Baldur’s Gate 3has raised the bar in more ways than one. Earning itself an incrediblywell-deserved Game of the Yeartitle from TheGamer, it’s easy to forget that Baldur’s Gate’s roots come from a mixture of video games and tabletop.
Pen and Paper RPG systems have tried numerous times over the years to break into the gaming market, resulting in both success and failure. However, with none so far quite reaching the lofty heights of Baldur’s Gate, it’s well past time to revisit some of these tabletop franchises and give them the adaptations they deserve.
10World Of Darkness
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The World of Darkness has already had some adaptations thanks largely to Vampire: The Masquerade being one of the IP’s most popular systems. However, the setting possesses more than just opportunities to play as bloodsucking creatures of the night. Systems for supernatural hunters, mages, and werewolves all exist within the scope of World Of Darkness.
What is perhaps the World Of Darkness’s most unique asset is its setting. A gothic spin on ourmodern world, it has the potential to offer an RPG experience in a way that few other video games have even tried.
9Call of Cthulu
Although the famous H.P. Lovecraft work has lent its name to several different games over the years, these have all largely been based on the actual mythos of the acclaimed horror author. And while the tabletop RPG certainly wears its literary inspiration on its sleeve, Call Of Cthuhlu focuses less on recreating famous horror tales and more on making your own.
The idea of investigating supernatural mysteries is thrilling and only gets more engaging when friends are introduced into the mix. A multiplayer system like the one in Baldur’s Gate 3 would be perfectly suited to combing a scene for clues and offering some much-needed companionship when the inevitable cosmic horrors begin to appear.
8Shadowrun
Magic. Neon Lights. Cybernetics. Shadowrun is a universe that takes the appeal of several different traditional settings like fantasy and cyberpunk, culminating in a fascinating setting filled with everything from political intrigue to gang wars to dragons. Shadowrun has seen gaming adaptations with titles like Shadowrun: Hong Kong and Shadowrun: Dragonfall, but the isometric view offered by these fails to do justice to the rich and unique setting Shadowrun has on offer.
This perspective is also used for the majority of Baldur’s Gate 3; however, the cinematic sequences and third-person angle utilized in conversations help make the setting feel more alive. Seeing locations all along the iconic Sword Coast rendered so beautifully serves to prove just how visually impressive Shadowrun renditions of Berlin, Hong Kong, and Seattle could be.
7Deadlands
If the critical success of games like Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 or Desperados 3 shows anything, we need more games set during the Wild West. And Deadlands isn’t just content with any cowboy story, as its themes make it comfortably sit in the criminally underutilized weird west genre. Boasting gunslingers alongside magic and undead, Deadlands possess a highly unique setting ripe for all kinds of adventure.
In all of the well-deserved praise heaped onto Baldur’s Gate 3, one asset sometimes overlooked is how well Larian adapted the 5e rules to make the system work outside of a tabletop. Such a deep understanding of the mechanics would be essential when crafting a game out of Deadlands, as it boasts a stylized system that utilizes playing cards, dice, and poker chips to make for an even more immersive experience.
It’s no secret that gamers love to visit that far, far away galaxy of Star Wars. The franchise has seen dozens of entries over the years, including the highly praisedJedi: Fallen Order. Where Edge of the Empire distinguishes itself from other Star Wars games is in its freedom. Like any true RPG, Edge of the Empire offers fantastic amounts of agency when it comes to creating and playing characters.
Although Baldur’s Gate 3 largely abandoned D&D’s famous alignment system, this served to heighten player choice, forming the idea that the player truly can alter the events of the plot. If a video game adaptation of Edge of the Empire was handled similarly, it could just be the experience Star Wars fans have been looking for since 1977.
5Legend Of The Five Rings
To the uninitiated, tabletop games are often daunting thanks to their extensive rule sets, which invariably require lots of reading. Legend Of The Five Rings does little to alter this notion, with extensive amounts of source material and rulebooks to get through. However, those willing and able to learn the systems are rewarded by a rich setting and a roleplaying experience unlike others on the market.
Legend of the Five Rings brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table, not the least of which is a focus on Eastern mythology and culture, which helps it stand apart from the much more common Western, Tolkien-inspired fantasies that are most often seen. Given that Baldur’s Gate has acted as a gateway for so many new fans to get into D&D, a video game set in the world of Legends of The Five Rings could be just what the tabletop needs to encourage a whole new wave of fans.
4The One Ring
Down from Five Rings to just one, The One Ring takes players to one of the most recognizable fantasy settings of all time: Middle Earth. Throughout the years, there have been many attempts to capture various aspects of the iconic franchise, from the action-packed Shadow of Mordor to the more strategy-oriented The Battle For Middle Earth. Though The One Ring does account for battles large and small, it captures two other themes vital to Lord of the Rings.
Adventure and companionship. It’s safe to say that Baldur’s Gate 3 would not be the game it is without a lineup of memorable characters to embark on your quest with. The One Ring invites players to do the same, building a fellowship all their own.
3Blades In The Dark
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From being a no-nonsense merc in the streets of Night City to robbing Los Santos banks in broad daylight, it’s no surprise that games don’t always have their players on the right side of the law. And with a cover strangely evocative of the classic immersive sim Thief: The Dark Project, Blades In The Dark is clear from the outset it won’t be tolerating any goody two shoes.
With systems built to have not just the players but their gangs rise through the ranks of a dank underworld, Blades In The Dark exists as the perfect foundation for players to embrace their mischievous sides. Given that folks have expressed regret overjust how hard it is to be bad in Baldur’s Gate 3, Blades in The Dark could be that outlet to let loose those evil RPG urges.
2Masks: A New Generation
When it comes to playing RPGs, being the hero is par for the course. However, there are criminally few games that aren’t just about being any hero, but a superhero. This is the mindset behind the superpowered tabletop RPG Masks—a game wherein the youthful heroes of Halcyon City forge their epic destinies.
What makes Masks truly stand out, though, is not just its capacity for day-saving antics but also how it portrays drama. With the most recent Baldur’s Gate 3 difficulty update rewarding those who get into the roleplay, it proves that systems encouraging players to portray their characters according to the way they were built can prove to be highly successful.
1Kids On Bikes
Whether it’s players to the distant future or a fantastical new land, at the end of the day, tabletop RPGS, at their core, are vehicles to explore imagination. And what better way to invoke such a concept than to transport players to their youth, as is the case for Kids On Bikes. With themes inspired by the likes of The Goonies and Stranger Things, Kids On Bikes scales down the typical adventure to something more local.
It’s always fun to escape to worlds of fantasy like in Baldur’s Gate, but sometimes the contemporary holds its appeal. There’s something unique and refreshing about switching out the spider-filled ancient ruins of fantasy for the 1980s aesthetic of Kids on Bikes that cements it as a certifiable vibe.
