPG.

• Read more: The One Ring Starter Set review

Best tabletop RPGs: Crime

What you need to know: If any game epitomizes 'grunge,' it's Blades in the Dark. Set within a suitably gritty city in the grips of its own industrial revolution, this tabletop RPG puts all of its eggs into the basket of ne'er-do-wells who lie, steal, and cheat their way to a payday they didn't earn. Plus, it takes place in a metropolis trapped under eternal night and filled with ghosts of the dead who can't leave. That helps it stand out from the crowd – there's nothing quite like this.

How it works: Blades is one of the more focused games on this list. Rather than trying to do a bit of everything, it zeroes in on the criminal underbelly in one particular city. It also strips away mechanical bloat for an experience that's incredibly fast-paced. Namely, it doesn't let you get bogged down with plans or endless what-ifs before a job. Instead, whoever's running the session asks a few questions and creates a dice pool using those answers. They then run the mission based on roll results, with extra details being added in-medias-res through flashback scenes. It's zippy and engaging, thrusting players into the thick of the action before they've had time to orient themselves.

Gameplay: The best tabletop RPGs can get bogged down with talk of what a party should do before an event (be it a fight, theft, or something more ambitious), and that brings gameplay to a grinding halt. But Blades in the Dark doesn't have that problem. It gets down to brass tacks as soon as possible, and players will have to think on their feet when things inevitably go sideways. You don't even need to worry about modifiers or bonuses; everything boils down to the result of d6s (a six is a success, for instance). The better your character is at something, the more dice they roll. That means even a newcomer can get into the swing of things before long.

It's true that some Game Masters will struggle with Blades in the Dark's emphasis on improvisation (it's highly likely that you'll need to pivot away from your prep due to the party's unorthodox methods), but that can result in something truly invigorating. You really don't know what'll happen next, and thanks to mechanics revolving around gang rivalries, mistakes – and successes, for that matter – have consequences.

The bottom line: We could spend a great deal of time waxing lyrical about how good this game is, but that'd require a lot more space than we have in this list. So, here's the long and short of it – you should definitely add Blades in the Dark to your collection. 

Best tabletop RPGs: Horror

What you need to know: You don't 'win' in this adaptation of the horror franchise; you just survive. And even then, your odds aren't great. As a certain android once said, "I can't lie to you about your chances. But you have my sympathies."

How it works: Alongside a simplified d6 system that isn't difficult to grasp, the Alien RPG leans into the stress and tension of the original series. As an example, its 'cinematic mode' offers pre-generated characters in a high-lethality scenario where you're likely to die a sudden, and very unpleasant, death. Because these poor souls come with conflicting objectives as well (like covering up Weyland-Yutani's faults or capturing a sample), roleplay is even spicier than usual. Who do you trust? If you're used to being a near-invulnerable paragon of good in D&D, it's a breath of fresh air.

Gameplay: The nihilistic, against-all-odds mentality of Alien is alive and well in this tabletop RPG. Actually, it's one of the best translations of the source material on shelves right now. This isn't an adventure of derring-do or indestructible heroes; it's a desperate last stand where you're hopelessly outgunned, and that makes for an unusually compelling – not to mention terrifying – adventure. 

Crucially, the xenomorphs it revolves around really are perfect killing machines. Being able to survive an encounter with one (even the smaller, more vulnerable variety seen throughout Aliens) is an achievement. In short, you can forget about going toe to toe with them – they'll almost certainly win, and it won't be pretty.

The bottom line: As our review points out, "knowing beforehand that characters can and will die frees both designers and players to make full use of horror elements." This game is laser-focused on its goal of creeping you out, so we can't recommend it enough for fans of being spooked.

• Read more: Alien: The Roleplaying Game review

How we test the best tabletop RPGs

• Every tabletop RPG is played multiple times
• Our sessions include a variety of players
• We judge on longevity, accessibility, and plain old fun

The GamesRadar+ team is made up of passionate TTRPG fans, so our writers will only ever spotlight games they genuinely think are worth celebrating. To be featured here, those games need to jump through a few hoops.

To begin with, we spend as much time as possible learning how these tabletop RPGs work to gain an all-round understanding of what sets them apart from the competition. Is the system easy to understand, and does it achieve what it sets out to do? Does another game do the same thing better, or worse? Is there a twist on established conventions? We then dive into playtest sessions with a variety of player counts so that we can gauge how the experience differs.

We're not just focusing on good old-fashioned fun, though. Our experts also consider the quality of components and artwork alongside how easy the rules are to understand. If a game doesn't excel in all these departments, it doesn't get onto our list of the best tabletop RPGs.

For more, you can read up on how we test with a deep dive into our process.

How to choose the best tabletop RPGs

If you can't decide what you want or simply feel overwhelmed by the level of choice, don't panic - there are ways to narrow things down. To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions: 

Best tabletop RPGs: FAQ

For more recommendations, be sure to check out the best board games, must-have board games for adults, and essential board games for 2 players.