We live in a golden age of TTRPGs. When I first started playing Dungeons and Dragons back in the early 1980’s, I never would have imagined that there would one day be so many great games to choose from (or that the hobby would be so mainstream!). From varying degrees of tactical complexity in games like Draw Steel!, to incredible niche offerings such as Alice is Missing, to the vast array of 5E clones and OSR-derived RPGs, there is an RPG for every table. However, with this “embarrassment of riches” comes the occasional difficulty of finding the right game for your group.
I’m very fortunate to be retired and able to spend a great deal of time reading, prepping, and, of course, playing RPGs. I also spend a fair amount of time on various sites like Reddit and Discord, listening to others discuss their games. A common theme I’ve seen is GMs who are struggling to make the game they are running do a certain “thing.” Whether it’s capturing a genre’s vibe, focusing on a specific aspect of play, or finding the ideal balance between mechanics and narrative, many GMs spend countless hours trying to hack and house-rule their way to the “ideal” game. I know we GMs love to tinker with our games, but if you’re facing frustration, the problem might be that you’re trying to fit the metaphorical square peg into the round hole.
If you find yourself in this position, you may want to consider using a different approach. Instead of trying to make the game you’re running “work right,” spend some time analyzing what you and your group need, then find the game designed to deliver that experience. I’ve seen countless GMs spend untold hours trying to make “D&D but in the Warhammer 40K universe,” or “Mork Borg but with more crunchy rules,” or Pathfinder but more narrative focused.” While any of these things could be done with enough time and effort, none of them would probably be better than simply playing a game already designed to do that. Regardless of what you and your group are looking for, there is almost certainly an RPG designed to specifically deliver that experience to your table (virtual or otherwise).
The key to doing this is twofold: understand what you’re trying to do, then research games that do it. I understand that many GMs love to tweak games. Still, unfortunately, every little adjustment you make tends to introduce another potential point of failure that the game wasn’t intended to compensate for. When you find yourself wanting to make a change, ask why, and answer honestly. Does Call of Cthulhu need grid-based tactical combat? Does Dungeons and Dragons need to track torches and arrows? Does Dread really need extensive rules for encumbrance? Maybe your game does need these things, although you might be better off playing the Arkham Horror RPG instead of Call of Cthulhu, or Shadowdark instead of Dungeons and Dragons, or, well, I have no idea what to do for encumbrance in Dread. The point is that in all likelihood there already exists a game that does exactly what you’re looking for, and it probably does it better than you could by forcing it into your current game.
Ultimately, the RPG you run and how you run it is entirely up to you, as long as you and your group are having fun, you’re doing it right. But if you find yourself frustrated, or looking for a different experience, or are just ready for a little change, don’t hesitate to shop around a bit. Every game you play doesn’t have to have a D20 or even dice for that matter! Of course, if you find the “perfect” game, you still need to convince your players to try it out, but that’s a topic for a different post…