5 Tabletop Kickstarters Worth Backing

Journey to Ragnarok

Most fantasy adventure game fans know that Dungeons & Dragons, the flagship fantasy role-playing game, is heavily inspired by JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. What fewer realize is that Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, which has come to define the tropes of the epic fantasy genre and the typically Euro-medieval settings they take place in, was actually heavily inspired by Norse mythology.

Journey to Ragnarok looks to change that. Created by a group of Italian game designers with a deep love for Norse myths, Journey to Ragnarok is a 1st to 15th level campaign for Dungeons & Dragons.

"Our intent is to let the Adventurers discover and explore the true origins of Norse Mythology, that has deeply influenced Fantasy literature, games, comics and movies," the Kickstarter campaign description reads.

Journey to Ragnarok is already fully funded, but if you're into fantasy or roleplaying games and want to discover their historical, mythology roots, this is an adventure you should get in at the ground floor for.

Sentinels of Earth-Prime

Mutants and Masterminds has for years been the most iconic superhero genre tabletop roleplaying game on the market. Sentinels of the Multiverse is a fan favorite superhero-themed deckbuilding game. Now the two superhero gaming icons are joining forces.

Sentinels of Earth-Prime is a standalone expansion for Sentinels of the Multiverse that will introduce the heroes of the Freedom League from Mutants and Masterminds. The best part is that the game is also completely compatible with other Sentinels of the Mutliverse products.

"Sentinels of Earth-Prime is a cooperative card game that recreates the pulse-pounding action of superhero comics, the quick pitch on the game's Kickstarter page reads. "It uses the rules of the hit game Sentinels of the Multiverse and the setting and characters of the critically acclaimed Mutants & Masterminds roleplaying game. Everything is 100% compatible with previous Sentinels of the Multiverse releases and decks can be mixed and matched as you desire."

Sentinels of Earth-Prime sounds like a great introduction to two great superhero-themed tabletop games.

Axon Punk: Overdrive

While the role-playing game landscape has typically been dominated by the fantasy genre, there have been a handful of great cyberpunk games, including Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun.

Axon Punk: Overdrive wants to revisit cyberpunk gameplay with a unique. While keeping genre hallmarks like evil mega-corporations and rundown urban landscapes, Axon Punk: Overdrive will be infused with hip-hop culture.

"In Axon Punk, you and your friends play as a team of hackers, AI, engineers, cyborgs, and others that are trying to be forces of change as the great war of global inequality rages on the streets around you. The game's theme, rules, art, and pacing are heavily inspired by hip-hop and classic cyberpunk."

Like anime like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo but what to mix that style with a cyberpunk setting? Axon Punk: Overdrive is your game.

Wet Hot American Summer: Fantasy Camp

For an entirely different kind of role-playing experience, there's Wet Hot American Summer: Fantasy Camp Roleplaying Game.

Inspired by the cult classic movie Wet Hot American Summer, each game of Fantasy Camp allows players to play through one wild day at Camp Firewood. While there will be some dice rolling involve, Wet Hot American Summer Fantasy Camp: is much more about improvisational hijinks, social fun, and drinking.

"Fantasy Camp is designed to be easy-to-play with less math than traditional RPGs and more emphasis on storytelling and party game craziness. Psycho fans (like us) will rejoice in never-before-seen material from Wet Hot American Summer cast members Joe Lo Truglio (Neil), Marguerite Moreau (Katie), Michael Ian Black (McKinley) and co-writer / director David Wain."

If you like your tabletop experience fun and accompanied by a pack of beer, Wet Hot American Summer: Fantasy Camp should be on your radar.

Maximum Apocalypse

Maximum Apocalypse is a co-operative board game that borrows elements from roguelike video games and sets it all in a post-apocalyptic world.

Actually, it sets it in one of the several post-apocalyptic worlds. Part of the fun of Maximum Apocalypse is the replayability. There are several different post-apocalyptic scenarios to play in and more than half-dozen character classes to play as.

"The game map is randomly generated and different every time that you play. On each turn, a player can use up to four actions to explore the map, play cards, equip weapons, scavenge for resources, draw cards or battle off monsters.

"Picking a unique survivor class within the group, players must plan their strategy and work together while leaning on their survivor's strengths in order to defeat monsters and avoid starvation. For example, the Fireman is deadly up close with his ax and can easily chop down monsters; meanwhile the stealthy Hunter is great at scouting the map and avoiding traps — but roaming monsters are gathering quickly and time is running out. If players are overwhelmed by monsters or die of starvation, they lose. If they can find enough fuel and get it back to their van to escape, they all win and live to play another scenario."

On top of that, there's a solo play mode as well. Who knew the apocalypse could be so fun?