Collaborative worldbuilding games ask the table to create setting, history, factions, maps, or cultures together. The category fits when making the world is part of play, not just prep before play begins.
13th Age earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. A fantasy role-playing game that synthesizes the tactical depth of traditional d20 systems with narrative-driven elements, enhancing character and story development.
Easy D6 earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. EZD6 simplifies tabletop RPGs into a fast, flexible system that's easy to learn and quick to play.
Apocalypse World belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. The award-winning and critically acclaimed game that launched the Powered by the Apocalypse school of rpg design.
Choose Cairn for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Cairn RPG is an exploration-focused tabletop RPG set in a mysterious, dark forest filled with strange creatures and hidden treasures.
BESM (Big Eyes, Small Mouth) belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. A versatile tabletop RPG that allows players to create and play characters from any anime or manga setting.
Avatar Legends earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game allows players to immerse themselves in the rich world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "The Legend of Korra." This tabletop RPG...
Choose Dread for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Dread RPG is a unique horror tabletop game renowned for its use of a Jenga tower instead of dice to resolve in-game actions, which significantly enhances the tension and...
Bluebeard's Bride fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. An investigatory horror tabletop RPG based on the Bluebeard fairy tale.
Kingdom belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Kingdom RPG immerses players in the creation and governance of a community, exploring leadership and communal decision-making through the "Crossroads" system.
Vaesen belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. A narrative-driven RPG that plunges players into the eerie world of Scandinavian folklore, where ancient entities known as Vaesen lurk hidden from modern society.
Coriolis fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. Embark on a spacefaring adventure in Coriolis, a sci-fi tabletop RPG set in a universe of ancient mysteries and interstellar conflict.
Quest fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A cooperative tabletop RPG where players embark on epic adventures in a fantastical world filled with magic, monsters, and mystery.
Mörk Borg fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A doom metal-inspired tabletop RPG characterized by its dark, apocalyptic fantasy setting and horror elements.
Dungeon World fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A fantasy adventure RPG that brings Powered by the Apocalypse moves to dungeon crawls, quests, and dangerous journeys.
Choose Index Card RPG for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. IndexCard RPG distills fast-paced, adaptable tabletop gaming into a streamlined system perfect for any genre.
Dungeons & Dragons belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Dungeons and Dragons is a foundational fantasy role-playing game where players create characters to embark on epic quests and combat various creatures in a richly...
FATE belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. A tabletop RPG that emphasizes flexible, open-ended gameplay and a strong narrative focus.
Dragonbane belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Dragonbane invites players to embark on epic quests in a mystical world filled with dragons, magic, and treacherous landscapes.
Choose Court of Blades for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Court of Blades immerses players in a world of intrigue, espionage, and political manipulation, where they take on the roles of cunning spies navigating a web of secrets...
Risus earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. A light-hearted, rules-lite RPG that encourages creativity and humor in a wide range of settings and genres.
Choose Neon City Overdrive for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Neon City Overdrive thrusts players into a cyberpunk metropolis teeming with high-tech gadgets, corporate espionage, and neon-soaked intrigue.
Ironsworn earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. A gritty, dark fantasy tabletop RPG that immerses players in a world of iron-willed warriors, ancient ruins, and supernatural threats.
The Magnus Archives fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. The Magnus Archives transports players into a world of supernatural horror, where they investigate mysterious cases and encounter eldritch entities straight out of...
Choose Mausritter for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. A charming tabletop RPG where players take on the roles of intelligent mice adventuring through a medieval world filled with danger and intrigue.
A Quiet Year fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A thought-provoking tabletop RPG where players collaboratively create a post-apocalyptic community struggling to survive over the course of one quiet year.
Choose Ashen Stars for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Ashen Stars plunges players into a vibrant, galaxy-spanning universe as they assume the roles of elite agents battling crime and intrigue among the stars.
Candela Obscura earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Candela Obscura invites players into a dark, atmospheric world where they must navigate complex moral dilemmas and shadowy conspiracies.
Castles & Crusades belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Castles & Crusades immerses players in a nostalgic world of high adventure, monsters, and magic inspired by classic fantasy literature.
Daggerheart earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. From Critical Role’s Darrington Press, Daggerheart blends narrative depth with a unique d12 system—Hope and Fear dice reflect character drives.
Draw Steel fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. MCDM’s Draw Steel reimagines fantasy RPGs with cinematic combat and exploration.
Dream Askew fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A diceless, GMless game about queer community, scarcity, and survival in a dreamy post-apocalyptic enclave.
Dungeon Crawl Classics earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. A throwback to old-school dungeon-crawling adventures, where players plunge into deadly dungeons filled with traps, monsters, and untold treasures.
Choose Everywhen for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Everywhen invites players to embark on an imaginative journey across a multiverse where timelines intertwine and the past, present, and future coexist.
Grimwild fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. Grimwild immerses players in a richly woven, dark fantasy world teetering on the edge of collapse, where nature has taken on a terrifying life of its own.
Choose Legacy: Life Among the Ruins for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. A post-apocalyptic generational RPG about communities, bloodlines, and the long consequences of what survivors build after collapse.
Mage: The Ascension fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. Mage: The Ascension invites players into a modern world steeped in mysticism, where reality is shaped by the will of the awakened—powerful mages who manipulate the fabric...
Microscope earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Microscope invites players to collaboratively construct and explore a vast history across time and space, weaving intricate narratives that span centuries or even...
Monsterhearts belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Monsterhearts invites players into the tumultuous world of teenage desire and supernatural angst, where they embody powerful beings like vampires, werewolves, and witches...
Nobilis earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Nobilis immerses players in a surreal world where they embody the embodiment of divine concepts, each wielding incredible power as an avatar of an aspect of reality.
Perseverant RPG belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. Perseverant is a rules-lite survival story game about desperate journeys through hostile wilderness.
Choose Reign for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. Reign immerses players in a richly detailed, fictional empire where they take on the roles of noble houses vying for power and influence amidst ongoing political...
Shadow of the Weird Wizard belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. A streamlined fantasy RPG refining Shadow of the Demon Lord’s mechanics, Shadow of the Weird Wizard swaps horror for heroic adventure.
Tales from the Loop fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. Tales from the Loop invites players into a nostalgia-soaked 1980s world, where they step into the shoes of kids navigating the wonders and mysteries of a science...
Choose The Black Hack for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. A rules-light tabletop RPG that harkens back to the old-school style of fantasy roleplaying, focusing on fast-paced, deadly combat and streamlined mechanics.
The Black Sword Hack earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. The Black Sword Hack offers players a gritty and visceral experience set in a dark and dangerous world where ancient evils lurk.
The Deep Forest earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Groups that want collaborative play without a traditional GM.
The Dresden Files RPG belongs here when the table wants shared setting creation, not just the label on the cover. The Dresden Files RPG immerses players in a modern urban fantasy world filled with supernatural intrigue, where they take on the roles of wizards, changelings, and other...
Choose The Midnight World for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. A darkly atmospheric tabletop RPG that plunges players into a hauntingly beautiful realm where nightmares and reality intertwine.
Troika! earns this tag by making worldbuilding authority matter during play. Is a fantastical tabletop RPG set in a bizarre and surreal world where players travel through the mystical Catlands in search of their destinies.
Whitehack fits collaborative worldbuilding because it gives players tools to define the setting rather than only explore it. A rules-light tabletop roleplaying game that combines old-school charm with modern game design.
Choose Wushu for collaborative worldbuilding play when you want shared setting creation. An exhilarating tabletop RPG that immerses players in the high-octane world of martial arts, encapsulating the vibrant action and drama of classic kung fu films.