List of role-playing games by genre

This is a list of role-playing games, subdivided by genre (although many games do not fit clearly into one genre or another). It does not include computer role-playing games, MMORPGs, or any other video games with RPG elements. Most of these games are tabletop role-playing games; other types of games are noted as such where appropriate.

Fantasy genre

*"Alshard" (Japanese) - fantasy with mecha like Final Fantasy
*"Alshard Gaia" (Japanese) - a contemporary fantasy with Alshard system
*"Amber Diceless Roleplaying" - based on the works of Roger Zelazny
*"Arduin" - The First cross-genre RPG, written by David A. Hargrave
*"Aria"
*"Arianrhod RPG" (Japanese) - MMORPG-like
*"Ars Magica"
*"BattleDragons" Play as dragons in a fantasy world by Spartacus Publishing.
*"The Black Company" Campaign Setting based on the "The Black Company book series by Glen Cook, using the d20 system.
*"Blue Rose" by Green Ronin Publishing
*"The Burning Wheel" - High fantasy
*"Castles and Crusades" - OGL System fantasy RPG published by Troll Lord Games
*"Castle Falkenstein" - steampunk fantasy
*"Chivalry and Sorcery"
*"Les Chroniques d'Erdor", an unusual French RPG of oneiric fantasy using a 54 card game, edited by Boite a Polpette.
* "Conan" (a GURPS version by SJGames, and an OGL System version by Mongoose Publishing)
*"Cursed Empire" (formerly "Crimson Empire", changed its name for trademark reasons)
*"Dangerous Journeys" - created by E. Gary Gygax
*"The Dark Eye" - Germany's most popular RPG, known in Germany as "Das Schwarze Auge"
*"" - by Phil Brucato. Published by Laughing Pan Productions
*"Donjon" - by Clinton R. Nixon
*"DragonMech" - Where fantasy meets mecha!
*"DragonQuest" - a now out-of-print RPG, suppressed by TSR
*"DragonRaid" - a Christian RPG, created by Dick Wulf in 1984
*"Dragon Warriors" - An easy-to-use RPG published in paperback format.
*"Drakar och Demoner" ("Dragons and Demons") - Swedish language game originally published by Target Games, later versions by Riotminds
*"Dungeons & Dragons" - created by Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax, further editions by TSR, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast
*"Earthdawn"
*"Elemental Axes" by Crosstime Games of British Columbia
*"Elfquest" by Chaosium - based on the works of Richard Pini and Wendy Pini
*"Epic RPG" by Dark Matter Studios
*"Elric!," by Chaosium, based on Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné stories
*"Empire of the Petal Throne" - set in M. A. R. Barker's world of Tekumel
*"Everquest" - Pencil & Paper version of the popular MMORPG, Published by White Wolf, Inc.
*"Everway"
*"Exalted"
*"Fantasy Hero" by Hero Games
*"Fantasy Imperium"
*"The Fantasy Trip"
*"Fireborn" by Fantasy Flight Games
*"Furry Pirates"
*"A Game of Thrones" - based on the eponymous fantasy novel
*"HackMaster"
*"HârnMaster/Hârn"
*"High Adventure Role Playing" by Iron Crown Enterprises
*"Hawkmoon" - an addendum to the "Stormbringer" RPG (aka "Elric!")
*"Hero Wars/HeroQuest"
*"In Nomine" - Based on the "In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas" French roleplaying game
*"Ironclaw" - by Sanguine Productions Ltd
*"Jadeclaw" - by Sanguine Productions Ltd
*"Jorune" (or "Skyrealms of Jorune")
* "Legend of the Five Rings Role-Playing Game" - Asian-themed RPG, published by Alderac Entertainment Group
* "Lejendary Adventure", created by Gary Gygax and published by Hekaforge Productions
* "Lone Wolf"
* "Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game" - based on the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien
*"Maelstrom"
*"Man, Myth & Magic" by Yaquinto - RPG drawing on 4000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. Earth legends.
*"Mechanical Dream" by SteamLogic
*"Meikyu kingdom" (Japanese) - members of tiny kingdom's court explore dungeons
*"Middle Earth Role Play" - based on the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien
*"Midgard" - the oldest German fantasy RPG
*"Monastyr" (Polish), "Monastery" by Portal
*"Multiverser" by E.R. Jones and M. Joseph Young
*"" by Louis Porter Jr.
*"Night Wizard!" (Japanese) - wizards in contemporary
*"Nobilis" by R. Sean Borgstrom
*"OSRIC"
*"Palladium"
* "" by Denis Gerfaud (french, "Rêve de Dragon")
* "The Riddle of Steel" by Driftwood Publishing
* "Rifts" by Palladium Games - crossover system
* "RMFRP (Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing)" by Iron Crown Enterprises - fully expandable and customizable rules system
* "RuneQuest" originally by Chaosium, and later by Avalon Hill
*"" by Gold Rush Games
*"Seventh Sea" Swashbuckling Adventure and sorcery by Alderac Entertainment Company
*"Shadowrun" (cyberpunk fantasy)
*"Stormbringer" by Chaosium, based on Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné stories
*"Swordbearer" by Heritage Games and Fantasy Games Unlimited
*"Sword World RPG" (Japanese)
*"Talislanta" by Bard Games
*"Terra the Gunslinger" (Japanese) - western and steampunk, use playing cards instead of dice
*"The Riddle of Steel" by Driftwood Publishing
*"The Slayers d20" by Guardians of Order
*"Tribe 8" by Dream Pod 9
*"Tunnels and Trolls" by Flying Buffalo
*"Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay" by Games Workshop
*"Weapons of the Gods" by Eos Press - a wuxia-style game based on the manhua comic of the same name.
*"The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game" - based on The Wheel of Time novel series by author Robert Jordan
*"Wiedźmin" (Polish) by MAG (game)
*"World Of Warcraft" by White Wolf -- a roleplaying game book based on the popular computer game by Blizzard
*"World Tree" -- roleplaying in a high-magic, highly civilized world populated by many sentient species, none of them human.

cience fiction genre

*"2300 AD" by GDW
*"Aftermath!" (1981) - by Fantasy Games Unlimited
*"A I F" - free SF rpg by NastiDyne
*"Albedo RPG" - Based on the furry comic book series, "Erma Felna" by Steve Gallacci
*"Alternity" by TSR
*"Battlelords of the 23rd Century" by SSDC, Inc.
*"Blue Planet" by Biohazard Games
*"Conspiracy X" by Eden Studios, Inc. - aliens, UFOs, and government coverups
*"C°ntinuum" - time travel adventure
*"Cyberpunk 2020" by R. Talsorian Games; based on the mirror shades authors
*"Cybergeneration" by R. Talsorian Games (alternate setting for Cyberpunk 2020)
*"Cyberspace" by Iron Crown Enterprises
*"d20 Future" by Wizards of the Coast
*"Darwin's World" by RPGObjects
*"Doctor Who RPG" - based on the BBC television series
*"Dragonstar" - blend of science fiction and fantasy
*""-post-apocalyptic western.
*"Etherscope"
*"Ex Machina"
*"EXO" (Spanish - By Ediciones Sombra)
*"Fading Suns"
*"Fringeworthy" by Tri Tac Games
*"" by Tri Tac Games
*"Gamma World" by TSR
*"GURPS Cyberpunk" by Steve Jackson Games
*"Halcyon" by Neuwerld Studios
*"Heavy Gear" by Dream Pod 9
*"Incursion" by Tri Tac Games
*"Jovian Chronicles" by Dream Pod 9
*"Judge Dredd" by Games Workshop
*"Judge Dredd" by Mongoose Publishing
*"Legionnaire" by FASA (Standalone roleplaying game for the Renegade Legion universe)
*"Living Steel" by Leading Edge Games - Futuristic game on the world of Rhand. Power armor galore.
*"The Mechanoid Invasion" by Kevin Siembieda
*"MechWarrior" by FASA - set in the BattleTech universe, current edition is called "Classic BattleTech RPG"
*"Mekton" - by R. Talsorian Games (based on Anime Mecha science fiction)
*"Metabarons Roleplaying Game by West End Games (based on Metabarons comic)
*"Metamorphosis Alpha" (1976)
*"The Morrow Project"
*"Multiverser" by E.R. Jones and M. Joseph Young
*"Mutant" (Target Games)
*"Mutant Chronicles"
*"Neuroshima" ("Polish") by Portal
*"Paranoia" - a satire of dystopian futures
*"Pax Draconis" by Technicraft Design - a detailed rules heavy space opera with a percentile system
*"Phoenix Command" by Leading Edge Games
*"Prime Directive" by Task Force Games
*"Reich Star" by Simon Bell and Ken Richardson (1991) as Creative Encounters. Fight Nazis in space.
*"Rifts" by Palladium Games - crossover system
*"Ringworld" by Chaosium - based on Larry Niven's Ringworld novels
*"Second Coming" by K. Gilbert (Futuristic fun with mutants, aliens, psi-corps and humans.)
*"Serenity" by Sovereign Press, based on the television series "Firefly" and the film "Serenity".
*"Shadowrun" (cyberpunk fantasy)
*"Shatterzone"
*"Jorune/Skyrealms of Jorune"
*"SLA Industries"
*"Space 1889" by GDW - Victorian Era Sci-Fi (steampunk)
*"Spacemaster" - the SF adaptation of Rolemaster
*"Space Opera" - by Fantasy Games Unlimited
*"Star Frontiers" by TSR
*"Stargate SG-1 (RPG)" by AEG
*"Star Hero" - the SF adaptation of Hero Games' Hero System
*"Starship Troopers (role-playing game)" - Based on Starship Troopers (novel), the films Starship Troopers (film) (1997) and Starship Troopers 2 (2004), and TV series . Created by Mongoose Publishing.
*"Star Trek RPG"
*"Star Wars" - the D6 System ancestor published by West End Games
*"Star Wars" - the D20 System version published Wizards of the Coast
*"Star Wreck Roleplaying Game" - Based on the Star Wreck fan film series.
*"Squawk" - is about intelligent archosaurs in another star system, by the Game Arts Guild.
*"Tales from the Floating Vagabond"
*"Time Lord — Adventures through Time and Space," a Doctor Who RPG
*"Tokyo NOVA" (Japanese) - cyberpunk
*"Transhuman Space"
*"Traveller" - by GDW, Marc Miller
*"Trinity" - by White Wolf
*"Twilight 2000" by GDW (1984)

Horror genre

*"All Flesh Must Be Eaten" - Zombie survival horror game by Eden Studios, Inc.
*"Beyond the Supernatural"
*"" by Tri Tac Games
*"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - based on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV show by Eden Studios
*"Call of Cthulhu" - based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft
*"Chill"
*"Deadlands: The Weird West"
*"Dead Inside" - A small-press RPG where the characters attempt to rebuild their lost souls through selfless and noble actions (and get superhuman powers along the way)
*""
*"Kult" - A Swedish game of Kabbalistic origins; The tag line is "Death is only the beginning", and the game is widely perceived as one of the darkest RPGs ever created.
*"Little Fears" - The Roleplaying Game of Childhood Terror
*"My Life with Master" An independently-published comic horror game.
*"Nephilim" by Chaosium
*"Nightbane"
*"Over the Edge"
*"Unknown Armies"
*"The Whispering Vault" - an RPG about god-hunting
*"WitchCraft RPG" by Eden Studios
*"World of Darkness" product line by White Wolf Game Studio
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*"World of Darkness (new)" new product line by White Wolf Game Studio
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**"Orpheus (role-playing game)"

atire/humor genre

*"Bunnies and Burrows"
*"Fanhunter" Spanish game based on the series of comics of the same name
*"Ghostbusters RPG" based on the Ghostbusters film series.
*"HackMaster"
*"Human Occupied Landfill"
* "In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas" (french) by Croc ("Siroz") (satirical gang and spy wars involving angels and demons in the contemporary world)
*"Macho Women with Guns"
*"Murphy's World
*"Ninja Burger"
*"Pandemonium"
*"Paranoia"
*"Pokéthulhu"
*"Risus"
*"Shab-al-Hiri Roach", which could also fit in the horror category.
*"Tales from the Floating Vagabond"
*"Teenagers from Outer Space," an anime based RPG.
*"Toon" - Cartoon adventure inspired by the classic cartoon series from Warner Brothers and MGM
*"TWERPS"

uperhero genre

*"Aberrant" by White Wolf
*"Adventure!"
*"Big Bang Comics"
*"Blood of Heroes"
*"Brave New World"
*"Capes"
*"Cartoon Action Hour" by Spectrum Games
*"Champions" by Hero Games
*"City of Heroes" by Eden Studios, Inc., the tabletop companion to the City of Heroes MMORPG.
*"DC Heroes" by Mayfair Games
*"DC Universe Roleplaying Game" by West End Games
*"Double Cross" - Superhero whose powers brought from virus (Japanese)
*"Godlike": Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946
*"Golden Heroes" by Games Workshop
*"GURPS Supers" by Steve Jackson Games
*"Heroes Unlimited" by Palladium Games
*"Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game" by Marvel Publishing Group
*"Marvel Super Heroes Role-Playing Game" by TSR
*"Mutants and Masterminds" by Green Ronin Publishing
*"Omlevex"
*"Silver Age Sentinels" by Guardians of Order
*"Superworld" by Chaosium
*"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness" by Palladium Games - based on the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic books.
*"Trinity (role-playing game)"
*"Underground" by Mayfair Games
*"Villains and Vigilantes" by Fantasy Games Unlimited
*"Wild Talents"
*"With Great Power..."

Contemporary action/espionage/adventure

*"d20 Modern" by Wizards of the Coast
*"Feng Shui" - based on Hong Kong martial arts movies
*"James Bond 007" by Victory Games - based on the James Bond books and films
*"Merc 2000" ("Twilight 2000" updated for the post-Cold War '90s)
*"Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes"
*"Ninjas and Superspies" by Palladium Books - martial arts and espionage adventure
*"Recon" by Palladium Books - Vietnam War adventure
*"Spycraft" by Alderac Entertainment Group - espionage adventure
*"Top Secret" by TSR - espionage adventure

Period adventure/alternate history genres

*"Adventure!" - Pulp adventure by White Wolf
*"Boot Hill" - TSR - Wild West adventure
*"Bushido" - samurai RPG
*"d20 Past" by Wizards of the Coast
*"Dark Continent" - colonial African horror
*"Deadlands: The Weird West"
*"Dogs in the Vineyard" - loosely based on the Mormon State of Deseret in pre-statehood Utah by Lumpley Games
*"Draug" - Norwegian RPG set in medieval times based on the FUDGE engine.
*"Dzikie Pola" ("Wild Fields"), a set in 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
*"En Garde!" - Duellists from 17th century France published by Game Designers' Workshop and SFC Press.
*"Fantasy Imperium" - An Interactive Storytelling Game of Historical Fantasy by Shadowstar Games, Inc.
*"Forgotten Futures"
*"Gangbusters" by TSR - 1930s urban crime adventure
*"Godlike": Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946
*"Hollow Earth Expedition" by Exile Games - Pulp adventures in the Hollow Earth
*"Indiana Jones (role-playing game)" by TSR - based on the Indiana Jones films
*"Justice, Inc." by Hero Games - 1930s Pulp fiction oriented adventure
* "Miles Christi" (french) - (Crusades and knights Templar)
*"Pendragon" (or "King Arthur Pendragon") Arthurian legend
*"Space 1889" by GDW - Victorian Era Sci-Fi
*"" -Historical fantasy set in Tibet circa 1959 during the Chinese invasion. Vajra Enterprises.
*"Twilight 2000" by GDW(1984)
* "Valley of the Pharaohs" by Palladium Books

Universal role-playing systems

*"Active Exploits"
*"Amazing Engine"
*"Basic Role-Playing" by Chaosium
*"Big Eyes, Small Mouth" by Guardians of Order - anime based RPG
*"CORPS" by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
*"d6 System" - West End Games' in-house system, based on the Star Wars RPG
*"d20 System" - based on Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition rules
*"EABA" by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
*"FATE" - Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment based on the FUDGE engine
*"Fastlane" - Fastlane, by Twisted Confessions, the only roleplaying game to use the roulette wheel
*"FUDGE" - Free, Universal, Do-it-Yourself Gaming Engine by Steffan O'Sullivan
*"Fuzion"
*"GURPS" - Generic Universal Role Playing System by Steve Jackson (US)
*"Hero System" by Hero Games
*"JAGS" - Just Another Gaming System (JAGS-2, a compatible rules-medium version is an open game under the FDL)
*"Masterbook" by West End Games
* "OGL System" by Mongoose Publishing
*"Phoenix Command"
*"Risus"
*"Savage Worlds"
*"Storyteller System" - published by White Wolf, Inc uses D10 only. System used in both WoD's and the Trinity Universe
*"TORG" - published by West End Games
*"Tri-Stat dX - universal system used in Big Eyes, Small Mouth"
*"True20" - Published by Green Ronin Publishing
*"TWERPS"
*"Unisystem" by Eden Studios, Inc.
*"Worlds of Wonder" by Chaosium
*"Wushu"
*"Zen and the Art of Mayhem"

ee also

* List of Japanese role-playing games by genre