8 Huge TTRPGs For Mecha And Kaiju Fans

Dungeon delving and spellcasting are wonderful parts of the tabletop RPG experience, the essence of fantasy. But sometimes you just want to be large and smash stuff. Fortunately, there’s a TTRPG for just about every genre nowadays. There are plenty of games that let you suit up in a mech, fight massive monsters, play as massive monsters, and even experience the human element under these big battles. 

Whatever experience you're looking for, our diverse roster of pro GMs can make it happen. That said, you might not even know what you’re looking for. What TTRPG system is focused on customizing your mech, and which just tells you to get in the robot? What kaiju game is more like Godzilla, and which is Monster Hunter? Read on to see what’s out there in the vast world of kaiju and mecha TTRPGs

Lancer

If you’re looking for a Gundam experience, this is where you’re going to find it. Lancer takes place in a future universe where revolution has freed the core worlds. But the galaxy at large has fractured into tyrannical kingdoms, corporate run states, and isolated colonies. The story could be a tactical military campaign to take the fight to oppressive empires or a sci-fi exploration exercise. 

Lancer boasts rules-light gameplay for the narrative and a great emphasis on mech customization. Players can choose from a large variety of shells and weaponry for their bot. The combat can get very gritty and deep, perfect for those who enjoy mecha video games. Several GMs are running Lancer games now, and you can find them here. 

Maharlika

Many mecha and kaiju stories use Japanese or American inspired settings. Which makes sense due to the origins of the genre. But it’s still great to see other cultures take on these games. Maharlika is inspired by Filipino mythology. Piloting a mech in this Science Fantasy setting is as much a spiritual act as it is technological. Outside of the cockpit, familial relations and connections to greater powers vie with corporate overlords for your attention.

Maharlika’s creators cite mecha anime and even Lancer as their inspiration. As such, you’ll find tactical combat systems where players can customize their suit with 168 upgrades. Story-wise, pilots will struggle to make ends meet and find a place in the neofeudal society that parallels the situation of modern day Philippines. The lore makes room for exploring the beautiful mysteries of the stars and grounded stories about fighting just to pay the bills.

Ryoko's Guide To The Yokai Realms

This is actually content for the 5E rules system used in Dungeons & Dragons. So while it’s not a new TTRPG, that might be better for some groups. The truth is, many tables don’t want to learn a new game even if it’s a rules light. So here’s a way to get your kaiju fix without introducing an entirely new ruleset. 

Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms is currently in pre-orders after a successful Kickstarter run. The beta releases, however, have been very full on content. There’s new subclasses themed around yokai tamers, shrine guardians, and ninja. The kaiju presence comes in the form of expanded rules for fighting big monsters that take advantage of their size. Even better, player characters can harvest kaiju parts after the battle to upgrade their gear similar to the way it’s done in Monster Hunter. 

Armour Astir: Advent

Something you can always count on with a good Powered By the Apocalypse system is that it encourages players to take risks. A fun narrative experience is practically guaranteed as the gameplay rewards those who go big with their roleplay. Armour Astir: Advent is such a game. Both the storytelling and combat are designed to draw out risks, escalating in a fashion similar to anime. 

The player characters in Armour Astir: Advent are fighting against an all-powerful authority. To change the world, the creators proclaim, one needs to take risks. When clashing with mechs in the game’s battle system, this means forcing enemies into a peril state rather than just chipping away at HP. Another aspect that sets this one apart is that there are non combatant roles. This means that schemers and techs have just as much impact as pilots. 

Check Out Armour Astir: Advent With A Pro GM!

Everyday Heroes - Kong Skull Island

The Everyday Heroes system takes a lot of cues from 5e for its take on d20 modern. That should end up as something very familiar to many players, but with rules laid out for action movie essentials like firearms, car chases, and tech-based classes. It is with this ruleset that Evil Genius Games brings us the Kong: Skull Island Cinematic Adventure.

Players take on the role of humans in the universe of the newer King Kong/Godzilla movies. The goal here isn’t to fight the big monsters of Skull Island, it’s to stay their wrath. The players infiltrate a corporation that wants to use the giant creatures of Kong’s island as weapons. Expect intrigue, gunplay, and lots of running away from monsters. While Godzilla doesn’t appear in this book, the adventure could definitely be used to launch a campaign about the eventual clash of the famous titans. 

Everyday Heroes - Pacific Rim

The Everyday Heroes system uses 5e as a base for its new take on d20 modern. That should result in something very familiar to many players, but with rules laid out for action movie essentials like tech-based classes, energy weapons, and of course, piloting giant robots. If you’ve read the above entry about Skull Island, then you’ve realized this is the same system. In fact, Evil Genius funded Skull Island and Pacific Rim in one Kickstarter. They also made adventures for Highlander, Rambo, Total Recall, and other famous films. 

The Pacific Rim Cinematic Adventure gives you everything you expect from the setting: you can pilot Jaegers, equip them with all the cool weapons, and kick Kaiju butt. Here it is: here’s your mecha and kaiju in one game. Those wanting roleplay can get into the politics behind the various factions at play back at headquarters, but it’s also totally cool to just fight, fight, fight. 

Mecha Vs. Kaiju

Here’s a take on the giant robot vs. monster game without the Hollywood spin. Mecha vs Kaiju uses the Fate Core engine for a more anime take on the titular fisticuffs. And since it’s Fate Core, it’s very flexible. Players get anime-inspired stunts and skill trees, while GMs get a whole alternate history of Japan to set their games in. 

Groups that like to blast through short campaigns can get a lot of use out of Mecha vs Kaiju. The aforementioned alternate history can be used to plop players in the events of famous kaiju films, or the modern day can be used as a setting for simplicity. Likewise, supernatural rules are included to add some mysticism to the monster origins. Mad science can also be included, and the GM is given ways to incorporate either in kaiju creation. 

Ech0

Finally, there is Ech0. The story of what happens after all the mecha battles. Ech0 is more of a thoughtful game that can begin and end in one session. It could be run as an epilogue to another system’s military campaign, or you can just play it as its own thing. It’s primarily a storytelling exercise with map-drawing, making it extremely easy to learn. 

In Ech0, one player plays as the ghost of a mech pilot while the others play as children who discover the pilot amongst wreckage. The pilot is stored in their mech’s drive, but the bot is nowhere to be found. They must depend on the children to find their mech so they can finally be put to rest. Along the way, both parties share experiences and discover how the world has changed (while the players actively build it).