Fantasy is a staple of tabletop RPGs and sci-fi is chock full of varying systems, but don’t sleep on superhero games. The genre is perfect for TTRPGs as it brings action-packed battles and roleplay potential once the costumes come off. There’s also the unique experience of creating your own powers instead of pulling from the same spell list over and over again. So whether you’ve been reading comics since childhood, had your love for capes reignited by the new Superman movie, or put too many hours into Marvel Rivals, here are some of the best superhero TTRPGs.
Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game
The latest official Marvel RPG uses a 616 die system. You roll 3d6 to attempt an action and you want the middle die to hit a 1, which is a Marvel logo on the officially branded dice set. Then of course each individual hero’s training, physical attributes, and powers add or alter the result. Marvel Multiverse can be a bit clunky at first but it’s ultimately a fun system that allows you to play as most popular characters from the MCU and current comics run. You’ll also find the most people playing this version since it’s the newest.
Masks: A New Generation
You’ll want to find a Masks game if you value narrative over combat, or if you want to play as a Teen Titans-style group. Masks uses the Powered by the Apocalypse 2d6 template in which player moves tend to focus on pushing the story forward more than winning fights. The core setting emphasizes playing as young heroes who have to balance secret identity life with heroics. Overall, this system excels in providing ample opportunity to roleplay the drama behind the masked antics.
Cypher System - Claim The Sky And Unmasked
The Cypher System brands itself as a flexible game engine that is easy to learn, fast to play, and can cover every genre. And indeed, there is a super hero pictured alongside other genre mascots on the promotional image. Since Cypher is all about variation, there are two officially supported superpower settings. Claim the Sky is a traditional comic book setting with colorful costumes and an array of ability options that mimic Marvel and DC heroes. Unmasked is 80s focused city setting where the powers are darker in origin, closer in tone to Stranger Things.
Power Rangers Roleplaying Game
Are sentai superheroes? Whatever your opinion, the American interpretation known as Power Rangers certainly treats them as such. They’re teens with secret identities balancing two lives and saving the day by kicking butt with their powers. Doesn’t get more superhero than that. The Power Rangers RPG uses a d20 system that should be familiar to DnD players with Ranger colors standing in for classes. You can play in any Ranger team you want or create your own. Later expansions also add material for deeper lore such as space, time, and the Shattered Grid.
Girl By Moonlight
Super Sentai is a Japanese take on superheroes via morphing powers, while Sailor Moon tells the story of teen saviors who fight with magic and friendship. Girl by Moonlight brings the magical girl tropes to your table but with a dash of identity issues as characters struggle against oppressive societies. Like Masks, this system focuses more on roleplay than fighting. Your characters fight to hold onto their truest selves in a world that tries to bury that truth. As such, Girl by Moonlight is a very popular for telling queer stories.
Mutants And Masterminds
Should you want a superhero TTRPG with some crunch, check out Mutants and Masterminds. It takes more effort at first to get into than others on this list, largely because of the character creation system. There aren’t classes or templates for you to start with – you build your character by using points to buy a collection of feats, powers, attributes, and skills. This can overwhelm new players as they’ll open the book and be flooded with options. But for those who love fine-tuning characters, Mutants and Masterminds gives you what you need to craft your ideal hero.
Kids In Capes
From the makers of Kids on Bikes and Kids on Brooms, Kids in Capes is very new. In fact, as of this writing, it’s not even out yet. Yet if the previous games are any indication, you can trust Kids in Capes to be a family-friendly, narratively focused delight. The team aimed to keep characters simple yet iconic by having players choose a role and a power from six options. This is supposed to allow for the game to cover a variety of popular superhero power sets while also giving players the freedom to invent their own. There will also be a more robust combat system compared to previous Kids games.
Invincible – Superhero Roleplaying
Here’s another case of something that isn’t actually released yet but will be worth looking into. The success of the Invincible animated series ensures that this game should be fully funded when it launches on Kickstarter. It will be published by Free League and likely use the Year Zero Engine seen in Alien RPG and Dragonbane, which ensures fast-paced action that doesn’t skimp on violence. The Invincible TTRPG could be a go-to for R-rated superhero campaigns if it turns out to be a quality game system.
Sergio Sólorzano is the best Dungeon Master in the USA (according to a Wizards of the Coast competition, anyway). He loves minis and terrain but also goes all-in on improv!
