Superhero stories are incredibly popular today, thanks in no small part to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This series of films and TV shows has been ongoing for over ten years, translating dozens of beloved comic book characters to the big and small screens.
Superheroes have long been a fixture in pop culture, and roleplaying games are no different. For decades, different RPG systems have given players the chance to replicate their favorite four-color heroes and play out their own adventures. This trend continues today, with dozens of roleplaying games zooming on in various aspects of the superhero genre.
9 Mutants In The Night By Orion D. Black Has Players Defending Their Community
Mutants have long been used in comic book stories as a means to explore stories of marginalization and oppression. Mutants in the Night follows in this tradition by setting up a fictional future where a certain percentage of the human population suddenly displays mutant powers, leading to their being confined in so-called Mutant Safe Zones. Players take on the role of mutant resistance fighters seeking to carve out a sense of belonging in a world that refuses to treat them with the respect they deserve. It features several evocative factions and playbooks and guides players through serving each aspect of their community in a fight for true justice.
8 Hero Too By Maria Fanning Is An Introspective Experience
Plenty of modern storytelling games are designed to be played by just one person. Hero Too is one of these solo journaling games, designed to guide the player through the story of a teenage superhero as they navigate a superhero academy as well as their emerging transgender identity. Gameplay is divided up into issues, in true comic book fashion. Hero Too is a great demonstration of how the superhero genre is a great metaphor for growing up and discovering a new identity.
7 Anyone Can Wear The Mask By Jeff Stormer Is All About The Story
This game is about "a superhero, a supervillain, and the city they share." It can be played with one to three players, and uses a deck of playing cards along with some dice to generate story beats.
It has players working together to chronicle the back and forth between a powerful superhero and their nemesis, with each encounter demanding more and more from the hero. Anyone Can Wear The Mask is a great delve into what it really means to wield ultimate power for good and is a must-play for any superhero RPG fans.
6 Mythic Mortals By David Schirduan Puts The Players In The Spotlight
Every superhero fan has, at some point, wished that they themselves had superpowers. Mythic Mortals brings this fantasy to the gaming sphere, as each player plays a super-powered version of themselves. On the surface, Mythic Mortals seems to favor a more traditional fantasy setting, but it can very easily be used to play a superhero story. Each character gets a specialized playmat based on their archetype. They use a deck of standard playing cards to power their various moves and attacks, managing their Mythos, Accuracy, Defense, and Damage slots. By assigning cards of different suits to different slots, they unlock special abilities based on their archetype. Any groups looking to see how they'd fare in a superhero world should definitely give Mythic Mortals a shot.
5 City of Mist By Amit Moshe Mixes The Mystical And The Mysterious
The mystical superheroes of Doctor Strange meld with the street-level intrigue of The Defenders in this modern fantasy RPG. City of Mist has each player create a "Rift" a normal person endowed with mystical abilities from a connection to a figure from mythology or literature. A Rift of Cupid might be an exceptional archer, while a Rift of The Big Bad Wolf might be capable of shapeshifting. The rulebooks feature gorgeous comic book artwork, sure to please anyone who likes their superheroes behind a haze of neon and cigar smoke. Noir, folktales, and superheroes all combine for a fantastic game for any superhero fan.
4 Venture City Is A Great And Deep Setting
Less a full game and more a supplement, Venture City is a superhero sourcebook for the Fate Core RPG. It features alternative rules to create superpowers within the Fate system, along with a fully fleshed-out world of villains, rival heroes, and a ton of locations.
It bills itself as "superpunk," full of corrupt corporations and sponsored superheroes. It does require the Fate Core rules to play, but a reference version of these rules can be found in the Fate SRD, or System Reference Document.
3 Beyond Super: Life Behind The Mask By Max Kämmerer Investigates The Reality Behind Superheroics
This journaling game is as interested in what happens before and after the superheroics as it is in what villains need punching. The player writes the story of a hero struggling to balance their day job with their after-hours heroics. Several random tables help generate situations, locations, and supervillains to complicate the hero's life. Solo journaling games are a great creative aid for anyone interested in writing stories themselves but who might not know where to start. Beyond Super: Life Behind The Mask has pages upon pages of thematically appropriate prompts to kickstart superhero storytelling.
2 Glitter Hearts By Greg Leatherman Features Big Transformations
The biggest inspiration behind Glitter Hearts is shows like Sailor Moon and Power Rangers, but it will appeal to fans of punch-up superheroes as well. Each character is made up of an everyday identity, a superheroic archetype, and an elemental connection. They get an ability from their everyday identity that they can always use, but they must go through a transformation sequence before accessing their superheroic and elemental powers.
The narrative focus of this game is equally suited to telling high-powered stories like The Avengers and more grounded stories in the vein of The Champions. The book is full of gorgeous artwork and is one of the best superhero RPGs available today.
1 Masks: A New Generation By Brenden Conway Is All About Teen Supers
Teenage superheroes have long been a staple of the genre, and with good reason. Teenagers trying to grapple with immense power is the whole core concept behind Masks: A New Generation. Each playbook is a familiar archetype from superhero stories. There is The Janus, who must balance their superheroic life with their real-life responsibilities. The Legacy is the latest in a long line of superheroes, struggling to live up to their line. Masks features several great teamwork mechanics to help groups of teen supers work together to defeat the forces of evil.