Free RPG Day has come and gone, and although not as big as Free Comic Book Day, the former has its legions of supporters. Not every local games shop participates, as they have to pay for shipping the items to them, but in those that do, the joy in discovering what’s new to play is part of the fun. The event helps bring people who love using their imagination to bring to life realms like Dungeons and Dragons. In the world of role-playing games, the sky is the limit for fantasy, military strategy and science fiction. With the roll of the dice, fates of characters are determined.
Ever since this event’s inception on June 16, 2007 by Impressions Game Distribution Services, the interest is there. This celebration has its host of regular sponsors, like Chessex, Pelgrane Press and Q-Workshop. Other companies participate when they have new products to promote. GAMA (The Game Manufacturers Association) is a major sponsor. Their mission is to promote the interests of all persons involved in the commerce of games and game-related products and their vision is to instill a positive impression of tabletop games in the mainstream consciousness, and to effect a significant increase in game play throughout the world.
2016 is the tenth year of this event. The future remains optimistic as kinks still need to be ironed out and the chief organizer, Aldo Ghiozzi, is well aware of the growing pains. Further support is needed to really make this event shine and if there are investors willing to help grow Free RPG Day, all the better. A transcription of his interview with Gamerati can be found here addressing the future.
Otaku no Culture offers a retrospective in what was missed with the following five favourite picks from each year, since its inception. Each year had 15-20 items offered by various companies of their wares, and often, most of them were made exclusively for Free RPG Day to introduce interested players to a hobby that’s sometimes misunderstood. To loosely borrow a phrase from Star Trek, “To boldly go where no person has gone before,” all anyone has to do is be open to new possibilites. Fascinating worlds are out there to explore and as the episode “Journey’s End” in The Next Generation suggested, the human imagination is key to enter new planes of existence. Gary Gygax would be proud.
2007 |
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Adventure Games | Tell Qa: Northern Bastion of the Falling Empire | ||||
(Wilderlands of High Adventure OGL Setting) | |||||
Amarillo Design | Starfleet Battles Quickstart Rules | ||||
Black Industries | WFRP: The Pig, The Witch, and Her Lover | ||||
Goodman | Xcrawl: Dungeonbattle Brooklyn (Xcrawl Adventure) |
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White Wolf | Changeling: The Lost Quickstart Rules | ||||
2008 |
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Exile Game Studios | Hollow Earth Expedition Adventure | ||||
Fiery Dragon | Monte Cook Iron Heroes Adventure | ||||
Mongoose | Conan Adventure | ||||
Pelgrane | GUMSHOE Quickstart & Adventure: Trail of Cthulhu | ||||
Skirmisher | Little Orc Wars Quickstart & Skirmish Scenario | ||||
2009 |
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Fantasy Flight Games | Rogue Trader RPG Adventure | ||||
Lone Wolf | Hero Lab demo w/ unique data files | ||||
Mongoose | The Troubleshooter Reference Manual | ||||
Introduction to Dragon Warriors | |||||
Corporation: Grab the Cache | |||||
Paizo | Pathfinder Bonus Bestiary | ||||
Wizards of the Coast | Khyber’s Harvest Eberron 4E | ||||
2010 |
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Columbia Games | Harn Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
Exile Game Studios | Hollow Earth Expedition Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
Goodman Games | Age of Cthulhu | ||||
Troll Lord Games | C&C Quickstart and Adventure | ||||
Wizards of the Coast | Dark Sun Adventure | ||||
2011 |
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Amarillo Design Bureau | Prime Directive Adventure “Starship ALDO” | ||||
Fantasy Flight Games | Broken Chains: An Intro To Black Crusade | ||||
Mayfair Games | Settlers of Catan: Catanimal Variant | ||||
Pinnacle | Savage Worlds | ||||
Valkyrie Games | Stellar Horizons Quickstart | ||||
2012 |
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Catalyst Game Labs | A Time of War: BattleTech RPG/Shadowrun Quickstart Flipbook | ||||
Eden Studios | Conspiracy X Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
Jon Brazer Enterprises | Pathfinder “Shadowsfall: Temple of Orcus” | ||||
Louis Porter Jr. Design | NeoExodus Pathfinder Adventure | ||||
Wizards of the Coast | D&D4E Adventure “Dead in the Eye” | ||||
2013 |
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Fantasy Flight Games | Star Wars: Edge of the Empire | ||||
Flying Buffalo | “Fire Dwarves of Zorr” Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls | ||||
Frog God Games | Swords & Wizardry Adventure “Hall of Bones” | ||||
Onyx Path Publishing | Vampire: The Requiem Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
Paizo | Pathfinder RPG Adventure “We Be Goblins Too!” | ||||
2014 |
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Boothroyd & Allnut | Godsfall RPG Quickstart | ||||
Catalyst Game Labs | Shadowrun/A Time of War Quickstart Flipbook | ||||
Onyx Path Publishing | Mage20 Quickstart | ||||
Paizo | Risen from the Sands | ||||
Pelgrane Press | 13th Age Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
2015 |
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9th Level Games | Kobolds Ate My Baby Adventure “YOU IZ KOBOLD!” | ||||
Campaign Coins | Silver Sword 1000 Coin | ||||
Khepera Publishing | Hellas & Atlantis RPG Quickstart | ||||
Steve Jackson Games | Munchkin Bookmark | ||||
Wyrd Miniatures | Through the Reach RPG Quickstart | ||||
2016 |
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Burning Games | Faith: The Sci-Fi RPG | ||||
Catalyst Game Labs | Valiant RPG Quickstart | ||||
Chaosium | Call of Cthulhu Adventure “The Derelict” | ||||
Khepera Publishing | Atlantis RPG Quickstart & Adventure | ||||
Wyrd Miniatures | Through the Breach RPG Quickstart |