D&D is no longer the only game in town — and 2025 proved it beyond any doubt. From Critical Role’s own system to Brandon Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter, the tabletop RPG space exploded with new options last year. Here’s what launched, what’s coming, and why this might genuinely be the best time ever to be a tabletop roleplayer.
Daggerheart — Critical Role Goes Independent
The biggest TTRPG launch of 2025 wasn’t from Wizards of the Coast or Paizo. It was Daggerheart, the original RPG system from Critical Role’s Darrington Press, which released on May 20, 2025.
Daggerheart is built to fix structural problems that D&D players have complained about for years. Its signature mechanic — rolling two differently coloured dice to generate both a result and a narrative currency called Hope or Fear — makes every roll matter beyond just success or failure. The GM responds to Hope and Fear dynamically, creating a back-and-forth storytelling rhythm that feels genuinely different from anything else on the market.
The numbers were staggering. Daggerheart sold out worldwide in under a week. Critical Role had printed what they calculated to be a full year’s supply of campaign books — gone in two weeks. They’ve since pivoted to digital-first releases to keep up with demand. A romantasy supplement, With Love and Magic, is currently in development.
Draw Steel — MCDM Builds the Combat Game D&D Never Was
Matt Colville and MCDM Productions officially launched Draw Steel to the public in 2025, following a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $4 million USD. Draw Steel is unabashedly a game for people who love tactical miniatures combat — characters start at level 1 already being recognised local heroes, no “zero-to-hero” grind required.
MCDM didn’t stop there. Their follow-up campaign, Draw Steel: Crack the Sun, raised another $2.6 million on BackerKit — making it the most successful TTRPG crowdfunding campaign of 2025. It delivers seven products worth over a year of content. If you’ve ever wanted D&D to take its grid combat seriously, Draw Steel is the game built for you.
Cosmere RPG — Brandon Sanderson’s $15 Million Juggernaut
Brandon Sanderson’s shared fantasy universe, the Cosmere, finally got its own tabletop RPG — and the reception was historic. The Cosmere RPG Kickstarter raised over $15 million, making it the highest-funded TTRPG Kickstarter ever at launch. Physical copies hit retail shelves on November 12, 2025.
The first setting is the Stormlight Archive — the world of Roshar, with its storms, spren, and Radiant knights. The launch includes a full Handbook, World Guide, the Stonewalkers campaign, and a starter guide. The Mistborn setting is planned for 2026. Brotherwise Games is publishing at roughly one Cosmere setting per year, which means this franchise has serious long-term legs.
What’s Coming in 2026
The pipeline for 2026 is packed:
- Shadowdark: The Western Reaches — A massive expansion for the beloved old-school-revival hit Shadowdark. Its Kickstarter raised nearly $3 million. New regions, monsters, factions, and campaign tools for one of the tightest systems in the OSR space.
- Mutants & Masterminds 4th Edition — The first major overhaul of Green Ronin’s superhero RPG in 15 years. Streamlined mechanics, faster character creation, rebalanced powers, and a full visual refresh.
- MCDM’s Crows RPG — A separate game from MCDM (not Draw Steel), designed for gritty, high-lethality play with OSR influences. Different tone, different system, different audience.
- Warhammer: The Old World RPG — Cubicle 7 is releasing physical editions of the Player Guide and GM Guide for their Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay line set in the Old World.
- Masks 2nd Edition — A new edition of the beloved teen superhero TTRPG from Magpie Games, with a quickstart launching first and a full crowdfunding campaign planned for Fall 2026.
The Takeaway
The 2023 OGL crisis cracked open the tabletop RPG market in a way that’s permanently changed the landscape. Players who went looking for alternatives found genuinely excellent games — and many of them stayed. Whether you’re a D&D lifer, a Pathfinder devotee, or someone who’s never played a TTRPG before, 2025 and 2026 offer more great options than any point in the hobby’s history. The golden age isn’t coming. It’s already here.
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