The Popularity of Tabletop Roleplaying Games

Why do some tabletop RPGs become global phenomena while others (equally well-designed) remain beloved but niche?

With the massive rise of Dungeons & Dragons 5e, this question feels more relevant than ever.

I've often wondered why some games are more popular than others, especially with the recent and incredible growth of D&D 5e. For some reason, some games seem to become household names, games that almost all roleplayers either know or have played. What do these games have in common that can explain their popularity and great number of fans?

Naturally, one looks at the marketing of these games. Many have pointed out that the explosion of podcasts and web shows, like Critical Role, has helped make D&D more mainstream in recent years. It has even appeared on hugely successful TV shows like Stranger Things. However, the same can't be said about games like Call of Cthulhu. In fact, when looking at Chaosium's history, it seems the company has been poorly managed in many ways. True, the same can be said about TSR, WoTC's predecessor.

Still, roleplayers persist and stay true to these games, keeping playing them year after year. Are the game systems in these games superior to those in indie games? Or is it something else?

Role-playing is a social activity. We meet other people and spend hours together, taking part in and shaping a narrative. The background to that narrative is our common understanding of the setting, whether Athas, Trudvang, or London in the 1920s. Even though each participant comes to the table with their perception of the narrative background, we agree on the background and what rules apply to that background.

You can find a lot of literature on the most hugely popular role-playing systems to help you shape that background. There have been dozens upon dozens of D&D novels and sourcebooks published throughout the last three decades. The One Ring RPG has the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, all the sourcebooks by Cubicle 7, and the films by Peter Jackson. Call of Cthulhu has all the short stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other weird fiction writers, as well as the sourcebooks published by Chaosium and other publishers.

Of course, this is really helpful when shaping a shared narrative background at the table. For a system like D&D, it is even easier since most people can easily relate to fantasy, where dragons, evil undead, and people need saving. After all, this is a narrative that has been told for generations. Having a shared narrative background makes it easier for players and Game Masters alike to suspend their disbelief and enter the fantastic without any qualms.

One of the common factors with popular role-playing games is the shared narrative background, but that does not guarantee that a game will become hugely popular and widely played. Some games rely on highly successful brands that are nowhere near as popular as D&D or Call of Cthulhu. Great games like Star Trek by Mödiphius, Star Wars by Fantasy Flight, or The One Ring by Cubicle 7 will find it hard to beat these two regarding sales, brand awareness, or market penetration.

Both D&D and Call of Cthulhu are old games and have been around for almost half a century. D&D was initially published in 1974, and Call of Cthulhu in 1981, so these two systems are quite old. Yet, roleplayers have been playing games that use the other shared narrative backgrounds for just as long. Star Trek has been available as a role-playing game since 1982, Star Wars since 1987, and Tolkien's setting as a role-playing game was published in 1984.

Granted, the last three have seen changes in systems and publishers. Still, if you bring out the D&D red box and all the editions of D&D or Call of Cthulhu, you'll notice that these systems have also undergone some dramatic changes. However, the core dynamics are still the same.

To truly understand why one role-playing game is more popular than the other, we need to look at why we play. For most roleplayers, it is not to enjoy a great game system's workings or beat the Game Master by building a powerhouse character. It is because we enjoy storytelling. It is perhaps one of our most human things, telling and fabricating stories. To our knowledge, no other animal can create and spin stories as we do. Ever since we were hunter-gatherers, we've enjoyed telling stories and telling fables. Just think of all our myriad narratives of Greek, Egyptian, or Norse gods. This is what makes us human.

By participating in a role-playing game, we are participating in shared storytelling. Every participant can add to and affect the outcome of the story, and this is what I believe makes role-playing games popular.

I believe that WoTC understands this. Their publication schedule for 5e has mostly been made up of modules. Chaosium has always had this at heart in its publications. These two publishers have made sure that players have narratives to share. Narratives that are easy to relate to and build heavily on the shared narrative background.

The reason why D&D 5e is so popular right now is, in my opinion, not because the system is so great. In fact, it has its merits and flaws, just like any other system. The same might be said about the 7th edition of Call of Cthulhu. Though marketing plays a huge role here and, of course, history and convention, I also don't think we can fully explain the reason for this success by looking solely at these factors.

These systems have a very high number of modules in common. Many of these legendary and epic modules require a huge player investment. In contrast, other modules are short and can be played in a session or two. These modules build on a cemented layer of the narrative background of these games, making it easy for Game Masters and players alike to enjoy partaking in the narratives.

For many players and Game Masters, the modules are a gateway into the game or the setting. If you have many different modules, finding one that suits you and your group's playing style is even easier.

In my opinion, the many modules of these games are the key to understanding why so many players have been avid fans for years and keep bringing new players to the table. We like the narratives, we share the narrative background, and the fact that it is all a game makes it even better. Good marketing, highly tested and edited game systems, and word-of-mouth build on that.