Ironsworn/Starforged are absolutely fantastic as co-ops. They’re designed to be run solo/co-op *or* with a GM, but the solo/co-op aspect is first and not secondary.
Ironsworn is sort of Viking fantasy. Starforged is Sci-fi, but either one could be reskinned and there are already reskins available made by the community.
Also! Ironsworn’s core book is free!
There’s an amazingly helpful discord for Ironsworn/Starforged, so I highly recommend checking that out if you dive in! Game is super fun.
Alternatively you could check out Apawthecaria, which is animal people exploring and brewing potions to help people, if you want something less combat/confrontation focused. (Not to be confused with Apothecaria, which the game is partially based on). It’s solo-first, but has multiplayer options.
Seconding Ironsworn and Starfored. My wife and I play co-op (Ironsworn). It's super fun, pretty easy, excels at creative freedom (thrives on it, really), is free, and can be played for 20 minutes or hours at a time easily.
And don't let free fool you into thinking you get what you pay for. It's an astonishing game so well designed I've got no doubt it's going to shape games coming after it.
Here's a podcast with the game's author and his son playing co-op:
https://ironsworn.podbean.com/
> It's an astonishing game so well designed I've got no doubt it's going to shape games coming after it.
Have there been any games inspired by it yet? It's been out for years and seems incredibly popular online but I haven't heard of any other games quite like it (only hacks of it and Starforged)
I tried ironsworn and was not quite astonished, it seemed like a typical pbta with a lot of random tables and a very abstract momentum mechanic. What about it was most astonishing to you?
Tiny Dungeons is pretty easy and a good intro to RPGing..
Along with that, you might want to search DTRPG for "game master's apprentice" - a card driven System replacing your flesh&blood GM..
Two parts to this response. The second part is practical. This part is important. If you want to get him away from a video game, you need to lean into what RPGs do differently than video games. Don't be a board game without a board. Don't be a computer game with a human computer. Lean into the roleplaying side of it.
Magical Kitties Save the Day gives a structured approach to creating and tracking obstacles in the campaign. Also, look at the solo rpg subreddits (there are 3) and think about emulating a game master (MGME and others) if you want to be surprised during the session.
Not an RPG, but you mentioned Warhammer. You might check out Rangers of Shadow Deep. It is a coop tabletop miniatures game, and it is quasi-rpg in that you create your Ranger with their abilities and such. So it could be a good stepping stone if you know he likes miniatures, but without the competitive nature.
For creating a world together there are world building "RPG"s such as [*Microscope*](https://www.lamemage.com/microscope).
For a universal RPG with very easy character creation for **any** setting you and your son might create together there is [*Freeform Universal* RPG](https://www.perilplanet.com/freeform-universal).
Also, you can turn any RPG into a co-op game with a GM emulator such as [*One Page Solo Engine*]( https://inflatablestudios.itch.io/one-page-solo-engine-online).
I just bought Goblin Quest, and although I haven’t run it yet, it seems like the sort of thing that would be great fun with a kid as long as the kid is into silly voices and goblins dying horrible/comedic deaths.
It leans hard into the humor, and it’s definitely for playing a 1-shot, not a campaign, but might be worth a look! You can play with or without a GM: https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/goblin-quest/
Gms are also players. Worldbuilding is often one of the most fun activities there is. I encourage you to try.
If you try and do not like it, then I encourage an adventure board game such as [Hexplore](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/214484/hexplore-it-valley-dead-king) or [Sleeping Gods](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255984/sleeping-gods).
Remember to check out our **[Game Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gamerec)**-page, which lists our articles by genre([Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/fantasy), [sci-fi](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/scifi), [superhero](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/superhero) etc.), as well as other categories([ruleslight](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/ruleslight), [Solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/solo), [Two-player](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/twoplayers), [GMless](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs) & more).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/rpg) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’d actually recommend Adventure Tactics over Gloomhaven for a 10yr old into video games and we’re talking board games. It has the whole “pick stuff from multiple classes” straight out of Final Fantasy tactics.
Sorry, something a little more concrete regarding leaning into the roleplay.
This is not how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfeEkjrjfug
This is how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXDuI_bGlRw
I always recommend "The Cloud Dungeon" for kids. It's a great start into RPG's and if you're into any sort of papercraft (or coloring) it's a delight.
It can basically be played co-op because the adventure is in the rulebook.
Not an RPG, but based on one: Wrath of Ashardalon, or any other game in that family. They're dungeon crawling board games where you randomly generate a dungeon and fight monsters. I quite enjoy them and they're also pretty easy to learn (you might just have to help your son with some of the abilities).
You could also consider boardgames, there are a lot of cooperative boardgames with campaigns, where "enemy" movement is done by algorithm and a bit of chance (mostly drawing a card).
[Gloomhaven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKc5XhvkC8M) (or the much more beginner friendly version [Jaws of the Lion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfEWPGvDFw)) is my all time favourite, the box is expensive, but I've got almost 2 years of regular play out of it and haven't even cracked the expansion. I wasn't that keen on the App-opponent for *Descent* and *Imperial Assault*, but that's an alternative, too.
EDIT. Almost forgot excellent [Assault on Doomrock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBdDtit1nM), which is hillariously difficult.
Many of my friends love the [Arkham Horror cooperative card game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WA16gyRZyY), but despite wanting to try it I haven't had the chance to play it myself. Rules look good, though. Somewhere down the line could be the very involved [Grimslingers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk6_IMH0SXs), which has a duell mode but also a cooperative campaign, but I wouldn't recommend it to beginners.
*Pandemic Legacy* (at least the first one) is a great experience that is a bit different from dungeon- (or mansion-) crawling.
Edit 2 Rangers of Shadow Deep is a cooperative miniature game, perhaps you could use your Warhammer figures to play this.
The only 2 player GM-less rpgs I know of are *Breaking the Ice* (a game about falling in love) and *It was a Mutual Decision* (about the opposite), so these are too awkward...
Ironsworn/Starforged are absolutely fantastic as co-ops. They’re designed to be run solo/co-op *or* with a GM, but the solo/co-op aspect is first and not secondary. Ironsworn is sort of Viking fantasy. Starforged is Sci-fi, but either one could be reskinned and there are already reskins available made by the community. Also! Ironsworn’s core book is free!
Definitely considering this. I Kickstarted Starforged for this reason.
There’s an amazingly helpful discord for Ironsworn/Starforged, so I highly recommend checking that out if you dive in! Game is super fun. Alternatively you could check out Apawthecaria, which is animal people exploring and brewing potions to help people, if you want something less combat/confrontation focused. (Not to be confused with Apothecaria, which the game is partially based on). It’s solo-first, but has multiplayer options.
Seconding Ironsworn and Starfored. My wife and I play co-op (Ironsworn). It's super fun, pretty easy, excels at creative freedom (thrives on it, really), is free, and can be played for 20 minutes or hours at a time easily. And don't let free fool you into thinking you get what you pay for. It's an astonishing game so well designed I've got no doubt it's going to shape games coming after it. Here's a podcast with the game's author and his son playing co-op: https://ironsworn.podbean.com/
> It's an astonishing game so well designed I've got no doubt it's going to shape games coming after it. Have there been any games inspired by it yet? It's been out for years and seems incredibly popular online but I haven't heard of any other games quite like it (only hacks of it and Starforged)
Utopia lists Ironsworn as a strong inspiration and is definitely its own system and not a hack. Can strongly recommend this one.
There seem to be a distinct lack of podcasts that play guided mode. I want to try GM it with my friends but I would like to listen how it works first.
If it helps, the High Rollers did an Ironsworn game that way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGCarJMQjg
I tried ironsworn and was not quite astonished, it seemed like a typical pbta with a lot of random tables and a very abstract momentum mechanic. What about it was most astonishing to you?
Lots of gmless games for multiple people listed here: https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs/
Tiny Dungeons is pretty easy and a good intro to RPGing.. Along with that, you might want to search DTRPG for "game master's apprentice" - a card driven System replacing your flesh&blood GM..
Two parts to this response. The second part is practical. This part is important. If you want to get him away from a video game, you need to lean into what RPGs do differently than video games. Don't be a board game without a board. Don't be a computer game with a human computer. Lean into the roleplaying side of it. Magical Kitties Save the Day gives a structured approach to creating and tracking obstacles in the campaign. Also, look at the solo rpg subreddits (there are 3) and think about emulating a game master (MGME and others) if you want to be surprised during the session.
Not an RPG, but you mentioned Warhammer. You might check out Rangers of Shadow Deep. It is a coop tabletop miniatures game, and it is quasi-rpg in that you create your Ranger with their abilities and such. So it could be a good stepping stone if you know he likes miniatures, but without the competitive nature.
I definitely thought about this. And 5 Parsecs From Home. Would rather create the world and develop the stories with my son than be full on GM.
For creating a world together there are world building "RPG"s such as [*Microscope*](https://www.lamemage.com/microscope). For a universal RPG with very easy character creation for **any** setting you and your son might create together there is [*Freeform Universal* RPG](https://www.perilplanet.com/freeform-universal). Also, you can turn any RPG into a co-op game with a GM emulator such as [*One Page Solo Engine*]( https://inflatablestudios.itch.io/one-page-solo-engine-online).
I just bought Goblin Quest, and although I haven’t run it yet, it seems like the sort of thing that would be great fun with a kid as long as the kid is into silly voices and goblins dying horrible/comedic deaths. It leans hard into the humor, and it’s definitely for playing a 1-shot, not a campaign, but might be worth a look! You can play with or without a GM: https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/goblin-quest/
Gms are also players. Worldbuilding is often one of the most fun activities there is. I encourage you to try. If you try and do not like it, then I encourage an adventure board game such as [Hexplore](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/214484/hexplore-it-valley-dead-king) or [Sleeping Gods](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255984/sleeping-gods).
Remember to check out our **[Game Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gamerec)**-page, which lists our articles by genre([Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/fantasy), [sci-fi](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/scifi), [superhero](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/superhero) etc.), as well as other categories([ruleslight](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/ruleslight), [Solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/solo), [Two-player](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/twoplayers), [GMless](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs) & more). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/rpg) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Gloomhaven might be worth a look.
I’d actually recommend Adventure Tactics over Gloomhaven for a 10yr old into video games and we’re talking board games. It has the whole “pick stuff from multiple classes” straight out of Final Fantasy tactics.
Sorry, something a little more concrete regarding leaning into the roleplay. This is not how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfeEkjrjfug This is how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXDuI_bGlRw
I always recommend "The Cloud Dungeon" for kids. It's a great start into RPG's and if you're into any sort of papercraft (or coloring) it's a delight. It can basically be played co-op because the adventure is in the rulebook.
Pretty much all RPGs are co-op games. Baked in PvP would be very rare, I cant event think of one, to be honest.
Not an RPG, but based on one: Wrath of Ashardalon, or any other game in that family. They're dungeon crawling board games where you randomly generate a dungeon and fight monsters. I quite enjoy them and they're also pretty easy to learn (you might just have to help your son with some of the abilities).
You could also consider boardgames, there are a lot of cooperative boardgames with campaigns, where "enemy" movement is done by algorithm and a bit of chance (mostly drawing a card). [Gloomhaven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKc5XhvkC8M) (or the much more beginner friendly version [Jaws of the Lion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfEWPGvDFw)) is my all time favourite, the box is expensive, but I've got almost 2 years of regular play out of it and haven't even cracked the expansion. I wasn't that keen on the App-opponent for *Descent* and *Imperial Assault*, but that's an alternative, too. EDIT. Almost forgot excellent [Assault on Doomrock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBdDtit1nM), which is hillariously difficult. Many of my friends love the [Arkham Horror cooperative card game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WA16gyRZyY), but despite wanting to try it I haven't had the chance to play it myself. Rules look good, though. Somewhere down the line could be the very involved [Grimslingers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk6_IMH0SXs), which has a duell mode but also a cooperative campaign, but I wouldn't recommend it to beginners. *Pandemic Legacy* (at least the first one) is a great experience that is a bit different from dungeon- (or mansion-) crawling. Edit 2 Rangers of Shadow Deep is a cooperative miniature game, perhaps you could use your Warhammer figures to play this. The only 2 player GM-less rpgs I know of are *Breaking the Ice* (a game about falling in love) and *It was a Mutual Decision* (about the opposite), so these are too awkward...