Even though the gaming world of today is inundated with video games and we are moving into the realm of virtual reality with the gaming experience becoming more and more realistic, there continues to be a loyal fan following for non-electronic RPGs.
It’s not just people of my generation, who are in their middle-age now, that are still hooked to them. A lot of youngsters too are devoted to them. The reason is not hard to grasp. These games are a great way for friends to bond with each other. While it is much more convenient to hammer away at a joy stick then go through the intricate processes of gameplay in a non-electronic RPG, the use of your brain and manual control of characters and gameplay does have its own charm.
Because of the continuing popularity of these type of games, there are new ones still coming out in the market. While they may not have achieved the popularity and the cult status of games like Dungeons and Dragons yet, they are providing new gaming experiences. Here are details of some of those new games that I find most appealing.
Blades In The Dark
This game is special because it has a unique dark theme which lovers of gothic fiction would find very appealing. It brings together elements of horror, 19th century urban fiction and crime fiction.
Each players has his own playbook and their character is one of the many archetypal ones available in the storyline. All the player characters have to come together and form a crew to accomplish the goal of becoming more powerful in the underworld or gaining territory or getting new boons. There is a communal character sheet for the whole crew as well and they have to progress in a way that conforms to the archetypal narrative.
Adventures In Middle Earth
This game is based upon JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth and is located, timewise, between the period of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Those familiar with the rules of the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons will find it easy to play this game as it is fully compatible with the rules of that game.
What the game does is to take the basic mechanics of D&D 5th edition and give them a new twist to suit this setting. So, the barbarian is replaced by slayer, treasure hunter by rogue, etc. Instead of spells, there are now class abilities and virtues.
Delta Green
If you don’t want to wander in imaginary world of past or future, then try Delta Green with its contemporary setting. It belongs to the very successful Call of Cthulhu series.
The game is about a secret US government organisation. The players are agents and the game master a handler. The agents have to improve themselves by acquiring new weapons, legally or illegally while also keeping their sanity intact. The combat is less drawn out and more about tactics. The combination of a modern setting and unnatural horrors makes this game special.