Whether in person or online, trekking solo or in a fellowship of friends, anyone can create their own storytelling fun with role-playing games! While the word “tabletop” might bring to mind a specific image or memory of sleep-free nights in the basement huddled around a candlelit dungeon master, role-playing games can take a wide range of forms (especially in the age of COVID), and has taken off in libraries around the world. We’re here to recommend two library-friendly RPGs to add to your game shelf this fall.
Grab a Crew and Journey Back to Neverland
Mermaids, sword fights, and adventures through Neverland are all fun and exciting—until you’re staring down the mouth of a crocodile big enough to topple a castle. Journey into the world of Peter Pan and its mysterious inhabitants in Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting.
Many have heard of the island of Neverland. Stories of pirates, mermaids and Peter Pan are told by parents around the world to send their children off to a happy, dreaming sleep. But, it’s been a long time since the Darlings first flew to Neverland and a new story is about to be told. Your own.
Take a journey into the world of Peter Pan and its mysterious inhabitants in Neverland: A Fantasy RPG Setting. The book is a feature-length hex crawl campaign, intended for sandbox exploration. Created by Andrew Kolb, you’ll find endless adventure inside, lovingly adapted from the tales of Peter Pan and tailored for an older audience. Each hex is self-contained, brimming with lore from Peter Pan and the Darlings’ escapades.
It’s time to tell your own stories of pirates, mermaids and children who can fly.
Or If You Dare… Venture Solo Into the Dungeon
There are tales of a place… a passage hidden away in the ruins of a forgotten castle, full of terrible dangers, and, for those who dare to face them, endless reward… Provisions are gathered, blades sharpened, and, trying to shake the feeling of dread, you set out to find your way… Into the Dungeon.
Into the Dungeon is a 100+ page choose-your-own-path game-in-a-book, where all you need to play is a pencil*. The reader gets to decide which way to go and how to explore, with hundreds of different paths through the story. On some paths you’ll find untold riches, ancient artifacts, strange creatures or secret passages, on others, you’ll barely make it out alive (or die horribly).
*To make Into the Dungeon more library-friendly, we recommend shelving it in a distinct “activities” section, with loose scratch paper so patrons don’t have to write inside the book!
