Japanese role-playing games
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese role-playing games (also called JRPG) made their first appearance during the late 1980s. Today, there are hundreds of Japanese-designed games as well as several translated games. Traditional role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s are referred to as pen-and-paper RPGs
Role-playing game (pen and paper)
A tabletop role-playing game, pen-and-paper role-playing game, or Table-talk role-playing game is a form of role-playing game in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech...
in English-speaking countries, and are called Tabletalk RPG or TRPG in Japan to distinguish them from the video role-playing
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
game genre.
History
In the 1970s, Japanese role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s received little attention, as gamers instead played English RPG titles. It was not until the 1980s, when role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s such as Wizardry
Wizardry
Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
, Ultima, Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
and Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
helped popularize the genre, that home-grown RPGs started gaining popularity. Several computer game magazines also introduced traditional role-playing games.
Some of the earliest Japanese RPGs were science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
titles, including Donkey Commando in 1982 and Enterprise: Role Play Game in Star Trek in 1983. Classic Traveller was the first translated RPG in 1984, with Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
following in 1985. One of the earliest Japanese-designed traditional fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
RPGs was titled Roads to Lord, published in 1984. Group SNE
Group SNE
Group SNE is a Japanese company founded in 1986 by the current president Hitoshi Yasuda, which produces role-playing games, light novels, board games and card games. Ryo Mizuno was one of the founding members. Group SNE is named after Syntax Error, the programming language BASIC's term...
pioneered a new book genre called Replay in the late 1980s; this new genre consists of session logs arranged as publications. The first replay, Record of Lodoss War
Record of Lodoss War
is a franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno based around the work he originally created for a world called Forcelia for role-playing games . There have since been multiple manga, anime and computer game adaptations, several of which have been translated into English...
, was a replay of Dungeons and Dragons that has been published in Comptiq
Comptiq
is a Japanese computer game magazine, first published in 1983, by Kadokawa Shoten. The name "Comptiq" came from combining the words "computer" and "boutique". Originally a PC magazine, its focus shifted from computers to computer games. As of September 2003, it has been known as a "MediaMix Game...
magazine since 1986. Replays and novels of Record of Lodoss War gave birth to the fantasy RPG genre.
A typical format of a replay:
Game master: In this scene, you should think the reason why your PCs team up the party with each other.
Amu: Well, I will visit Eiji's home, because Eiji became an adventurer. At last, he will repay the money he borrowed from me.
Eiji: Hi, Amu. I became an adventurer at long last. Please lend your money to me again.(Haha.) I don't have money, because I bought chainmail.
Sword World RPG
Sword World RPG
is a very popular Japanese role-playing game created by Group SNE. 10 million copies of the related books including rulebooks, novels and replays have been sold....
was published in 1989 and became popular very quickly. A notable feature found in Sword World was Forcelia, which included Lodoss island from the Record of the Lodoss War. Analysis of the game’s success suggests that:
- The designers took ideas from many famous American games including D&D, AD&D, Middle-earth Role PlayingMiddle-earth Role PlayingMiddle-earth Role Playing is a 1984 role-playing game based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises published the game until they lost the license on 22 Sep 1999.-Setting:The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J. R. R...
, and RuneQuestRuneQuestRuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
and modified the settings to suit Japanese tastes. - Compared to (A)D&D and other contemporary games, Sword World RPG had a flexible, less restricted, multi-class system.
- It used only ordinary 6-sided dice. Other polyhedral dice are uncommon, especially in rural Japan.
- It was tied up with light novelLight novelA is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s and replays. - The paperback (bunkobonBunkobonIn Japan, bunkobon are small-format paperback books, designed to be affordable and portable.The great majority of bunkobon are A6 in size...
) rulebooks are inexpensive and portable.
Notable role-playing games in late 80's and early 90's include:
| 1988 | Wizardry RPG | Group SNE Group SNE Group SNE is a Japanese company founded in 1986 by the current president Hitoshi Yasuda, which produces role-playing games, light novels, board games and card games. Ryo Mizuno was one of the founding members. Group SNE is named after Syntax Error, the programming language BASIC's term... |
RPG version of Wizardry Wizardry Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ... |
| 1989 | Sword World RPG Sword World RPG is a very popular Japanese role-playing game created by Group SNE. 10 million copies of the related books including rulebooks, novels and replays have been sold.... |
Group SNE | |
| 1989 | Record of Lodoss War Record of Lodoss War is a franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno based around the work he originally created for a world called Forcelia for role-playing games . There have since been multiple manga, anime and computer game adaptations, several of which have been translated into English... Companion |
Group SNE | |
| 1990 | Blue Forest Story | 1st ed. Tsukuda Hobby 2nd ed. FarEast Amusement Research FarEast Amusement Research FarEast Amusement Research is a Japanese company founded in 1993 by the current president Tarou Suzufuki, which produces role-playing games, board games and light novels. F.E.A.R. has a subsidiary publishing company named Game Field. Game Field publishes bimonthly RPG magazine Gamers Field since... F.E.A.R. (1996) |
Fantasy world similar to Southeast Asia Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic... |
| 1991 | Gear Antique Gear Antique is one of the earliest steampunk role-playing games, created by Kenji Fushimi and originally published by Tsukuda Hobby in 1991 in Japan.The game is set in the world of Machiloney that is similar to Europe in the 19th century. There are not only steam-driven machines but also magic, monsters, the... |
1st ed. Tsukuda Hobby 2nd ed. F.E.A.R (1999) |
One of the earliest Steampunk Steampunk Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United... RPG |
| 1992 | Crystania Legend of Crystania is a full-length Japanese animated motion picture. The film has been officially released on VHS and DVD in North America by ADV Films. It takes place in the same fantasy world as two other series, Record of Lodoss War and Rune Soldier, albeit on a different continent... Companion |
Group SNE | |
| 1992 | GURPS Runal GURPS Runal is a role-playing game supplement that was written in Japanese language for the GURPS game rules. It was written by Shou Tomono and Group SNE, then first published in 1992. Over twenty novels of a series named have been published based upon GURPS Runal.... |
Group SNE | |
| 1993 | Tokyo NOVA Tokyo NOVA is a cyberpunk role-playing game with a long history in Japan. It is currently in its fourth edition: Tokyo NOVA The Detonation. It is possible to play stories in the cyberpunk, hardboiled crime fiction, and contemporary fantasy genres.... |
F.E.A.R. | The most successful cyberpunk RPG in Japan |
| 1994 | GURPS Youmayakou | Group SNE | English title: “GURPS Damned Stalkers” |
| 1996 | Seven Fortress | F.E.A.R. | Popular fantasy RPG |
Until the 1990s, Group SNE was a leading role-playing game company in Japan; in the late 1990s, the RPG craze ended (see History of role-playing games
History of role-playing games
The history of role-playing games begins with an earlier tradition of role-playing, which combined with the rulesets of fantasy wargames in the 1970s to give rise to the modern role-playing game. A role-playing game is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and...
). Role-playing games were defeated by trading card games, or TCG’s, such as Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
and Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
; and most RPG magazines were discontinued or changed into TCG magazines. This period is called the Winter Age of TRPG by Japanese gamers.
The Spring Age spans from 1999-2002. Notable role-playing games of this age are Blade of Arcana
Blade of Arcana
is a Japanese language epic fantasy role-playing game released in 1999. Its setting is similar to medieval Europe, including strong church of monotheism, religious wars and knight-errants....
(1999), Double Cross
Double Cross (role-playing game)
Double Cross is a Japanese superhero role-playing game released in 2001. The game was the second winner of the 1st Game Field Award behind Inou Tsukai. The theme of Double Cross is solitude and distress of superhuman trying to maintain his or her own happiness.-Premise:The default setting is...
(2001), Night Wizard!
Night Wizard!
is a Japanese contemporary fantasy role-playing game designed by Takeshi Kikuchi and FarEast Amusement Research released in 2002. In the modern-day earth campaign setting, player characters called Wizards fight against the world enemy named Emulators and their lords Maō and explore the dungeons...
(2002) and Alshard
Alshard
is a Japanese role-playing game designed by Jun'ichi Inoue and FarEast Amusement Research. It was released in July 2002. The current, version 1.5, known as was published in July 2005. It is a fantasy role-playing game with mechanical items like as Final Fantasy...
(2002). In 2007, Night Wizard! was created into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series. The expansion of generic role-playing game system
Generic role-playing game system
A generic role-playing game system or universal role-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre...
named Standard RPG System
Standard RPG System
The Standard RPG System is Japanese role-playing game system developed by FarEast Amusement Research and used in Alshard, Tenra War, Kaze no Stigma RPG, Shinkyoku Sōkai Polyphonica RPG and so on...
was based upon Alshard's game system since 2006. They were all made by F.E.A.R. and grew to be one of the newer leading RPG companies in Japan.
Japanese games
In Japan, domestically-made role-playing games are competitive in the market. Despite the market’s smallness, a lot of original products are published. For example, 95 domestically-made RPG rulebooks, excluding supplements, were published from 2000 to 2007. In the same period of time, 25 translated RPG rulebooks were published.D&D receives a considerable amount of popularity; however, due to the existence of big name competitors, it does not dominate the market.
Sword world RPG, an orthodox fantasy RPG produced by Group SNE, has been popular since 1990’s. There is little novelty in the setting, but it is a comprehensible fantasy. In addition, there are several original settings for GURPS made by Group SNE. Most games of SNE were tied up with light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s or anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
such as Record of Lodoss War, Legend of Crystania and Rune Soldier
Rune Soldier
is an anime and manga series based on the original novel series by Ryo Mizuno, which features soldier Louie as the hero. The series takes place on the continent of Alecrast on the world called Forcelia, and is related to the novel, anime, and manga series Sword World...
. In most cases, SNE's campaign settings provide idyllic and predetermined harmonious adventures. In a certain sense, their non-savagery worlds strongly influenced and dictated the direction of early light novels and Japanese fantasies.
F.E.A.R. games are more heroic and dramatic than usual games. Characters seen in Tokyo NOVA
Tokyo NOVA
is a cyberpunk role-playing game with a long history in Japan. It is currently in its fourth edition: Tokyo NOVA The Detonation. It is possible to play stories in the cyberpunk, hardboiled crime fiction, and contemporary fantasy genres....
, Blade of Arcana and Alshard are mighty heroes who possess supreme powers. Also, several connection rules represent dramatic human relationships. F.E.A.R. specializes in creating unique fantasy worlds, ranging from firearms to androids.
Console and computer RPG has a profound influence. For example, Alshard is inspired by Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
and Arianrhod RPG
Arianrhod RPG
Arianrhod RPG is a Japanese fantasy role-playing game released in 2004. At present, Arianrhod RPG is one of the most popular traditional RPG in Japan like as Sword World 2.0, Alshard and Dungeons and Dragons...
(2004) is inspired by Ragnarok Online
Ragnarok Online
Ragnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many other...
. Story-oriented games are also influenced by various foreign role-playing games, such as Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2020 is a cyberpunk role-playing game written by Mike Pondsmith and published by R. Talsorian Games.- Overview :This role-playing game is based on the works of William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and other authors of the "Mirrorshades group"...
, Torg
Torg
Torg is a cinematic multi-genre role-playing game created by Greg Gorden and Bill Slavicsek and released by West End Games in 1990, which uses several innovative techniques...
and World of Darkness
World of Darkness
"World of Darkness" is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes created as settings for supernatural horror themed role-playing games. It is also the name of roleplaying games in the second and third settings...
.
Adventure Planning Service (Bouken Kikaku-kyoku) produced SATASUPE
SATASUPE
is a Japanese crime action role-playing game. The title "SATASUPE" is derived from the English words "Saturday night special". It is also known as an Asian Punk RPG. The setting is similar to Japanese movie Swallowtail Butterfly...
(2003) and Meikyu kingdom
Meikyu kingdom
is a Japanese fantasy role-playing game designed by Touichirou Kawashima and Adventure Planning Service. Core rulebooks of the second edition is composed of two books, Oukoku Book and Meikyu Book .The magical Dungeon Hazard turned the whole world into dungeons...
(2004), and prefer cynically tongue-in-cheek settings; the utilization of capricious dice often confuse and exhilarate the stories.
This section is a stub.
From English to Japanese
The most popular translated role-playing game is Dungeons and Dragons, which has been translated over six times. (Classic D&D 3rd Revision, AD&D 2nd ed., D&D Rules Cyclopedia, D&D 3rd ed., v3.5, 4th Edition)A multitude of Japanese d20 systems have been developed; such as Torch Port - an original D&D city campaign setting; Metal Head d20 - a d20 version of the Japanese cyberpunk RPG released in 1990; and Wares Blade d20 - a d20 version of popular fantasy Mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
RPG Wares Blade released in 1989.
Other famous and popular translated systems include: Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
, Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
(including Advanced Fighting Fantasy), GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
, RuneQuest
RuneQuest
RuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
(including Hero Wars) , Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
, Stormbringer
Stormbringer (role-playing game)
The Stormbringer fantasy role-playing game published by Chaosium puts the players in the world of the Young Kingdoms, based on the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock. The game takes its name from Elric’s sword, Stormbringer...
(including Elric!), Traveller, Tunnels and Trolls
Tunnels and Trolls
Tunnels & Trolls is a fantasy role-playing game designed by Ken St. Andre and first published in 1975 by Flying Buffalo. The second modern role-playing game published, it was written by Ken St...
, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
and World of Darkness systems. Each title has been translated several times, releasing many different editions. Some games were modified in Japanese and later released, such as RuneQuest 90's and Hyper Tunnels and Trolls.
Also several minor products, such as Cyberpunk 2020, Dark Conspiracy
Dark Conspiracy
Dark Conspiracy is a near-future horror role-playing game originally developed by Game Designers' Workshop in 1991. In 1997, the Second Edition was published by DPI...
, Dragon Warriors
Dragon Warriors
Dragon Warriors is a fantasy role playing game system written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson and published by Corgi Books between the years 1985 and 1986. In 2009 it was re-collected in a new hardcover edition by Mongoose Publishing...
, Earthdawn
Earthdawn
Earthdawn is a fantasy role-playing game, originally produced by FASA in 1993. In 1999 it was licensed to Living Room Games, which produced the Second Edition...
, The Fantasy Trip
The Fantasy Trip
The Fantasy Trip is a role-playing game that was designed by Steve Jackson and was published by Metagaming Concepts.It was developed from Metagaming's Melee and Wizard MicroGames, also designed by Steve Jackson, which provided the basic combat and magic rules...
, HârnMaster
HârnMaster
HârnMaster is a fantasy role-playing game based in the fantasy world of Hârn. The system, like the world, was designed primarily by N. Robin Crossby....
, It Came From The Late, Late, Late Show, James Bond 007
James Bond 007 (role-playing game)
James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service was a spy fiction role-playing game, designed by Gerard Christopher Klug, and published by Victory Games , based on the James Bond books and films. The game, and many supplements, were published from 1983 until 1987, when the license lapsed...
, Maelstrom
Maelstrom (role playing game)
Maelstrom is a role-playing game by Alexander Scott, published in 1984 by Puffin Books as a single soft cover book. The book provided a wealth of information for role-playing in a 16th century or 17th century European setting although the rules could be easily adapted to any time period or location...
, MechWarrior
MechWarrior (role-playing game)
MechWarrior is a role-playing game set in the fictional BattleTech universe in which players can assume the roles of MechWarriors or other individuals in the 31st century. The game has had three editions and many expansions and adventures, the first of which was published in 1986 by FASA...
, Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing is a 1984 role-playing game based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises published the game until they lost the license on 22 Sep 1999.-Setting:The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J. R. R...
, The Monster Horror Show, Rolemaster
Rolemaster
Rolemaster is a role-playing game published by Iron Crown Enterprises. Rolemaster has come in four separate editions. The 3rd edition, first published in 1995, is also known as the "Rolemaster Standard System" . There are two editions currently in production...
, Torg, and Violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
have all been translated once.
Foreign games have recently been released in 2008. These titles are Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition, both published by Hobby Japan
Hobby Japan
HobbyJAPAN CO. is a Japanese hobby magazine and publishing company, specializing in roleplaying, war, and tabletop games, as well as action figures, toys, and artbooks for successful anime, manga and light novel franchises.- Role-playing games :...
.
From Japanese to other languages
The first RPG translated from Japanese into another language was the Sword World RPG. Its basic rulebook and scenarios were translated into KoreanKorean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. (:ko:소드 월드 RPG)
In 2008, the Maid RPG was completely translated from Japanese into English. Tenra Bansho Zero was projected to be the first translation into English; however, Maid was completed first. The original .PDF release of Maid had to be re-edited, due to the controversial content it contained.
Replays
In Japan, a lot of RPG replays are commercially-published. Replays are more popular than RPG novels. Not only replays of Japanese games but also replays of translated games such as GURPS, D&D, Shadowrun, and WFRP were published.RPG magazines
A list of several RPG magazines:- Role & Roll (R&R) – Published monthly, since 2003; it focuses on games of Group SNE, Adventure Planning Service, F.E.A.R., and other companies.
- Gamers Field (GF) – Published bimonthly, since 1996; it is the official magazine for only F.E.A.R. games.
- Kikan RPG – Published quarterly, since 2007; its former title is RPGamer. It focuses on d20 systemD20 SystemThe d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
products and on indie role-playing gameIndie role-playing gameAn indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate...
s.
- GAME JAPAN – Published monthly, it is not a RPG magazine, but a few pages support D&D, Warhammer Fantasy RoleplayWarhammer Fantasy RoleplayWarhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
, and Hobby JapanHobby JapanHobbyJAPAN CO. is a Japanese hobby magazine and publishing company, specializing in roleplaying, war, and tabletop games, as well as action figures, toys, and artbooks for successful anime, manga and light novel franchises.- Role-playing games :...
's products.
- Dragon Magazine – Published bimonthly; Sword World RPGSword World RPGis a very popular Japanese role-playing game created by Group SNE. 10 million copies of the related books including rulebooks, novels and replays have been sold....
and Arianrhod RPGArianrhod RPGArianrhod RPG is a Japanese fantasy role-playing game released in 2004. At present, Arianrhod RPG is one of the most popular traditional RPG in Japan like as Sword World 2.0, Alshard and Dungeons and Dragons...
are supported in its contents.
- Charano!Charano!, is a monthly Japanese light novel magazine, first published on September 2006. The magazine is aimed at young adult males. It was first titled Novel Japan, but on June 30, 2007 its title was changed to Charano!.-Serialized works:*Alexion Saga...
– Published monthly; Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
replays are serialized in its contents.