I usually think of Tunnels & Trolls as a solitaire adventure because of the number of incredibly enjoyable solo modules I have for this system, but Tunnels & Trolls (T&T) is also a fine group tabletop adventure game, one which encourages the group to cooperate even more than most RPGs and collectively engage in creative problem solving. T&T has a unique combat mechanic in which all the players make their attack rolls and add them together to compare to the monster's total - high score inflicts damage on the low score equal to the difference. If the player characters are to take damage, the players together allocate that damage among their characters. Playing solo one hardly notices all this, but it is a mechanic that emphasizes the group over the individual.
Shadowrun is among the games I usually only get to play at conventions, but it is one I enjoy party because of the emphasis on teamwork and mutual planning. In Shadowrun everyone plays a "runner" or operative who works covertly, behind the scenes and under cover...in the shadows. Adventures consist of a mission, usually something that takes discretion and stealth, leaving no trail behind. Players specialize in various skill sets that when brought together with other players gives everyone a role and the whole team either succeeds or fails together. Cooperation is again the name of the game in Shadowrun.
Tabletop role-playing games of the pen and paper variety such as White Box have inspired game designers to take the role-playing, dungeon crawling concept into other game realms, notably computer and video games, and card and board games. David Megarry developed the first such boardgame, a dungeon crawl simply titled Dungeon! while working alongside Dave Arneson as he developed the role-playing game campaign, Blackmoor. According to gamer legend, both concepts were shown to Gary Gygax the same weekend.
In more recent decades, the RPG element in games of all sorts has expanded, often to include cooperative mechanics that allow all, or at least all except one (who controls the bad guys), of the players to work together supporting the efforts of each other and combining individual character talents and resources to achieve a common goal. The group of players succeed or fail all together.
Today some of my favorite games are card and boardgames that have a heavy role-playing element. One of the oldest and still a favorite is the boardgame Talisman, originally done by Games Workshop and featuring fantasy characters who adventure around a board. Fantasy Flight Games' Runebound has been a favorite since it's release in 2004 and gives one of the best feels for playing a RPG using the boardgame format. Talisman and Runebound are competitive games, but some of the more recent titles make use of cooperative mechanics. Fantasy Flight Games' Lord of the Rings living card game is a favorite deck building adventure game set in Prof. Tolkien's Middle Earth which delivers an excellent cooperative role-playing experience when using multi-player mode. Each player controls one to three characters from the lore who may acquire items and abilities as play progresses. The many scenarios are challenging and require the characters and players to work together in order to be successful.
Dragonfire and the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game are based on 5th Edition and Pathfinder respectively and are role-playing card games, plain and simple. Take the RPG experience and convert it to a card game is the goal and they both succeed fairly well. Dungeon Roll and Dungeon of Fortune are two titles by Tasty Minstrel Games that have a fun RPG feel. Tiny Epic Quest is a fantasy game with a more abstract role-play element, but I find it fun.
Gloomhaven by Cephalofair Games is a newcomer, but already stands out among the several good cooperative fantasy boardgames with an RPG feel. Its card driven combat mechanic and huge depth of play would make this a remarkable game even without the engaging setting, storyline and immersive components. Besides Gloomhaven, there are several very nice FRP boardgames I currently enjoy playing and the ones with a good cooperative feel are among my favorites. Those include Mistfall by NSKN Games/Passport Game Studios, Legacy of Dragonholt by Fantasy Flight and Zombicide by CMON.
Throughout the history of tabletop games, most have been competitive - one side wins, the other doesn't. In multi-player games it is usual to have a single winner and several others who don't. Ours is a hobby which turns the game concept of winners and losers on its head. The goals are cooperation, creativity and mutual fun. And that, my friends, is what brings me to the table!
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