Fallout, Homeworld, and more tabletop RPGs go digital native on Role
A new marketplace gives you access to some big names in tabletop and videogames.
Up and coming digital roleplaying platform Role is launching a marketplace where people can pick up tabletop roleplaying games from some of the biggest IPs out there, partnering with Modiphius and Magpie Games. That means games like the Fallout, Homeworld, Dune, and Star Trek TTRPGs are on there, with upcoming Avatar Legends on the way.
"Role proudly stands as both the easiest place to play and create for RPG fans today. Every game room is designed for minimal prep, easy navigation, and fast gameplay that focuses on social fun rather than complex cumbersome tabletop simulation tools," said Role's CEO, Elle Dwight.
Dwight describes role like this: "Role's UI is designed to be simple and intuitive, keeping consistency across every game you could possibly play."
Compared to other digital roleplaying spaces, Role's killer feature is that it's wholly drag-and-drop. You don't have to learn any specialized scripting, coding, or markup language to make automation work smoothly in your game. That's true for both players and gamemasters.
Role itself is a free app, but the new marketplace gives you a space where you can find new games to play, then immediately buy their digital editions. The bundles include standard stuff like PDFs and art for the game, but also include Role integrations like a thematic skin on the app and automated character sheets. What's especially nice is that all of Role's official rulesets are customizable, letting players tailor them to their house rules or their game's unique needs.
Quickstarts for many games are already free on Role, as is a ruleset compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Role's team recommend rules-light games to kick off, such as Isle of Ixx, Vast Grimm, or CyberMetal 2012, but free quickstarts for Modiphius games like Homeworld, Fallout, Dune, and Star Trek are also up there.
The marketplace is currently a field for game publishers, and Dwight says it'll have at least four new games per month into 2023. "This roadmap includes the catalogs of multiple major publishers such as Modiphius and Magpie Games, as well as popular indies such as World Champ Game Co. and Sword Queen Games," she said.
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Role will also support self-service in 2023, letting any RPG creator make, share, and sell their material to the community.
You can find Role at their website: playrole.com, where you can also see the game marketplace.
Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.