Tabletop roleplaying games have seen a massive surge in popularity in recent years, due in large part to the explosion of a series of extremely successful live-streamed games. However, tabletop RPGs have always maintained a loyal fanbase, so it is no surprise that they spawned a wide variety of video games inspired by the stories and settings of those TTRPGs.

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While many of those games fall into the genre known as CRPGs (Classic Roleplaying Games) not every game in the genre has a tabletop version, and there are a few examples of games that break the confines of the typical RPG style. Many of these games are also considered some of the best in the genre, and in some cases helped define many of the common elements in modern RPGs of all kinds.

10 Cyberpunk 2077 Did A Few Things Right

Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077

It may be something of a surprise to many players that Cyberpunk 2077 is actually based on a tabletop roleplaying game. While the video game was widely panned upon release, it did manage to capture many of the elements of the RPG it was based upon.

Several of the most important characters in Cyberpunk 2077 have direct counterparts in the tabletop version, such as Johnny Silverhand and Adam Smasher. Many more subtle elements from the tabletop version also make it into the game, though the parallels may not be as obvious as they are in other RPGs inspired by tabletop games.

9 Pillars Of Eternity Helped Start The Renaissance Of CRPGs

Pillars of Eternity characters fighting enemies.

While the Pillars of Eternity franchise may not have a direct tabletop counterpart, the influences of that style of RPG on the series are unmistakable. In many ways, it adheres closer to the elements integral to TTRPGs than many other games in the genre.

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The first game in the series was also a great success, bringing in players who fell in love with games such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, while bringing the genre into the modern era, with updated graphics and gameplay that capture the essence of what made those older games classics.

8 Pathfinder: Kingmaker Allows Players To Forge Their Own Realm

Pathfinder Kingmaker

While Dungeons and Dragons may dominate the TTRPG market, it is not without its competitors. Chief among them is Pathfinder, which has plenty in common with D&D yet has its own unique flavor that sets it apart from its more well-known counterpart.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker is the first fully released video game in the franchise, and follows many of the tropes of classic tabletop gameplay while putting a large focus on allowing the player to build their own kingdom and influence its development in many while maintaining the classic elements of adventuring and dungeon crawls.

7 Baldur's Gate Made Player's Choices Matter

Baldur's Gate 1 gameplay

While it was not the first game based on tabletop roleplaying games, Baldur's Gate marked a massive leap from earlier iterations such as the original Pool of Radiance and the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons video games.

It was not only the graphics that set the game apart but the heavy focus on storytelling and the ability for the player to affect that story, playing a part in the tale much more similar to a tabletop roleplaying experience more than many of the games that came before it.

6 Torment: Tides Of Numenera Defies Genre Expectations

Torment Tides of Numenera gameplay scene

Based on the Numenara tabletop games, Torment: Tides of Numenera was also heavily inspired by Planescape: Torment and used those influences to create a world that was a far cry from most other games in the genre.

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Set over a billion years in the future of the Earth, Torment: Tides of Numenera sets the player in an almost unrecognizable setting, yet the intriguing hints of a deep past that the player can slowly discover create a truly interesting world to explore, making the game stand out from the crowd.

5 Pillars Of Eternity: Deadfire Explores New Settings And Themes

Pillars of Eternity II Deadfire

While the first Pillars of Eternity game may have helped spark interest in the CRPG genre, its sequel, Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire, really made large strides in both gameplay and setting over its predecessor.

One of the most exciting elements of the game is its high seas setting, allowing players to sail freely about an archipelago with many different cultures and NPCs to interact with. The gameplay and graphics also received an upgrade, making the game a strong competitor among the recent influx of modern games in the genre.

4 Neverwinter Nights Stayed True To The Core Of D&D

An adventure slays a Beholder in Neverwinter Nights

Falling somewhere between the two main eras of video game iterations of TTRPGs, Neverwinter Nights may not receive the same recognition as some of the other games it is compared to, but in many ways, it remains one of the closest games to its tabletop roots.

Not only is it set in the classic Forgotten Realms setting, but its story and gameplay also feature some of the core elements of D&D such as dungeon crawling and some truly iconic monsters. It also featured a robust community content creation engine that allowed players to build their own adventures and share them with other players, including many fully developed worlds and stories.

3 Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous Builds Upon A Solid Foundation

Areelu Vorlesh from Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous

While the first game of the series was a solid entrance into the genre, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, builds upon that in all the right ways. Many of the issues players had with pacing are corrected in this game, and the story itself is well-written and engaging.

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It also sets up the franchise for more entries and helps solidify the resurgence of modern CRPGs as competitors to first and third-person RPGs like Fallout and the Elder Scrolls franchise. Its popularity may also bring the Pathfinder line of tabletop games into the spotlight, giving TTRPG players an alternative to the more ubiquitous Dungeons and Dragons.

2 Planescape: Torment Was Wildly Unique

The nameless one from dnd Planescape Torment

While fantasy tends to be the common theme that ties many classic RPGs together, both in videogames and with the tabletop, Planescape: Torment and its TTRPG version take the genre and completely turn it on its head.

While the setting does incorporate many elements of classic D&D, it takes the setting to a city named Sigil, which is at the center of all the other planes of existence, a place where players can encounter demons, angels, automatons, and elementals all within one closed in the setting. The story of the game is also incredibly well written and is a standout for CRPGs in general.

1 Baldur's Gate 2 Helped Bring Video Game RPGs Into The Mainstream

Baldur's Gate 2 logo

Of all the games of the 'Golden Age' of western RPGs, Baldur's Gate 2 was one of the ones that really helped popularize the genre. It featured a deep and compelling story full of unique and interesting characters, and the relationship between those NPCs and the players would go on to influence many games in the future.

In many ways, Baldur's Gate 2 remains as one of the most iconic games of the era, marking the beginning of RPGs truly entering the mainstream and building upon the foundations created by its tabletop origins. While the first game may have begun the journey, it was this game that truly inspired the genre we now know as classic roleplaying games.

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