Free RPG Day June 25th 2022 (North America) OR July 23rd 2022 (rest of the world)

[ORtrail]

The publishers and exact releases for Free RPG Day are still being worked on, but anyone making plans to run a game for it?

Free RPG Day is June 17th, 2023! - Free RPG Day

Free RPG Day works with top RPG publishers to create the can’t miss RPG event of the year at hobby game stores around the world. Participating retailers will receive a treasure trove of new and exclusive RPG adventures, previews, and accessories to provide an unparalleled day of roleplaying...

www.freerpgday.com

I'm working on finalizing my plans to attend in Portland, Oregon. Red Castle Games is planning to have games run and even offering a $25 store credit for those that GM a game (from their list of indie RPGs). It's really being used by them to promote RPGs other than D&D/Pathfinder. That said, they'd like to see games run that they have on hand to sell to players (it is a business after all).

I'm debating between Tales From the Loop, Kids on Bikes, or Dune. I've run TFtL a couple times and it would be the easy option. On the other hand, I do like the idea of running a game less familiar to me. I'll make up my mind before the end of May (the deadline so Red Castle Games can put their schedule together).

I do need to ask them about any plans for masking up. I attended RadCon back in February and we had widely spaced tables and mandatory facemasks. It went well, though I felt a bit like I was shouting to make sure everyone the table could hear me.

 

[carpocratian]

Unfortunately, very few of the game stores in my area participate in Free RPG Day any more, despite living near a major metropolitan area. By "my area," I mean "within an hour's drive." Those that do have something going on tend to either have strings attached to getting a copy, or don't order that many copies of the games, or do something else that makes it even less worthwhile to make the drive.

 

[ORtrail]

Most of the publishers are now showing what their releases for Free RPG Day 2022 are going to be. Just scroll down on the main page.

Free RPG Day is June 17th, 2023! - Free RPG Day

Free RPG Day works with top RPG publishers to create the can’t miss RPG event of the year at hobby game stores around the world. Participating retailers will receive a treasure trove of new and exclusive RPG adventures, previews, and accessories to provide an unparalleled day of roleplaying...

www.freerpgday.com

The Modiphius starter book for Homeworld: Revelations looks like my top choice for this year.

 

[Skywalker]

Root Quickstart for me. I have the first two and they are good.

 

[Fenris-77]

Kids on Bikes is pretty slick, with low cognitive overhead system-wise, and running a Stranger Things kind of scenario isn't tough to do. That would be my pick.

 

[Caesar Slaad]

I typically help organize Free RPG day at the LGS.

It's highly likely that I run Broken Compass this year. I see CMON (who is now the owner of the publisher) is on the list, I'm guessing they'll have a BC title.

 

[AsenRG]

There's pretty decent odds that I'd be outside of the city on 23rd July. Ah well, if I miss it, I miss it.

I'd probably go for R.Talsorian or DCC otherwise.

 

[Simlasa]

Unfortunately, very few of the game stores in my area participate in Free RPG Day any more, despite living near a major metropolitan area. By "my area," I mean "within an hour's drive."

Same here... unless it's 5e it doesn't exist.
I'm considering a road trip to somewhere with better game stores... or seeing if I can just buy a couple things off of Noble Knight (ick) afterward. Mostly I just want the DCC offering...

 

[SamuraiHaiku]

Last Free RPG Day, my local comic shop (Fantasy Shop, StL, MO) celebrated by giving a free rpg only if you bought a boxed set of another rpg. Now I’ll drop a dime at a comicbook shop with the best of them, but that was the last time they got my money.

 

[ORtrail]

A bit of a repeat of my initial post, but for those that skip through threads....

Red Castle Games in Portland, OR has pushed indie RPGs for Free RPG Day. They don't allow D&D or Pathfinder, but rather games run like:

Blades in the Dark
Cyberpunk R
Dialect
Dune
Fiasco
Kids on Bikes
Kids on Brooms
Monsterhearts
Ryuutama
Shadowrun
Tales from the Loop
Warhammer 40K: Wrath and Glory
World Wide Wrestling
G.I. Joe RPG
Power Rangers RPG

The focus is on indie games in print that they can sell at the store, which is a good business decision, but older out-of-print RPGs and PDF only are sadly left out. They give the GMs who run a game a $25 store credit; which helps explain why between store employees running games and returning GMs from previous years they have a FULL schedule this year.

They also have strict masking rules which includes having your vax card. Better safe than sorry, right?

 

[AsenRG]

They also have strict masking rules which includes having your vax card. Better safe than sorry, right?

Yeah, I wish we had a store like that here. Though maybe we do, I haven't visited them all lately!