Good RPG Games in the Pen and Paper Genre

There are many good RPG games in the pen and paper genre. Pen and paper roleplaying games have been around for three decades. In that time, many of the older RPGs have adapted and evolved while other newer RPGs have been developed. Here is a list of several good RPG games that are pen and paper tabletop roleplaying games.

Dungeons & Dragons - Currently on its fourth edition, Dungeons & Dragons is the most widely recognizable pen and paper roleplaying game ever. It was one of the first RPGs ever developed and today remains the most popular around the world, outselling all other games in its category.

Shadowrun - A fusion of cyberpunk, near-future, and fantasy, Shadowrun blends each of these elements into a fantastic roleplaying game. Like D&D, it is currently on its fourth edition. There have been many other games created for this setting, including video games, PC games, and a first-person shooter. There are even rumors of a Shadowrun movie eventually coming out.

Star Wars - Perhaps the most popular space opera roleplaying game, Star Wars is a setting created by George Lucas in the late 70's and early 80's. The Star Wars Saga Edition roleplaying game was created by Wizards of the Coast as the latest creation of Star Wars RPGs. Prior to this, Star Wars saw great popularity under the West End Games logo with the D6 system.

World of Darkness - White Wolf created several games and blended them into a system they called the World of Darkness. These games include, but are not limited to, Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Changling, Wraith, and many more. White Wolf and its World of Darkness games are currently the number two in sales around the world, just behind Dungeons & Dragons.

Call of Cthulhu - An extremely popular roleplaying game based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft. There are many different publishers and game systems that have created games for the Call of Cthulhu setting. Most often the players take the role of people or investigators that are involved with strange occurrences and the occult. They uncover aliens, monsters, and demons that are popular in the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Rifts - A kitchen-sink game Palladium Books, Rifts has it all. The game takes place on an altered version of Earth where different factions have taken over. It includes cyborgs, aliens, magical creatures, psychics, magical spell casters, and many more unusual creatures. There are also rifts that make travel to and from other dimensions possible, making the possibilities for the game endless.

These are just a few good RPG games that are available out there. There are a host of many more great pen and paper roleplaying games available. Roleplaying games are continuing to adapt and evolve with technology and this great hobby continues to innovate and grow.

Samuel Van Der Wall writes about good RPG games at his site, Best RPG Games. Check out the site for articles about console games, PC games, and pen and paper games.

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Top 10 Best Pen and Paper RPG Games

Here is a list of the ten best pen and paper roleplaying games of all-time. Although there is no scientific way to prove the 'best RPG games' ever, this list takes into account the overall popularity of pen and paper roleplaying games since the industry was first created.

10 - Gamma World - It's a post-apocalyptic game, but not in the style of Mad Max. This game fit more into the style of a science fantasy game. You could play all sorts of random mutant creatures, in addition to playing people that were mostly normal.

9 - Vampire the Masquerade - Some may argue which is the best World of Darkness product. But Vampire the Masquerade was the game that put White Wolf on the map. Vampire the Masquerade has also become the number Live Action Roleplaying Game in the world. Go LARP'ers!

8 - RuneQuest - This game was considered as one of the 'Big Three' at some point. The big three being D&D, Traveller, and RuneQuest. It provided a different setting and system than other fantasy roleplaying games at the time.

7 - Champions - Although it may no longer be the most popular comic-themed roleplaying game ever, this game has been around a long time since it was first published in 1981. The game set the stage for many other comic book and super hero related roleplaying games.

6 - Tunnels & Trolls - Right after D&D was T&T. Tunnels & Trolls was the second roleplaying game ever created. The game was created as an alternate, and hopefully easier to play, version of Dungeons & Dragons.

5 - GURPs - The Generic Universal RolePlaying System is able to adapt itself to any game environment. Any setting you can think of has been created for the system. Its creator, Steve Jackson, is one of the most well-known game designers in the industry because of this game.

4 - Star Wars - Based on the movies carrying the same name, the Star Wars Roleplaying Game was first created by West End Games using the d6 system. Eventually it moved on to other companies and saw some play time under the d20 system, and then finally the Saga Edition. It is the premiere sci-fi, or space opera, themed roleplaying game due to George Lucas dominating the minds of nerds all over the world.

3 - Traveller - Not as famous as its other space opera buddy, Star Wars. This game, however, did come out as a roleplaying system before George Lucas's creation did. Traveller was first created in 1977 and has been going strong ever since. The game is definitely considered one of the 'original' RPGs.

2 - Call of Cthulhu - A unique entry into this list. This horror-based roleplaying game is based off of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. There really isn't a popular, comparable game out on the market now. Instead, different gaming companies have chosen to create Call of Cthulhu in a variety of different systems under a variety of different publishers.

1 - Dungeons & Dragons - The most famous pen and paper roleplaying game of all time. This fantasy game still dominates the market with all of its various incarnations, from the original D&D to 4th Edition. D&D creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson are legends in the industry, just as the game itself is.

Some people may disagree with the overall placement of some of these games. Others may ask why certain games are even on here. Why haven't other games been included, like Shadowrun, Robotech, Palladium Fantasy, Rifts, or many newer games? Well, they weren't. This list was created by veteran gamers and apparently they had a little nostalgia in them. So what do you think of the list of best RPG games ever?

Samuel Van Der Wall writes about roleplaying games, miniatures, gaming, and geek culture.  Read more of his articles about the top RPG games at Best RPG Games.

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