Gateway RPGs in different countries

#1

I wasnt 100% sure whether to put this here or in rpg chat, but I believe its design related, so I did here.
Some time ago I started to try and get information about gateway games - games which were the first that kickstarted rpg community in a given country (or more then one, if that’s the case). I believe that first popular game is usually the one that becomes the point of reference, and also shapes design trends and community.
I know that in US and many many countries it was D&D, but for example in Poland it was Warhammer.

This is what I got so far:

I would welcome any additional info (doc its editable), and also discussion on how games in different countries inspired design trends and community there.

EDIT:
Games I got at the moment of posting:

Country Gateway games
Poland Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Germany Die Schwarze Auge
Sweden Drakar och Demoner (CoC/BRP inspired)
France D&D / Die Schwarze Auge
Japan Sword World
Spain D&D (to be confirmed)
Israel D&D (to be confirmed)
Brazil GURPS and Vampire the Masquerade
Russia Russian gateway game was Age of Aquarius (local developed) in early 00-th. And Savage Worlds from 2011 till now.
Norway The red and blue box of BEMCI D&D was translated into Norwegian in the mid '80s. Also the Norwegian edition of Drakar och Demoner.
New Zealand D&D (Red Box and later)
Austria Die Schwarze Auge
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#2

For Germany, it’s certainly Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye in English).

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#3

Yes, for me it was. DSA was available from regular bookstores which helped to lot. You could send your mom there for your birthday present. For all other stuffs we had to drive to Düsseldorf to go to the Fantasticshop which was a long way without a car and you had to bring looooots of money, too.

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#4

Yes definitely Das Schwarze Auge in Germany. I had started with the first version where rules and setting were still fairly simple.

Btw it is Das Schwarze Auge (not die).

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#5

Sword World is a big gateway RPG in Japan, but Call of Cthulhu is just as big (probably bigger).

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#6

Yes, cool. We registered three different clubs for all our players just to get that welcome package (some sheets and a d20). Esp. the dice were rare back at that time. Aaah, sweet nostalgia :wink:

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#7

WRT Poland it depends on “when?” as mainstream games changed over time. There is an old current (some would say an infamous one) of what’s known as “jesienna gawęda” (Autumn Tale/Fable) which is pretty hard to explain but can be simplified to “deep games are all about suffering and pain and you want your game to be deep”. This led to WFRP tradition of gloomy ambience, rain, mud and world void of hope. I barely touched Warh so I don’t know if this is at all what authors intended. I suppose not.

Whether this contributed or not, IDK, but Poland was WoD heavy for a long time. I’d go as far as claim that VtM penetrated mainstream more than WFRP ever did attracting people of all genders (but that could just be my POV so take it with a grain of salt). This was around late '90s.

Then once D&D 3ed got translated I suspect it became the gateway drug. WFRP was long out of print and D&D guides (dm/player ones) were claimed to be the best selling rpg books ever.

There’s a helfy contingent of BW and AW gamers post 2010 which were very active but I didn’t pay attention any more so don’t know if this became the new common “first”.

It’s also worth noting that Poland had it’s first local RPG syndicated in a popular rpg magazine (Kryształy Czasu/Stones-or-Gems-or-Crystals of Time). I know people who started with it but I think WFRP was more commonly run for newcomers. Poland is also heavy into post-apo (it had one of the largest Fallout scenes out there) which led to a game that fused jesienna gawęda with post-apo looting: Neuroshima. It was huge at one point and was a gateway rpg for many video game fans turn roleplayers.

But this is all my perception and I don’t have the numbers so Warhammer in the spreadsheet is probably a safe bet. :wink:

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#8

Being from Poland and starting from KC I all know that. And WFRP was definitely the first “boom”. Which is what I defined here as gateway game. But thanks for extensive post anyway.

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#9

I figured you’re Polish. Just wanted to point out that my POV doesn’t match at all. Whatever that indicates, I don’t know. :wink: And as far as boom goes, wouldn’t that be D&D 3ed still? It spread beyond tabletop and fantasy buffs.

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#10

Although the first tabletop RPG ever played in Spain was (probably) Traveller (source), the hobby took off with the first editions of D&D.

So, yes, you are right it was D&D in Spain.

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#11

In Hungary MAGUS used to be the gateway game (it was a D&D-esque, class-and-level game with damage reducing armour, mana points, and its built-in world supported by multiple fantasy novels), especially in the 90s. Then, it was either Vampire: the Masquarade (3rd edition) or D&D 3.0. Nowadays, I think it’s D&D 5E, but I’m not entirely sure.

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#12

Well, WFRP was the one that created the community - lot of people active in the hobby in various position, started through Warhammer. Yes - D&D spread it wider, but I think “community building” aspect is what makes it gateway game for me.
D&D gave us another big wave though.

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#13

Maybe, but that’s simply not my experience. :slight_smile:

#14

Sure thing. I believe identifying subsequent “waves” is more correct. For my own intent (and in my mind) I identified it as the wave which coincided with most publishers, fanzines etc appearing. But for some countries I noted more then one game.

#15

I’m from Poland as well and my history absolutely confirms both your points: the first game I ever played was WFRP in mid 90s, the first game I ever owned and ran was Vampire the Masquerade, which I got in the late 90s. So as far as I’m concerned, you’re both right. BTW, I didn’t have any contact with DnD until many, many years later and even then it hardly made any impact on me, but I know I’m an outlier in this respect.

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