There were many great RPG books published in 2019. I tried so many great roleplaying games this year and it has been hard to settle down on my top five list. Once again, the books from Scandinavia are dominant on my list.
It has been hard to keep up with all the great RPG books, modules and sourcebooks published last year. In fact, it is nigh impossible to keep up. Therefore, it is always a bit strange write down a list like this, because there are so many game that I didn’t try, though I found interesting and wished I had tried them.
Of course, all lists like these are more for the sake of fun than anything else, and need to read with that it mind. They only reflect the ideas of those that put them together.
I can’t help but feel that 2019 was the year of fantasy rpg, at least for me. There were so many great fantasy games and supplements released, that, truth be told, at times I didn’t read anything else.
Here’s my top five list of games I played and books I read in 2019. These are all games, sourcebooks, modules or anything rpg related that I’ve bought with my hard-earned money (no freebies or anything like that). Of course, this is just a one man’s opinion. Anyway, here it goes in no particular order.
Trudvang Chronicles – Stormlands
There are few, if any, RPG books I read as much and as often as I read the Stormlands sourcebook for Trudvang Chronicles by Riotminds. This is a superb sourcebook, it contains so much information about the Stormlands region, yet it leaves enough room for the player characters to leave their mark. It has great maps, awesome images and the text is well laid out. As a sourcebook, this adds so much to any Trudvang Chronicles game. So, if you are playing Trudvang and don’t have a copy of this book, change that as soon as possible.
Things from the Flood
Tales from the Loop by Fria Ligan is one of my favorite roleplaying games and Things from the Flood expansion is simply great. It has everything I love about Tales from the Loop and with added Lovecraftian flavour. The 90’s that never was are bleak and strange. If you liked other games by Fria Ligan, you will love this one.
Black Void
Black Void by Black Void Games is a great fantasy game, which any fan of Planescape, Lovecraft or esoteric fantasies should check out. The setting is marvelous and the game is really interesting and in many ways a fresh approach to the fantasy genre. This is a must-have for anyone interested in Scandinavian roleplaying games.
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
D&D 5th edition is beyond a doubt the most popular roleplaying game today. The source material by Wizards of the Coast is getting better and better and in my opinion Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus is one of the best D&D publications for years. The narrative is good, the layout of the book is great and all the source material is awesome.
Stronghold and Followers
Matt Colville is a favorite among many game masters, especially when it comes to D&D. He has a great Youtube-channel and had a super successful Kickstarter campaign for this source book. If you like your players or characters to have their own stronghold this is the go-to book. Simple as that.
Noteworthy mentions
Of course, there were other books that I read and were great, books like Carbon 2185, Old School Essentials, Pathfinder 2nd edition, Star Wars: Allies and Adversaries and Eberron: Rising from the Last War.
There are many great upcoming releases this year and I can’t wait to get my hands on new books. However, many of those never find the shelves in the book stores, so I recommend that you keep a close eye of Kickstarter, since there are so many great games being published via that channel.
