As tabletop RPG fans, we’re living well right now. There’s a smorgasbord of incredible games out there to play, and more people than ever interested in playing with you. But all those options mean it can be tough to choose which system to try next, and doubly so come Black Friday, when there are loads of great offers on loads of great titles (as shown by the current Black Friday board game deals, or the overload of D&D Black Friday deals). Here I present some of my favourites that I think are absolutely worth picking up in the sales, and though there are a lot more than five I’d love to introduce to your library, these are the ones that I think a lot of groups can get a lot out of.
As with anything, the cost-benefit analysis is something to consider with tabletop RPGs (or TTRPG, for short). I know a lot of my players love horror, so I get a lot of mileage out of games in that genre, but your group may vary. Ultimately, the Black Friday sales are just a fantastic opportunity to pick up something new, lose an evening devouring systems and settings, and have fun with your friends with the best tabletop RPGs.
Happy gaming!
Sale or no sale, you should pick up Delta Green. In my opinion, it's a shining example of a TTRPG that knows exactly what it wants to accomplish, and does so with aplomb; it’s one of my favourite role-playing games, if not my favourite.
In Delta Green, the Handler (e.g the Game Master) leads the players’ agents through mythos-infused mysteries that blend horror, investigation, conspiracy, and the loss of the self to the unending battle against the weird and wicked. It’s the gnarly episodes of the X-Files, basically.
The system is relatively easy to pick up, built on the percentile BRP framework (Delta Green was originally a Call of Cthulhu spin-off, now its own game), and it shines particularly in the Bonds mechanic, which tracks an agent’s mental deterioration through their relationships with their loved ones, adding to the sense of personal corruption that comes from battling cosmic horrors. If you’re a GM looking to introduce your group to horror, this would be a fantastic starting place, partially because the threshold for player buy-in is lower.
The game has an incredible catalogue of scenarios to run
That's due to the game typically being set in the modern day, meaning no “Has X been invented yet?” questions, and the characters’ professions giving them reason and clearance to investigate the unfolding horrors. It's also because the game has an incredible catalogue of scenarios to run, both official and fan-made, ranging from one shots to year-long campaigns. Turn down the lights, roll up some in-over-their-head Feds, and have a scary good time!
Free League, the publisher of The One Ring, has an amazing catalogue of titles, and usually a good Black Friday sale. It’s my opinion that you couldn’t really go wrong picking up any of their games. Dragonbane, Alien, Mutant: Year Zero, Mork Borg, Blade Runner, and Vaesen, a personal favourite, all offer great experiences for gamers, but Free League’s crown jewel, for me, is The One Ring. For fans of Tolkien’s books, Jackson’s films, or anyone looking for a D&D alternative, I cannot recommend The One Ring enough. The game perfectly encapsulates the feel of its source material through cinematic but lightweight combat mechanics, a detailed and interesting approach to travel that makes Middle Earth’s distances feel long and dangerous without bogging down gameplay, and a focus on the Fellowship of the player characters that evokes genuine camaraderie whilst also highlighting what makes each culture and calling unique.
A real triumph on Free League’s part
The One Ring can handle brief sojourns into Middle Earth or epic campaigns, and though there is now a D&D 5e supplement for those familiar with it, I’d really recommend trying out the game's true ruleset for the fullest experience as it isn’t an overly complex system but stills offers depth to experienced players.
The One Ring represents a real triumph on Free League’s part, so Fly, You Fools, and go pick this one up in the sales.
Fabula Ultima took home the Best Game award at this year’s Ennies, and it’s not hard to see why; it’s well designed, offers something new, and taps into a crossover with JRPGs that will excite many gamers.
Games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Fire Emblem, all incredibly popular and beloved JRPGs, act as inspiration for Fabula Ultima, which seeks to bring the iconography and feel of those games into the tabletop sphere. For that alone I think Fabula Ultima is worth picking up, especially if you have CRPG players you’d like to draw into pen and paper games, as the familiar-feeling aesthetics and world will make even reluctant role-players consider joining you for an adventure or two.
This game has stunning visuals, an epic high fantasy vibe, and even its own soundtrack
Even experienced gamers will get a lot out of playing Fabula Ultima, as the game incorporates collective world building and player-driven campaigning into its system, both of which take the load off the GM and provide a unique experience for players more used to settings already laid out for them.
If that wasn’t enough, a modular approach to character creation that emphasizes customisation, and a wicked array of monsters in the bestiary, and guidance on creating the arch-nemesis JRPGs thrive on, make Fabula Ultima doubly appealing for those on both sides of the screen. This game has stunning visuals, an epic high fantasy vibe, and even its own soundtrack, so snap Fabula Ultima up in the sales for the ultimate TTJRPG experience.
Magpie Games are an independent publisher that have a slew of really fun games, much like Free League, and although titles like Urban Shadows, Bluebeard’s Bride, and Avatar Legends (based on the awesome animated show, not the blue aliens) all offer exciting experiences to their players. However, my favourite Magpie game has to be Masks: A New Generation.
Masks is a teenage superhero TTRPG that nails the vibe and theme that it’s trying to promote at the table: namely, a super-teen drama akin to Young Justice or Young Avengers. I’ve played a lot of superhero systems and Masks is easily my favourite for a plethora of reasons, chief amongst them the narrative, cinematic, rules-light approach to the super part of superhero that stems from its Powered By the Apocalypse engine, emphasising the drama that is the core tenant of good superhero fiction.
My favourite vehicle for superheroics in TTRPGs
In honesty, there were some elements that dissuaded me from playing Masks at first, mainly that PbtA system (which I’ve grown to enjoy here), and the fact the game focuses on teenagers rather than adults, but after running one of my favourite campaigns using it, Masks is my favourite vehicle for superheroics in TTRPGs. It does what it does so well.
New gamers of all ages will love this, as will experienced players tempted by superhero gaming for the first time, and I even think Mutants & Masterminds or Champions fans will love Masks too for the differences in what it offers to the genre. If you find Masks: A New Generation in the Black Friday sales, pick it up at super-speed.
The world’s oldest roleplaying game has a great number of Dungeons and Dragons books, adventures, and player supplements, and although most of them end up at great prices in Black Friday sales, it’s good to know which to look out for. In my opinion, the sales are a great opportunity to pick up some of the books you may have missed on their initial release, but are well worth diving into.
For me, there aren’t any better examples of this than Eberron: Rising from the Last War and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, both tremendous sourcebooks that offer something unique to players growing weary of goblin slaying in the Forgotten Realms, as well as Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk if you love goblin slaying in the Forgotten Realms.
Keith Baker’s Eberron setting is a masterclass is delivering something unexpected to the D&D table, and allows DMs to incorporate pulp adventure, noir, faction intrigue, magipunk, and cold war conspiracy genres into their fantasy adventures, and draw on a rich world history from an original wide magic (rather than high magic) setting. Eberron was responsible for shepherding the artificer into the latest edition of D&D, and is the quintessential setting to play one in, and along with the Dragonmarked houses offering new player options, both sides of the DM screen will find something to love in Rising from the Last War.
Allows for new genres to be explored, this time in various shades of horror
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is very much the same, whilst being totally different: a new setting dripping in adventure potential that allows for new genres to be explored, this time in various shades of horror. Ravenloft, like Eberron, is really well produced and written, something some have argued is lacking in more recent D&D releases, and any DM will immediately have their imagination running wild just from flicking through this book. The Dark Lords and their unique Domains of Dread are numerous and in such variety that just this book could contain years worth of adventuring for D&D groups, and when they eventually are ready for a change, there’s even a domain tied to Eberron, so you can transition seamlessly into that setting!
Finally, Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is one to watch out for in the sales as well, as it builds upon the now classic fifth edition starter set, Lost Mines of Phandelver, to offer groups that have played it the next step in their journey, though The Shattered Obelisk works standing alone too, making it perfect for new groups just beginning their first D&D adventure together.
So whether you’re looking to mix it up or go back to basics, there'll be plenty of opportunity to do so in these D&D books in the Black Friday sales.
Want more offers? Don't forget to check out the best Black Friday gaming deals so far.
