Contributors: [user=ladyseed]Madeline Turnipseed[/user], [user=galatea]April-Lyn Caouette[/user], Lisa Eldred, Anna Stallcup, Cameron Franklin, & Zach Carpenter
This article was originally published on June 25, 2019 at https://lovethynerd.com as part of our Tabletop RPG week.
Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) are enticing to any child at heart. Who among us didn’t play pretend with our friends growing up? How about a little more pretend, but with a few rules? But maybe a 300-plus page player's handbook is not your idea of fun on a Saturday evening, or you’re looking for something slightly more accessible. Love Thy Nerd has you covered with fifteen board games we think will slake your thirst for adventure if you’re not quite ready to surrender to the siren song that is TTRPGs.
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Above and Below
Above and Below
Euro-style games and roleplaying encounters may not sound like a likely combination, but Above and Below brings these two concepts together in a way that adds flavor and nuance to both. While some of your villagers will build your above-ground dwellings and harvest crops, others are skilled enough to explore caverns below-ground. Their encounters are read out of a storybook and could net you coin, supplies, or even new villagers to further expand and explore. If you like the idea of having adventures more than building a Euro-style village, check out the sequel Near and Far which replaces the village with campaign elements and map-based adventuring.
- Madeline Turnipseed
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Before There Were Stars
Before There Were Stars
Improvising a story on the spot and sharing it with other people can be intimidating, but Before There Were Stars makes it easy and takes away a lot of the stress. 3–6 players take turns rolling six-sided dice and using them to select cards depicting imaginary constellations such as "The River" or "The Thief." They then use those cards to craft creation myths using prompts like "In the beginning..." and "At the dawn of civilization..." Each of the four segments of every player’s story is only 30–60 seconds long, and at the end of the game players are given the opportunity to share their favorite parts of each other’s stories. Every time I’ve played I’ve loved seeing people begin the game uncertain, and end the game surprised and delighted by their own—and each other’s—capacity for imagination. This is a great introduction to the improvisational storytelling that makes tabletop RPGs come alive.
- April-Lyn Caouette
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Investigators on the ground floor in Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill
You are one of six explorers, locked in a haunted house. The first half is simple: explore on your own to reveal rooms with events, items, or omens that may raise or lower your stats. Halfway through the game, you’ll reveal the Haunt, a specific story where one of you has turned traitor and the rest have to work together to escape your doom. Betrayal at House on the Hill, also available with a Widow’s Walk expansion, a Baldur’s Gate-themed standalone, and a legacy version, is a great, lighthearted introduction to story-based gaming, stats-based die rolling, and dungeon crawling... even if it does encourage you to go against the roleplaying adage, “Don’t Split the Party.”
- Lisa Eldred
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Call to Adventure
Call to Adventure
Sometimes the idea of roleplaying games is enticing, but the idea of coming up with a character and backstory is daunting. While there are numerous pre-made characters on the internet, Call to Adventure takes the task of character development and turns it into a game. Each player is dealt cards that illustrate their origins, motivations, and destinies. They will develop their backstories by casting lots (lots!) whose results will determine whether they succeed and add that piece to their story or fail and must attempt another adventure. Players can attempt to gain story cards based on their existing skills, challenges that they feel would fit best with their existing story, or a combination of the two. At the end of the game, each player will have an interesting character that would be welcome in any TTRPG adventuring party.
- Madeline Turnipseed
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Chronicles of Crime
Chronicles of Crime
If your uncle enjoys Clue or your mom watched every season of CSI, Chronicles of Crime is sure to get their attention. It is a race against the clock in this mystery solving tabletop game with a twist. Search crime scenes, interrogate witnesses, expose scandal, thwart corruption, and of course solve murder mysteries. It utilizes a tabletop setup of QR based character, clue and location cards, combined with an intriguing VR experience. While the box recommends 1–4 players, you are really only limited by the number of seats in your space. All of your decisions are based on your collaborative deduction skills, giving every person at the table a role in solving these mysteries. The engaging subject matter, rich story, cooperative problem-solving and lack of player limit make Chronicles of Crime a non-intimidating introduction to the world of tabletop roleplaying.
- Anna Stallcup
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Swarms of undead in Dead of Winter
Dead of Winter
Every good zombie story eventually has to deal with the question: “Who are the monsters: the zombies or the people?” Dead of Winter presents zombies as a massive, though predictable, threat with the players trying to manage the risks in order to maximize the rewards all while one player may be a traitor. Each player uses dice to determine the success of their actions. This system helps players to learn to look at characters in roles with some better at fighting and others being better at exploring to find needed resources. Dead of Winter also features a system called the "Crossroad Cards" which can provide interesting decisions for the players or give context to characters in play. These cards can help to provide great ideas for character backstories and encounter ideas for GMs.
- Cameron Franklin
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Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a whole roleplaying game in a box. It comes with hundreds of scenarios, character and enemy miniatures, game board, environment pieces, and so much more. Gloomhaven is a mix of roleplaying game and card/deck management game. Each scenario you play lets you choose which two cards you'll play from your hand. One card lets your character move and another does some form of attack. You must work with your fellow players to work together to complete the goal before you run out of cards. Further, you are not just playing a linear story. Like a roleplaying game, you and your team can choose what scenarios you will take on. Will you help or work against the lady who hired you to get an item for you? Will you help the poor homeless boy find his cat or brush him off? Each choice has effects that shape your game of Gloomhaven and can even lead to new player classes you could play. Be warned, it costs around $100. However, it will take you and your friends MANY hours to complete the game and you're getting over 2,000 components. An organizer is highly recommended. Apart from these two drawbacks, Gloomhaven is an amazing game that is a great gateway to deeper roleplaying games.
- Zach Carpenter
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HeroQuest
HeroQuest
HeroQuest is long out-of-print, but it’s a classic that was my own gateway to tabletop RPGs—if you see it for cheap at your local thrift store or yard sale, it’s worth picking up! One player takes on the role of the evil sorcerer Zargon, who controls all the monsters and oversees one of fourteen quests, revealing more of the scenario as the adventurers explore the board. 1–4 other players take on the roles of adventurers (Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, and Wizard), searching for treasure and traps, fighting off monsters, and working towards the goal of that quest (such as recovering a specific treasure or killing a boss monster). Everything Zargon needs to run each quest is summarized concisely in two pages in the Quest Book. It may not be an amazing game by today’s standards, but it’s a fun, no-fuss introduction to some of the core concepts in D&D and similar games. (Plus, the miniature doors and furniture and monster figures are just fun.)
- April-Lyn Caouette
***
Check back next week for Part 2, or read the whole list now at lovethynerd.com
[hr]
Madeline Turnipseed is Assignment Editor at Love Thy Nerd. She lives in Texas where she takes care of people, plays games, watches, reads, writes, and makes things.
April-Lyn Caouette is the Chief Resource Nerd and Managing Editor for LTN. She grew up playing tabletop games with her family and whatever terrible computer games she found in the bargain bin at Radio Shack. As an adult her love of all things nerdy has only grown, and now she’s excited to be able to join them together with her love for God to serve both the church and her fellow nerds. Her favorite things include tabletop gaming, reading, Sailor Moon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and Arkham Horror. She lives in Southern California.
Anna Stallcup has been loving her personal nerd since 2008. She enjoys co-op tabletop games and hosting game nights with her husband.
Cameron Franklin is an avid consumer of geek culture and enjoys games of all kinds. He especially loves Kingdom Hearts, PlayStation, and Magic the Gathering. You can find him on his podcast 1 Geek 4:11, writing about Magic for Flipsidegaming.com, and @HUmarWhitill across social media.
Zach Carpenter is a youth pastor at Valley Shepherd Nazarene, in Idaho. He loves God, his wife, his children, video games, board games, and being up to date on anything techy. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ZachWCarpenter.
This article was originally published on June 25, 2019 at https://lovethynerd.com as part of our Tabletop RPG week.
Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) are enticing to any child at heart. Who among us didn’t play pretend with our friends growing up? How about a little more pretend, but with a few rules? But maybe a 300-plus page player's handbook is not your idea of fun on a Saturday evening, or you’re looking for something slightly more accessible. Love Thy Nerd has you covered with fifteen board games we think will slake your thirst for adventure if you’re not quite ready to surrender to the siren song that is TTRPGs.
Above and Below
Above and Below
Euro-style games and roleplaying encounters may not sound like a likely combination, but Above and Below brings these two concepts together in a way that adds flavor and nuance to both. While some of your villagers will build your above-ground dwellings and harvest crops, others are skilled enough to explore caverns below-ground. Their encounters are read out of a storybook and could net you coin, supplies, or even new villagers to further expand and explore. If you like the idea of having adventures more than building a Euro-style village, check out the sequel Near and Far which replaces the village with campaign elements and map-based adventuring.
- Madeline Turnipseed
Before There Were Stars
Before There Were Stars
Improvising a story on the spot and sharing it with other people can be intimidating, but Before There Were Stars makes it easy and takes away a lot of the stress. 3–6 players take turns rolling six-sided dice and using them to select cards depicting imaginary constellations such as "The River" or "The Thief." They then use those cards to craft creation myths using prompts like "In the beginning..." and "At the dawn of civilization..." Each of the four segments of every player’s story is only 30–60 seconds long, and at the end of the game players are given the opportunity to share their favorite parts of each other’s stories. Every time I’ve played I’ve loved seeing people begin the game uncertain, and end the game surprised and delighted by their own—and each other’s—capacity for imagination. This is a great introduction to the improvisational storytelling that makes tabletop RPGs come alive.
- April-Lyn Caouette
Investigators on the ground floor in Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill
You are one of six explorers, locked in a haunted house. The first half is simple: explore on your own to reveal rooms with events, items, or omens that may raise or lower your stats. Halfway through the game, you’ll reveal the Haunt, a specific story where one of you has turned traitor and the rest have to work together to escape your doom. Betrayal at House on the Hill, also available with a Widow’s Walk expansion, a Baldur’s Gate-themed standalone, and a legacy version, is a great, lighthearted introduction to story-based gaming, stats-based die rolling, and dungeon crawling... even if it does encourage you to go against the roleplaying adage, “Don’t Split the Party.”
- Lisa Eldred
Call to Adventure
Call to Adventure
Sometimes the idea of roleplaying games is enticing, but the idea of coming up with a character and backstory is daunting. While there are numerous pre-made characters on the internet, Call to Adventure takes the task of character development and turns it into a game. Each player is dealt cards that illustrate their origins, motivations, and destinies. They will develop their backstories by casting lots (lots!) whose results will determine whether they succeed and add that piece to their story or fail and must attempt another adventure. Players can attempt to gain story cards based on their existing skills, challenges that they feel would fit best with their existing story, or a combination of the two. At the end of the game, each player will have an interesting character that would be welcome in any TTRPG adventuring party.
- Madeline Turnipseed
Chronicles of Crime
Chronicles of Crime
If your uncle enjoys Clue or your mom watched every season of CSI, Chronicles of Crime is sure to get their attention. It is a race against the clock in this mystery solving tabletop game with a twist. Search crime scenes, interrogate witnesses, expose scandal, thwart corruption, and of course solve murder mysteries. It utilizes a tabletop setup of QR based character, clue and location cards, combined with an intriguing VR experience. While the box recommends 1–4 players, you are really only limited by the number of seats in your space. All of your decisions are based on your collaborative deduction skills, giving every person at the table a role in solving these mysteries. The engaging subject matter, rich story, cooperative problem-solving and lack of player limit make Chronicles of Crime a non-intimidating introduction to the world of tabletop roleplaying.
- Anna Stallcup
Swarms of undead in Dead of Winter
Dead of Winter
Every good zombie story eventually has to deal with the question: “Who are the monsters: the zombies or the people?” Dead of Winter presents zombies as a massive, though predictable, threat with the players trying to manage the risks in order to maximize the rewards all while one player may be a traitor. Each player uses dice to determine the success of their actions. This system helps players to learn to look at characters in roles with some better at fighting and others being better at exploring to find needed resources. Dead of Winter also features a system called the "Crossroad Cards" which can provide interesting decisions for the players or give context to characters in play. These cards can help to provide great ideas for character backstories and encounter ideas for GMs.
- Cameron Franklin
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a whole roleplaying game in a box. It comes with hundreds of scenarios, character and enemy miniatures, game board, environment pieces, and so much more. Gloomhaven is a mix of roleplaying game and card/deck management game. Each scenario you play lets you choose which two cards you'll play from your hand. One card lets your character move and another does some form of attack. You must work with your fellow players to work together to complete the goal before you run out of cards. Further, you are not just playing a linear story. Like a roleplaying game, you and your team can choose what scenarios you will take on. Will you help or work against the lady who hired you to get an item for you? Will you help the poor homeless boy find his cat or brush him off? Each choice has effects that shape your game of Gloomhaven and can even lead to new player classes you could play. Be warned, it costs around $100. However, it will take you and your friends MANY hours to complete the game and you're getting over 2,000 components. An organizer is highly recommended. Apart from these two drawbacks, Gloomhaven is an amazing game that is a great gateway to deeper roleplaying games.
- Zach Carpenter
HeroQuest
HeroQuest
HeroQuest is long out-of-print, but it’s a classic that was my own gateway to tabletop RPGs—if you see it for cheap at your local thrift store or yard sale, it’s worth picking up! One player takes on the role of the evil sorcerer Zargon, who controls all the monsters and oversees one of fourteen quests, revealing more of the scenario as the adventurers explore the board. 1–4 other players take on the roles of adventurers (Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, and Wizard), searching for treasure and traps, fighting off monsters, and working towards the goal of that quest (such as recovering a specific treasure or killing a boss monster). Everything Zargon needs to run each quest is summarized concisely in two pages in the Quest Book. It may not be an amazing game by today’s standards, but it’s a fun, no-fuss introduction to some of the core concepts in D&D and similar games. (Plus, the miniature doors and furniture and monster figures are just fun.)
- April-Lyn Caouette
Check back next week for Part 2, or read the whole list now at lovethynerd.com
[hr]
Madeline Turnipseed is Assignment Editor at Love Thy Nerd. She lives in Texas where she takes care of people, plays games, watches, reads, writes, and makes things.
April-Lyn Caouette is the Chief Resource Nerd and Managing Editor for LTN. She grew up playing tabletop games with her family and whatever terrible computer games she found in the bargain bin at Radio Shack. As an adult her love of all things nerdy has only grown, and now she’s excited to be able to join them together with her love for God to serve both the church and her fellow nerds. Her favorite things include tabletop gaming, reading, Sailor Moon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and Arkham Horror. She lives in Southern California.
Anna Stallcup has been loving her personal nerd since 2008. She enjoys co-op tabletop games and hosting game nights with her husband.
Cameron Franklin is an avid consumer of geek culture and enjoys games of all kinds. He especially loves Kingdom Hearts, PlayStation, and Magic the Gathering. You can find him on his podcast 1 Geek 4:11, writing about Magic for Flipsidegaming.com, and @HUmarWhitill across social media.
Zach Carpenter is a youth pastor at Valley Shepherd Nazarene, in Idaho. He loves God, his wife, his children, video games, board games, and being up to date on anything techy. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ZachWCarpenter.