By far the best-selling tabletop role-playing game is Dungeons and Dragons 5E. There is no question about that. However, they are many other popular TTRPGs.
I’ve pulled a list of the best-selling RPGs from DriveThruRPG. Some are quite surprising. I’ll break the list down by core books and supplements.
Best-selling Core Rules RPGs on DriveThruRPG
Reign in Hell: Demonic Skirmish Combat – Who would have thought that the number one best-selling (core rules) RPG on DriveThruRPG is a miniatures tabletop wargame? Well, it is.
From the product description: “Designed by wargaming YouTube nerds Adam Loper (Tabletop Minions) and Vince Venturella (Warhammer Weekly) – Reign in Hell is designed as a fun, quick skirmish game that allows you to play using the demon models you may already have from many different fantasy games out there, or build (or 3D print) new ones to make your cabal exactly the way you envision. The campaign system is robust, and allows for growth and customization for your demons as they gain Titles and discover Relics and Essences to increase their powers.”
Worlds Without Number – This is the fantasy role-playing game counterpart of the fabulous best-seller Stars Without Number. Since fantasy is a vastly more popular genre in the RPG space than science fiction World Without Number has outsold SWN handily.
From the product description: “Worlds Without Number isn’t just a savage game of steel and sorcery. It’s packed solid with system-neutral GM tools and worldbuilding support, with hundreds of pages of useful tools, tags, tables, and practical advice usable by any GM, regardless of their favorite setting or system. The well-loved sci-fi tools of Stars Without Number are reworked here to support fantasy gaming, whether in the provided setting of the Latter Earth or in your own carefully-crafted homebrew world. Even GMs who don’t prefer the OSR-compatible game system of WWN will find more than half the book dedicated to tools they can use in the systems they like best.”
Cyberpunk RED – The update of a classic cyberpunk RPG has taken the tabletop role-playing game community by storm. Backed by the popular videogame Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk RED has become a best seller.
From the product description: Cyberpunk RED is the latest edition of the classic tabletop roleplaying game of the Dark Future and encompasses everything you need to explore the post-War world of the Time of the Red, including:
- A dense, deep-dive into the history and geography of Night City and the greater Cyberpunk world, and plenty of the lore about the Time of the Red.
- Ten unique Roles for you to play: charismatic Rockerboys, lethal Solos, quick-hacking Netrunners, inventive Techs, lifesaving (and taking) Medtechs, hard-hitting Medias, duty-bound Lawmen, scheming Execs, clever Fixers, and range-riding Nomads.
- A huge collection of useful tools, powerful weapons, protective armor, and gleaming cyberware to help you rule the Street.
- Three Screamsheet adventures to show you what Cyberpunk is all about.
- Pregenerated opponents perfect for populating the Combat Zones and Corporate compounds, plus encounters that use them to bring the City to life.
More Best-Selling RPGs Core Rules
The list of top sellers on DriveThruRPG notes 156 titles at the time is this writing. However, some are supplements. Here is another sample of the best-selling core RPGs.
- ALIEN RPG Core Rulebook
- Five Torches Deep
- Rangers of Shadow Deep: A Tabletop Adventure Game
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition
- The Black Hack Second Edition
- Kids on Bikes: Core Rulebook
- Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide
- Ironsworn
- Tiny Dungeon: Second Edition
- Stars Without Number: Revised Edition
- Genesys Core Rulebook
- Amazing Tales, complete kids’ RPG
- Knave
- Wrath & Glory: Core Rules
- The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition Rulebook
More games can be found on DriveThruRPG’s bestseller list.
Best-selling RPG Supplements
Excluding dungeon maps here are the top five selling RPG supplements on DriveThruRPG. You’ll notice most involve D&D 5e.
- Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy (5e)
- Domains of Delight (5e)
- Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e
- Ironsworn: Delve
- 5e: HARDCORE MODE
Again more supplements can be found on DriveThruRPG’s bestseller list.
DriveThruRPG Best-Selling Tabletop RPGs
Of course, this article is just the tip of the iceberg regarding top-selling role-playing games. I focused mainly on DriveThruRPG because it is the most popular and largest RPG marketplace.