Superhero and TTRPG writer Kieron Gillen reveals his top picks for superhero-themed tabletop role-playing games that truly capture the genre’s spirit-not through raw power, but through storytelling and emotional depth. From the intense teenage drama of Masks to the detective noir of the upcoming Ex-Capes, Gillen shares the games that inspire his own work and redefine what it means to play a hero at the tabletop.
When AELGAMES chatted with writer Kieron Gillen recently, it was primarily to talk about his and artist Caspar Wijngaard’s The Power Fantasy, an ongoing original comic series in which the Atomic Age arrival of superpowered individuals around the globe altered modern history forever, inspired by the writer’s time with superhero comics from Young Avengers to Eternals to Immortal X-Men. But there was one other thing we wanted to ask him about: the elusive superhero-themed tabletop RPG.
Gillen’s history with games is arguably longer than his history with comics, with those twin interests wombo-comboing themselves into Die. Die was a dark fantasy comics series founded on the history and influences of the role-playing game genre, co-created with artist Stephanie Hans. It followed a group of 30-somethings who’d spent their teenage years trapped Narnia-style in their own RPG setting, and now found themselves trapped there again, confronting the messy unresolved choices of their teenage selves (and the vengeance of their teenage game master).
But it was also a tabletop role-playing game of the same name, authored by Gillen, in which players inhabited the role of all-grown-up, traumatized, post-Jumanji/Narnia teens, reuniting and getting sucked back into the game all over again. This is all to say: If there’s a group of people who know what ingredients make a good superhero RPG, Gillen is among them.
“It’s obviously tricky, for a bunch of reasons,” he said about making a superhero RPG. Noting that “this entire theory has been superseded, but it’s still a useful model,” he brought up the GNS theory of role-playing games, which divides game systems into three categories according to their design goals loosely defined as gameism, narrativism, and simulation. In games that prize simulationism, he said, “I’m simulating a world; I want things to operate realistically, however we define realism.” Gameist games prioritize opportunities for “mastery, player skill, yada yada yada.” And finally, games that prioritize narrativism: “Which is basically We’re telling a story here guys, this is a story!”
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For Gillen’s own interests, earlier eras of superhero RPGs – while they had their gems – tended to be gameist or simulationist. And neither illustrated the genre in a way that he found satisfying.
“I mean, I remember I played [.] GURPS, which is the big serious heavyweight, as a teenager. And GURPS is simulationist enough that one of the best things my super-strong character could do would be to take handfuls of pebbles and just throw them at people. [.] That’s brutal.”
Gillen admitted that the superhero RPGs he’s found most satisfying are generally from the ’00s and forward, and are motivated by creating and telling a story. These games are “really looking at the genre and saying, OK, how can we create this structure at the tabletop?” he said. “If I was going to do a superhero RPG, that’s what I would do. [.] In some ways you can imagine The Power Fantasy as one of these RPGs: It’s about the social drama of it.”
Here are three RPGs Gillen recommends that you can play right now – and one that you’ll have to look forward to.
Masks
Masks is a superhero-themed tabletop RPG that focuses on the experiences of teenage heroes, capturing the emotional intensity and social dynamics typical of young superhero stories. Unlike traditional superhero games that emphasize power and combat mechanics, Masks uses emotional states instead of hit points, making conflicts about personal struggles and humiliation rather than just physical damage. This approach reflects the storytelling style of comics like Young Avengers, which inspired some of the game’s character moves. Kieron Gillen appreciates Masks for how it blends the superhero genre with the uncertainties of youth, creating a dynamic and thematic experience that feels true to the spirit of coming-of-age superhero narratives.
Magpie Games
The thing about Masks that gets it is that it’s specifically about one sort of superhero [story], which is just the teenage ones. It’s not interested in power. [.] It understands how we do it in comics, which is basically: If I get punched, it isn’t about me taking damage, it’s about I’d be humiliated.
Masks tracks emotional states in lieu of hit points, and that leads to people having complete freakouts, and then you have bonding sessions to remove the traits and calm down. It’s a teenage drama game. [.] I like Masks, I’ve read it, but I’ve never ran it, because it really is close to home. Like, it’s got character moves named after bits of Young Avengers.
Masks: A New Generation
$27 at Amazon $30 at Magpie Games
The Spectaculars
The Spectaculars is a superhero tabletop RPG celebrated for its simplicity and narrative flexibility, using a straightforward roll-under percentile system that avoids complicated modifiers and math, making it accessible even to younger players. The game stands out by encouraging players to invent backstory and connections on the fly through “Continuity Tokens,” which let them create past issues and relevant story details, capturing the episodic feel of superhero comics and cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series. It shines brightest in episodic adventures woven into a larger narrative arc, rewarding collaborative storytelling and character development over granular mechanics. While its systems may be less complex than other RPGs, Spectaculars excels in fostering creativity and shared comic-book style storytelling among players, making it a favorite of Kieron Gillen for its unique approach to superhero role-playing.
Scratchpad Publishing
It’s a world-building thing, at the start. You draw cards and you build a whole superhero universe together, and it looks really interesting. I was tempted to buy it just as a game [to play] by myself, you know what I mean?
That’s a different kind of mode. I dunno how it works when you get further.
Spectaculars
Scratchpad $20 at DriveThruRPG (PDF)
Apocalypse Keys
Apocalypse Keys
Apocalypse Keys stands out among Kieron Gillen’s favorite superhero-themed TTRPGs for its unique blend of supernatural investigation and emotional storytelling. Drawing inspiration from comics like Hellboy and the X-Men, the game casts players as “Monsters”-superpowered agents grappling with their own apocalyptic destinies while trying to prevent the end of the world. Gillen’s enthusiasm for Apocalypse Keys is evident: he contributed a scenario for the game as a Kickstarter stretch goal and even introduced a character from his own comic work, The Power Fantasy, during play. This connection underscores how the game’s focus on character-driven narratives and collaborative problem-solving resonates with Gillen’s approach to both comics and role-playing games, making Apocalypse Keys a standout choice for fans seeking a superhero RPG that prioritizes story and emotional depth over traditional mechanics.
Evil Hat Productions
Not core superheroes – it’s very much Hellboy as the core influence, but has a lot of X-Men in the DNA too – but really interesting stuff. Also, one of the supporting characters in [The Power Fantasy] – The Signal – first turned up when I played the game, and I liked he/she so much I wanted to use them again.
I wrote a scenario as a stretch goal for when it Kickstartered, so I have a connection that’s worth mentioning. But me writing it was me being excited by the game so much.
Apocalypse Keys
$25 $25 $25 at Evil Hat Productions$25 at DriveThruRPG
Ex-Capes
Ex-Capes is a superhero-themed tabletop RPG currently in alpha development that explores the lives of retired superheroes, reminiscent of the tone found in Watchmen. It is designed as a detective game where characters are drawn back into action, with a strong narrative focus on character backstories and flashbacks that enrich the storytelling experience. The game builds on the mechanics of The Between, emphasizing beautifully structured narratives and deep character exploration, making it a standout title among Kieron Gillen’s favorite superhero RPGs.
There’s one I’m really looking forward to called Ex-Capes. Ex-Capes is built off the Between engine. It’s in development, it’s an alpha, you can’t really get it. But what it’s working on is retired superheroes; it’s working Watchmen, basically.
It’s a detective game, with [characters] being dragged in. One of the things that The Between, which is the game it’s based off, does is it does character history and integrates it into the game. So you end up doing flashbacks to earlier in [a character’s] career, as stuff comes back. It’s basically structured beautifully.
What makes Kieron Gillen’s favorite superhero TTRPGs stand out from others
Kieron Gillen’s favorite superhero-themed TTRPGs stand out because they prioritize narrative depth and emotional storytelling over traditional power mechanics or simulationist gameplay. Unlike earlier superhero RPGs that focused heavily on game mechanics or realistic simulation-often resulting in underwhelming representations of superpowers-these games emphasize social dynamics, character development, and genre analysis to create meaningful superhero experiences at the table.
For example, Masks eschews hit points for emotional states, making combat about humiliation and personal stakes rather than just damage, capturing the essence of teenage superhero stories with intense character interactions. Similarly, Ex-Capes, still in development, integrates character backstories and flashbacks to enrich the narrative, focusing on retired superheroes drawn back into action in a detective-style game. Gillen appreciates games that ask how to structurally represent superhero storytelling on the tabletop, favoring narrativist designs that enable players to explore the genre’s themes rather than just simulate powers or master mechanics.
This approach reflects Gillen’s broader view that superhero RPGs should analyze and embody the genre’s storytelling conventions, making the games feel more like collaborative comic book creation than traditional role-playing focused on stats and combat.
What unique storytelling approaches do Gillen’s favorite superhero TTRPGs use
Kieron Gillen’s favorite superhero TTRPGs use unique storytelling approaches that emphasize narrative and emotional depth over traditional mechanics. For example, Masks: A New Generation employs a Powered by the Apocalypse system that focuses on teenage superheroes navigating identity and relationships, replacing hit points with emotional states to highlight personal stakes and humiliation rather than just physical damage. This creates a coming-of-age story blended with epic powers, making the gameplay deeply character-driven and emotionally resonant.
Another approach seen in games Gillen admires is the use of flashbacks and character backstory integration, as in the upcoming Ex-Capes, which frames retired superheroes drawn back into action through a detective noir lens, enriching the narrative complexity and player engagement beyond straightforward combat or power simulation.
These games often prioritize collaborative storytelling and genre exploration, encouraging players to embody superhero tropes while also deconstructing them, thus making the role-playing experience feel like co-creating a comic book narrative rather than just rolling dice for stats.
In summary, Gillen’s preferred superhero TTRPGs stand out by using emotionally charged narrative mechanics, innovative character-driven storytelling tools, and a focus on thematic depth that captures the essence of superhero stories beyond mere power mechanics.
