Parents want to share their passons with their children. It could be their favorite sports team, their favorite movies or eeven their love of playing let’s pretend with their friends. Many folks who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons want to share that experience with their kids.
D&D is a great gateway to the hobby but it’s not the only one. Companies of all shapes and sizes have created their own role playing games to get kids into the hobby. These games often feature simpler rules, gentler worlds and even a chance to color their character.
No Thank You, Evil
Many role playing gamers began their journey with a boxed set. Opening one offers a feeling of mystery and discovery that few other game experiences provide. No Thank You, Evil provides an entry not just through the boxed set but also to a land of imagination called Storia.
The rules for No Thank You, Evil are a simplified version of Cook’s Cypher System, built for simplicity and quick play. Characters use nouns, verbs and adjectives in a single line to describe their abilities. They can be adjusted in their complexity and depth to fit whatever style of game the kids might want to play.
Little Monster Detectives
Kids love monsters even when those monsters might keep them up at night. Little Monster Detectives is a storytelling game where kids join the Monster Detective Agency to help trach down monsters that have wandered into the real world. They find the clues, discover the monster and figure out a way to send it home.
This Spanish role playing game has been translated to Enlish after becoming a best seller in Spain. It included stickers that players can use to track the monsters they’ve captured as well as unlock abilities to use in their investigations. It’s also a great choice to teach older children to run so they can play with their younger siblings.
Color My Quest
Coloring remains a choice pastime for kids and, honestly, some adults enjoy it too. Color My Quest incorporates coloring into building characters to play and a world to discover. This is the craftiest game on this list as it also encourages kids to cut up and create the map they follow in their heroic pursuits.
The game uses a simplified version of Powered By The Apocalypse system with two classic six sidex dice. Players can succeed on a high roll, spend a resource to win on a middle roll and ask another player to help on a low roll. There are several adventures that can be played on a rainy day or over a long weekend.
The Mystery Business
Who doesn’t love a good Scooby-Doo mystery? The Mystery Business puts players in charge of their own group of inquisitive kids (and possibly their talking animal companion. Every clue the kids find reduces their fear score and once that score is low enough, they can trap the monster and discover the truth behind the scare.
Unlike most RPGs, this game has very little focus on combat. Players chase the monster or run away from it if the monster confronts them early. The game also encourages teamwork through mechanics so everyone has a hand in solving the mystery.
