Tabletop RPGs are always fun. They allow you to slip into the life of a fictional character and craft incredible stories with your friends. The classic go-to Tabletop RPG has always been Dungeons and Dragons. However, it can be daunting to get into D&D, and it is also best suited for long-term campaigns. These ongoing adventures can often be quite time-consuming and require months of commitment.
For those that are new to the idea of roleplaying but are unsure if it is the right fit for them, there are plenty of one-shot adventures out there. Alongside this, these games are also great options for experienced groups that are eager to take a break from their usual, more serious campaign. These simple tabletop RPGs are easy to learn, quick to set up, and always ensure a fun time for all involved. Most importantly, these games only last one single session, and then it is over.
Fiasco
Fiasco is a roleplaying experience that requires no Game Master. Instead, three to five players can create their very own Coen Brothers-style movie within two to three hours of play. From beautiful romances to shocking betrayals, the possibilities for the story in this game are endless. You can use one of the book’s pre-made playsets or create one of your own to try.
Using a collection of six-sided dice, players create their very own characters, developing their backstories and creating vital links between one another. Once all of their characters are intertwined and their personal goals have been established, the movie can begin.
One by one, each player gets the chance to put their character into the spotlight, acting out a scene where they strive to achieve something. With Fiasco dealing out curveballs and dramatic revelations throughout the game, each session can lead to chaos. However, it is effortless to get invested in the story right away, with everyone capable of introducing new elements and twists into the narrative.
Honey Heist
Honey Heist is a fantastic and hilarious one-shot to play with your friends. In Honey Heist, you all play as criminal mastermind bears attempting to pull off the greatest heist in history. It’s a ridiculous setup that allows for crazy antics as you try to juggle your life as a bear and a criminal. However, lean too close to one side or the other, and you lose the game.
Honey Heist is incredibly simple to both run as the Game Master and to play as a bear. The setup for the heist can be randomized entirely using the provided tables. Players can also randomize their chosen bear, even selecting a fancy hat to wear. Beyond this initial setup, players roll a D6 to determine if they succeed in any action they attempt. It is a joy to get lost in this game with simple rules and see how the heist spirals out of control.
Someone Has Died
Someone Has Died is a card game that takes a morbid situation and turns it into a hilarious roleplaying experience. In Someone Has Died, unsurprisingly, someone has died. However, they have left behind something valuable, and you and your friends are determined to convince the Estate Keeper that you are the most deserving of this inheritance. The game lasts around 30 minutes, and with a variety of ridiculous cards, no experience is the same.
One person will take on the role of the Estate Keeper, attempting to keep order within the proceedings. They determine the identity of the deceased, how they died, and the fortune that is up for grabs. The rest of the group are given an identity, a backstory, and an explanation of their relationship with the deceased. You use these cards to determine how you will be roleplaying and then get lost in the hilarious debates that ensue.
Microscope
Microscope focuses on worldbuilding but still provides plenty of opportunities to improvise and roleplay throughout. In Microscope, you are creating a timeline of events. You first determine a set of rules about what can and cannot exist in the world you are building. Then, you decide on a beginning and ending point to your timeline. This might be the rise and fall of a specific civilization, but the possibilities are endless.
As the game progresses, you get the chance to add entire periods, critical events in history and even act out specific scenes to determine how they impacted the world you are all creating together.
During your turn, anything you add into the world instantly becomes canon to the story. It is incredibly satisfying and allows everyone to feel as if their contributions are just as significant as everyone else’s. The game can go on for as long as you desire. A bonus of this mini-RPG is that the world and timeline you create could even be used as a starting point for a more long-term roleplaying experience, such as a homebrewed D&D world.
Roll For Shoes
Roll For Shoes has a straightforward mechanic to get to grips with. When you want to do something, you roll a D6 for your Do Anything skill. If your roll is higher than the Game Master’s opposing roll, you achieve that goal. Alongside this, if you roll a six specifically, you will unlock a new skill related to the action you attempted to complete. This skill will allow you to roll more dice next time.
Beyond players coming up with a character idea and the Game master planning out a quick story, no more preparation is necessary. Instead, you unlock more and more oddly specific skills along your journey and get to have fun role-playing any scenario thrown at you. This game is perfect for playing out silly scenarios while shaping a character right in the middle of gameplay.
The Quiet Year
The Quiet Year is an amazing tabletop game that focuses on building a community collaboratively with your friends. In it, two to four players will design a map that tells the tale of a year in the life of a small civilization. You do not play a specific role during this RPG. Instead, you take a general role as members of the community that are determined to see this civilization succeed.
At the beginning of the game, you all determine the initial layout of the world, which resources are plentiful, and which resources are scarce. Then, the fate of this civilization is influenced by randomized cards that represent the four seasons. These cards provide different prompts that encourage you all to discuss the best choice to take. It is in these moments that everyone gets to take on the role of a member of society.
During your turn, you can also work on various projects or go out exploring and discovering new areas. Everything is just down to your imagination, and you can quickly become attached to your civilization during one fleeting year.
Goblin Quest
Goblin Quest is a fun one-shot in which you are actively encouraged to fail. With no Game Master necessary, you all get to play your own clutch of goblins attempting to achieve a simple goal without facing a grizzly fate. Whenever you are trying to do something in the game, you roll a D6. Roll well, and you will be victorious and progress, but roll badly, and you might cause something chaotically dangerous to occur or even injure your poor goblin. The game is very slapstick and hilarious, as your simple quest spirals out of hand.
A key highlight of Goblin Quest is getting to design your goblin. The visual element of this game is fantastic, so if you cannot play this game in person, perhaps use Tabletop Simulator. Tabletop Simulator has always been great for playing RPGs online. This way, everyone can see your new goblin designs as you play. With their increasingly likely chances of being killed off, you often find yourself designing a wide range of goblins to continue your epic quest.
NEXT: D&D: Things You Didn’t Know About Elves
