As we review dark, grim and gritty tabletop RPGs on our podcast, we’ll compile our scores here, along with a summary of our thoughts on each. Jump to the bottom of the page for a definition of the categories and the Crunch Meter.
Here’s a list of all the games we’ve reviewed. Click on one to jump down to it’s entry:
- Alas for the Awful Sea
- Best Left Buried
- Black Void
- Call of Cthulhu 7e
- Conan 2d20
- Coriolis
- Degenesis: Rebirth
- Delta Green
- Electric Bastionland
- Fall of Delta Green
- Forbidden Lands
- Hypertellurians
- Ironsworn
- KULT: Divinity Lost
- Misspent Youth
- Mörk Borg
- Mothership
- Shadow of the Demon Lord
- Sigil & Shadow
- Symbaroum
- Trail of Cthulhu
- Warlock
- WFRP 4e
- WH40K: Wrath & Glory
Game 1: Conan 2d20
We originally reviewed this game with slightly different criteria (review episode here), but have updated our score in line with the definitions set out at the bottom of the page.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 3.5 | 4 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4.5 | 4 |
| Utility | 3.5 | 4 |
| Approachability | 4 | 3.5 |
Game 2: Degenesis Rebirth
We feel bad for giving this game such a low rating (it is one of Matt’s favourite systems now), but can’t avoid the issues it has with utility and approachability. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Setting | 5 | 4.5 |
| Visuals | 5 | 5 |
| Utility | 3 | 3 |
| Approachability | 2 | 2 |
Game 3: Coriolis
If you like the sound of “Arabian Nights in space” and “inspired by Firefly, Alien and Revelation Space”, then this game is for you. This dark sci-fi game is placed in mankind’s far future and has a unique feel to most other sci-fi settings out there. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4 |
| Setting | 5 | 4.5 |
| Visuals | 4 | 4 |
| Utility | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Approachability | 4 | 4 |
Game 4: Shadow of the Demon Lord
Rob Schwalb’s magnum opus is a cracking game – it just gets so many things right. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Setting | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Visuals | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 4.75 | 4.75 |
Game 5: KULT: Divinity Lost
Kult is a truly excellent game, but isn’t for everyone. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.2 | 4 |
| Setting | 4 | 4 |
| Visuals | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Utility | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Approachability | 4 | 3.8 |
Game 6: Forbidden Lands
Matt’s highest rated game in terms of mechanics, and a generally excellent game all around. Issues with Approachability have been addressed since the review. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.8 | 4 |
| Setting | 4 | 4 |
| Visuals | 4 | 4 |
| Utility | 4 | 4 |
| Approachability | 3 | 3 |
Game 7: Alas for the Awful Sea
An excellent game about the struggling seaside communities in Victorian Britain. Full review here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4 |
| Setting | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Visuals | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 3.75 | 4 |
Game 8: WFRP 4e
Our most highly anticipated review. Full review can be found here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 3.8 | 4 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Utility | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Approachability | 4 | 4 |
Game 9: Misspent Youth
Whilst Misspent Youth is truly excellent, it’s very different to the other traditional games we’ve reviewed and our ratings below should be taken in the context of our full review, which you can find here. Oh, and it sets a new standard in Utility. Seriously, it doesn’t get better than this in terms of functionality in a TTRPG PDF…
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4 | 4 |
| Setting | n/a | n/a |
| Visuals | 4 | 4 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 5 | 5 |
Game 10: Call of Cthulhu 7e
The newest edition of the classic RPG of investigation and cosmic horror is an excellent update to the classic. To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Setting | 4.8 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4 | 4 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 4.8 | 5 |
Game 11: Delta Green
The standalone version of this game about covert agents keeping the forces of cosmic horror at bay is one of our favourite games. To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Utility | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Approachability | 4.8 | 4.8 |
Game 12a: Trail of Cthulhu
The GUMSHOE system applied to cosmic horror. To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 3 | 3 |
| Setting | 4.5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 3 | 3 |
| Utility | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Approachability | 3 | 3.5 |
Game 12b: Fall of Delta Green
The GUMSHOE system gets the covert ops treatment, but this time focused on the swinging 60s, baby! To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Utility | 3 | 3 |
| Approachability | 2 | 2 |
Game 13: Ironsworn
Shawn Tomkin’s dark fantasy game is all sorts of wonderful. And it’s completely free – it doesn’t get much more accessible than this! To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Setting | 4 | 4 |
| Visuals | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 5 | 5 |
Game 14: Hypertellurians
Frank Reding’s sword & planet game is a brilliant game! To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Setting | n/a | n/a |
| Visuals | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Utility | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| Approachability | 4.8 | 4.8 |
Game 15: Mothership
Sean McCoy’s award-winning sci-fi horror game is a masterpiece! To hear the full review, go here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Setting | n/a | n/a |
| Visuals | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Utility | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Approachability | 4.8 | 4.5 |
Game 16: Symbaroum
Check out our review of Free League’s award-winning dark fantasy game here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Utility | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Approachability | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Game 17: Best Left Buried
Our review of this fantasy horror game can be found here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Setting | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Visuals | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Utility | 2 | 2.5 |
| Approachability | 3 | 3 |
Game 18: Black Void
Our review of this esoteric dark fantasy game can be found here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Setting | 4.7 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Utility | 2.8 | 3 |
| Approachability | 3 | 3 |
Game 19: Mörk Borg
Our review of this award-winning metal fantasy game can be found here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 3.8 | 4 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 5 | 5 |
| Utility | 5 | 5 |
| Approachability | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Game 20: Electric Bastionland
You can find our review of this excellent weird fantasy game here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Setting | 5 | 5 |
| Visuals | 4 | 4 |
| Utility | 4 | 4 |
| Approachability | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Game 21: Warlock
You can find our review of Warlock here. This was in a different format, and so did not get any numerical metrics.
Game 22: Wrath & Glory
You can find our review of the most recent WH40k game here.
| Category | Matt’s Score | Liam’s Score |
| Mechanics | 2 | 2 |
| Setting | 2.5 | 3 |
| Visuals | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| Utility | 3 | 3 |
| Approachability | 3 | 3 |
Game 23: Sigil & Shadow
[HOLDING PLACE – REVIEW NOT RELEASED YET]
You can find our review of this contemporary horror game here. Like Warlock, this was in a different format, and so did not get any numerical metrics.
[CRUNCH METER COMING WITH THE REVIEW]
The Categories
In order to know what the hell we’re talking about with some of these categories, we thought it best to define each one. All games are given a rating of 5 in each one.
Mechanics
This one should be obvious – how well does the ruleset fit the game? This is not a measure of how crunchy or narrative a system is, but simply how well it fits.
Golden example: Interestingly, neither Matt nor Liam have yet found a perfect 5…
Setting
How compelling is the setting and how well defined is it? If a game is setting-free (like FATE or Savage Worlds), how good are the tools given to create one for your own games?
Golden example: Conan 2d20, for being painstakingly faithful to Robert E Howard’s rich work.
Visuals
This encompasses the quality of not just the artwork, but also the graphic design elements, layout, and physical qualities of a hard or softback book.
Golden example: Degenesis Rebirth, the most beautiful RPG in existence.
Utility
How easy is it to use the book at the table? Are there things like bookmarks in the PDF? A full index? Character sheets, GM tools, online tools, etc also fall in here.
Golden example: Shadow of the Demon Lord, Blades in the Dark, and Symbaroum.
Approachability
A very important element in TTRPGs is approachability, and this category encompasses how accessible a game is to new players. Things like Quickstarts, cheap handouts (fiction, in-game lore, etc)
Golden example: Symbaroum is a clear winner here, with a free Quickstart, many free lore handouts and even free campaign primers for GMs, allowing people to be sure they really want this game before spending money on it.
The Crunch Meter
Another thing we are implementing (but not calculating in our final review score) is a crunch meter. Basically this lets our listeners know how “creamy” (rules-light) or “crunchy” (complex) a ruleset is. To help visualise just what this means, we’ve ranked some popular games from 1 to 5. In addition, we’ve shown a single game at both 0 and 6, for games which are so creamy or so complex that they break our meter.
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