2025’s Surprise Hit Fan Favorite Video Game 100% Needs a TTRPG Adaptation

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2025 was a fantastic year for gaming, with both big-budget titles and innovative indie games. Occasionally, a video game comes along that seems perfect for adapting into a tabletop role-playing game, and this recent hit is one of them. It features compelling characters, unfolds through exciting episodes, presents difficult choices, and has gameplay that naturally lends itself to dice, character sheets, and a game master. These games capture the hearts of players not just through entertainment, but by sparking their creativity. People want to expand the story, develop new characters, and continue experiencing the game’s world even after finishing it.

Man, 2025 was the year for games, but nothing really hit me like Dispatch did. Seriously, nobody saw it coming! It started as this small indie title – a superhero game all about making hard choices, developing cool powers, and getting really invested in the characters. But it blew up! It became a total fan favorite, one of the best games of the year, and was everywhere – on Twitch, TikTok, all over the internet with amazing fan art. Then, when Critical Role did a one-shot based on it? Forget about it! The game just skyrocketed. It proved, beyond a doubt, that we need a tabletop RPG version of this, and honestly, before they even think about a Season 2!

Dispatch Would Be Perfect for Table Top

What makes Dispatch so engaging is how it’s designed. The game is divided into short, self-contained missions where you play as heroes dealing with emergencies, solving mysteries, and forming connections with others. This structure feels a lot like playing a tabletop role-playing game – it’s similar to how those games flow with quick adventures, single sessions, or longer storylines. Each chapter of Dispatch feels ready to be played as a tabletop session. Adapting it for tabletop would let the game’s story and world come alive in ways that even story-driven video games can’t match.

The characters in Dispatch are more than just superheroes – they’re realistically flawed, often unsure of themselves, and driven by emotions, just like real people. They stumble, they second-guess their choices, and they grapple with difficult decisions. This relatable quality creates a fantastic setting for players to create and explore their own heroes. As a tabletop game, Dispatch lends itself to ‘Assignments’ – adventures inspired by the game’s cases, ranging from rescues and ethical dilemmas to conspiracies and large-scale crises. The tabletop format allows players to truly shape the story and its consequences in a unique and immersive way.

The core gameplay of Dispatch, with its focus on abilities improving through difficult decisions, could inspire character progression systems like stress tracks, skill trees, or systems that track lasting consequences. Even the game’s unique radio communication could be adapted into tools or mechanics that encourage fast thinking, creative problem-solving, and situations where players need to split up and make independent choices. Game Masters could even act as the ‘radio,’ offering hints and guidance through in-game communication.

As a huge fan of Dispatch, I truly believe it would make an amazing tabletop RPG. What excites me most is that the world feels both expansive and intimate – it’s big enough to have tons of adventures, but not so huge that it feels overwhelming. That sweet spot is what every tabletop designer dreams of, and Dispatch just nails it, effortlessly!

Mutants and Masterminds Needs a Successor

For years, Mutants & Masterminds has been the leading superhero tabletop RPG, offering a lot of customization and detailed rules. However, it hasn’t become hugely popular, likely due to its complex character creation system, and it hasn’t reached the same level of success as Dungeons & Dragons or newer indie games. Superhero RPGs haven’t broken into the mainstream not because people aren’t interested, but because they often lack a welcoming and engaging experience for new players. Dispatch aims to change that.

This game delivers everything superhero fans love – exciting powers, high-stakes danger, and a city on the brink – but it’s designed to be easy to pick up for those new to tabletop roleplaying games. Unlike Mutants & Masterminds, which focuses on complex rules, Dispatch prioritizes a clear, thematic experience with gameplay centered around the story. The superhero RPG community is really looking for fresh ideas, and players consistently show they want systems that emphasize character feelings and motivations over just numbers and stats.

Dispatch has a built-in advantage with its existing fanbase and recognizable name. Its story structure is flexible enough to support various types of campaigns – from quick, four-session adventures and ‘Monster of the Week’ style games, to deeply personal character stories and sprawling superhero epics. Paired with the right game system – something either simple and story-focused or a moderately complex ruleset like Daggerheart – Dispatch has the potential to become the leading modern superhero tabletop RPG, particularly given the current popularity of Marvel and superheroes.

Critical Role Could Take the IP Even Further

Although Dispatch and Adhoc Studio are well-regarded, a key factor in the game’s success is Critical Role’s participation. They’ve truly transformed the scene. Their storytelling has a huge audience, their production quality is excellent, and they’re uniquely capable of making RPGs into major cultural moments. The fact that Critical Role previously played a Dispatch one-shot was incredibly beneficial. It brought the game to the attention of a much wider audience than initially expected, and immediately generated excitement about a possible tabletop version.

Imagine if Darrington Press fully developed Dispatch as a complete tabletop RPG, not just a one-time adventure. Critical Role has demonstrated its ability to create popular, modern RPG systems, as seen with Daggerheart, which is gaining fans even alongside established games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. A full Dispatch RPG published by them would benefit from built-in marketing and the potential for lots of additional content and expansions. This could be the first superhero RPG to really break into the mainstream, and because Critical Role already understands the world of Dispatch, they’re in a unique position to do it well.

Critical Role getting involved would send a powerful message to the tabletop role-playing game industry: superhero games can be just as well-made, story-driven, and popular as fantasy games. While Mutants & Masterminds is good, a new, easier-to-learn superhero RPG like Dispatch could really transform the hobby.

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2025-12-02 20:44