Tabletop role-playing games have reached an all-time high in popularity. Turns out, there’s a certain appeal about rounding up a group of friends together to go through an adventure while chucking dice in the process. For over half a century, the juggernaut of the genre has been none other than Dungeons & Dragons, designed by Gary Gygax and made super-popular through Critical Role, Stranger Things, multiple feature films, and countless other media. While the latest iteration of the fantastic game might be the best it’s been in years, you’re missing out if you haven’t stopped to consider its alternatives. Whether you’re looking for a lighter rules systems, different settings, or an entirely different concept, there has never been a better time to explore other RPG systems. Here’s a quick rundown of a few of the best out there.
Mork Borg
Have you ever felt that D&D was getting a bit too cozy? Maybe the sometimes-crunchy rules for combat drag down the flow of the game. Maybe you just want to roll up a complete scumbag of a character and D&D’s ruleset don’t really facilitate that. Well, Mork Borg just might be for you! A rules-lite system that owes more to the Old School Renaissance (OSR) movement of RPG design that aims to recreate rules similar to the original editions of D&D, Mork Borg puts a unique spin on setting and atmosphere. Inspired by the extreme tone of Doom Metal album covers and music, the game has players roll up a scumbag of a character with little hope of surviving in a doomed plane. I’d highly recommend it to fans of the dark fantasy genre, Darkest Dungeon, and other grim games. However, if fantasy’s not your bag, give its spin-off Cy_Borg a try, as it amps up the violence and chaos of a game like Cyberpunk 2077 to 11.
