Dungeons & Dragons is an amazing tabletop RPG that has brought, joy, frustration, and several interesting anecdotes for generations of gamers since the 70s. D&D lets you create your character from the ground up, and it's more than just deciding their race, class, and other features. You also decide what makes them the person (or creature) they are at their core.

How their story ends is all in your hands — and the schemes of the Dungeon Master. With the right people, D&D can be an amazing experience, but sometimes it's hard to get a session going for various reasons. But fear not, for there are plenty of games to play for those moments when you just can't get the gang together.

Updated March 6, 2024 by Tallis Spalding: One of the main appeals of Dungeons & Dragons is that it covers a wide array of topics and has a little something for everyone (or can be manipulated until there's a little something for everyone to enjoy). Of course, when you can't find a group, the most logical thing to do is find something equally enjoyable that you can do by yourself. Some games, like Baldur's Gate or the various Forgotten Realms games are obvious choices, but there are less obvious ones that can scratch specific itches. Video games like D&D aren't as hard to find as you might fear, and many of these D&D-type video games are easily accessible.

28 Darkest Dungeon And Darkest Dungeon 2

Completionist Run: 120-150 Hours

If you like to get into the nitty gritty and darker aspects of Dungeons & Dragons and what comes with dungeon exploring, then you'll, more than likely, enjoy Darkest Dungeon and Darkest Dungeon 2. You don't need to play the original game in order to understand the second.

Both games have their own unique play styles and experiences, with the original game rewarding a more planned out experience and the second encouraging you to be more reactive with your play style. If you enjoy palpable tension and genuinely threatening encounters, both of these games should scratch your Dungeons & Dragons itch with ease.

27 Opus Magnum

Completionist Run: 40 Hours

Opus Magnum doesn't have any dungeon exploration or any serious RPG aspects, but that doesn't mean it can't itch a very particular scratch: solving difficult puzzles. One of the best things about Dungeons & Dragons is being able to try and retry until you have fine-tuned your solution.

Opus Magnum allows you to take the role of an Alchemist and utilize mechanical elements to create new formulas, solve puzzles. It challenges you to think outside the box and use the tools available to you, and if you like working through puzzles in Dungeons & Dragons, you'll like Opus Magnum.

26 Solasta: Crown Of The Magister

Completionist Run: 67 Hours

A crucial part of Dungeons & Dragons is, of course, rolling the dice and seeing where luck lands your character. Solasta: Crown of the Magister implements that dice system into its gameplay, adding that extra bit of suspense and spontaneity that D&D has. You have a party of four characters, and you get to choose their races, classes, builds, and actions.

Use them to navigate dungeons that harbor dazzling rewards and dangerous monsters. Solasta is a tactical turn-based RPG, but the world around you can also cause damage to your foes if you play your cards right. And if being a DM is more your style, you can even make your own dungeons for others to explore.

25 Tyranny

Completionist Run: 53 Hours

Tyranny is one of those uncommon games where you aren't forced into the role of the good guy. As a Fatebinder, your job is to keep the tyrant Kyros' people obedient and fearful under his iron fist. You can do that, but you also have the power to turn it around and dismantle Kyros' tyranny from the inside, or even ignore both sides entirely for your own goals.

Either way, you'll make enemies. Defeating them in tactical real-time combat is necessary to achieve your objectives, no matter what they are. Tyranny is different from other games in that you already start as someone with a lot of power. But with that power comes responsibility; every choice you make comes with a consequence.

24 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Completionist Run: 230+ Hours

Skyrim has been around for a long time, and it's still one of the most entertaining games you can play if you're at all into RPGs. The story revolves completely around what you want to do, whether that's staying true to typical fantasy scenarios and slaying dragons, or joining and betraying all kinds of different groups just to see what'll happen.

There are countless quests you can help NPCs with for a variety of rewards, though you can also just kill them if you're feeling particularly sadistic. Skyrim offers a world of possibilities, and its community has been expanding it even more with the creation of all kinds of mods. The game will definitely stay in your memory for a while.

23 Baldur's Gate & Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition

Completionist Run: 100-140 Hours

Anyone who's been a fan of D&D since the '90s probably already knows about the original Baldur's Gate PC game. In 2012, the game was remade as Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, and that began the revitalization of the Baldur's Gate series. It includes the original adventure, as well as the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion and a lot of brand-new content.

The first two games in the series make up a wonderful duology that spans an incredible amount of hours. There's so much to do and NPCs to meet - you'll never want to leave the stunning world created by these games.

22 Baldur's Gate 3

Completionist Run: 150+ Hours

Taking a slight detour from the originals, Baldur's Gate 3 is the currently-upcoming sequel. While in Early Access, this game has tons of content to keep you happy and whet your appetite for the eventual release.

Its story deals with a number of notable characters who are captured by Mindflayers and have baby tadpoles inserted into their heads - if they cannot remove the tadpoles, they will turn into Mindflayers themselves. BG3 sustains the high quality of the original games' writing while featuring a ton of modern quality-of-life changes, with a combat system reminiscent of one of Larian's previous outings, Divinity: Original Sin.

21 Disco Elysium

Completionist Run: 40+ Hours

One of the biggest draws to Dungeons & Dragons is the narrative side of things - it's fascinating to see how a world is built around the imagination of the storyteller. Disco Elysium takes this idea and runs with it, crafting an intricately detailed world with a gripping story to tell.

In this game, you play a down-and-out cop on a murder case, and you have to deal with unhelpful NPCs, alcoholism, and a mind filled with individual personalities who love to chip in. You choose which skills to put your points into, and how you solve problems revolves around that. Charm a bouncer with words or outright fight them; it's up to you.

20 Dungeons 3

Completionist Run: 50 Hours

If you are a Dungeon Master, you might get a real kick out of Dungeons 3, which lets you create and run an entire dungeon of your very own. This is more a strategy game than the usual RPGs on this list, but thematically, you have to agree it's pretty spot-on.

Dungeons 3 has a long campaign that has you playing the evil side for once (though, if you're a regular DM, you're used to that), and it's terribly fun to recruit and experiment with all the different nasty creatures the game has to offer. With a wonderfully quirky sense of humor, the game will also make you laugh.

19 Icewind Dale

Completionist Run: 50 Hours

When it comes to playing Dungeons & Dragons, many people opt for the more traditional setting of Faerun. If that's a region you have played, then it wouldn't come as a surprise if you recognized the chilly and often deadly Icewind Dale. There are some wonderful campaigns set there, and because of that the lore only gets stronger.

So, why not explore more of this interesting location in video game form? Icewind Dale is a wonderful battle-heavy experience, one that sees you traverse the lands you know so well and meet legendary faces from the world of D&D. It also lets you play to the forgotten Second Edition rules.

18 Neverwinter Nights

Completionist Run: 70+ Hours

Taking Dungeons & Dragons video games to a new and more obvious level, Neverwinter Nights is the perfect game for any fan of the classic tabletop experience. It's an older game, but one created by the same people who made the Baldur's Gate series — so you just know it's going to be good.

Thankfully, Neverwinter Nights manages to hold up as an exciting, tense, and enthralling game, where you traverse recognizable landscapes to become the hero your D&D character always dreamed of. As whatever class you've chosen, you must find a cure to a plague that's taken over Neverwinter. But it won't be easy, as different foes stand in your way. The game supports multiplayer and mods, so there's never a dull moment.

17 Tabletop Simulator

Almost infinite play time!

It's common knowledge that most Dungeons & Dragons fans are lovers of tabletop games. So, you may enjoy a board game or two if the session is canceled, or if certain players just can't make it on that day.

Luckily, if one party member can't make it, or if the D&D party just plays online normally, you can still enjoy the thrills of tabletop games virtually. Tabletop Simulator allows you and your friends to play classic games you all love, as well as having the ability to create your own. It's an ideal game to play if your session hasn't gone to plan.

16 The Witcher Series

Witcher 1 & 2 Completionist Run: 50-60 Hours. Witcher 3 Completionist Run: 200+ Hours

There are many things people love when playing D&D games. They love the roleplaying, the challenging combat, and the incredibly rich lore behind each story and every location. Such plot devices will bring you into the experience and hold you there, as you go through the twists and turns of the people you meet and the lives you save or end.

If lore and a rich story are one of your favorite elements, then The Witcher series of games is a must. It's still got that tricky combat everyone loves, but comes with lore you can really delve into, through video games, a TV show, books, and so much more. Each game is a thrill to play, and is perfect for lovers of both fantasy and D&D.

15 Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Completionist Run: 40+ Hours

Any big fans of tabletop RPGs will definitely recognize Shadowrun by name. However, what's less known about this popular series is the fact that it also has a few PC titles. All the lore and details from the original Shadowrun role-playing books are included, and they form a wonderful cyberpunk and magic-themed campaign.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is a fantastic conclusion to the PC-based series. It adds even more content that builds upon what was contained in Shadowrun Returns. It's also played in a more traditional turn-based style.

14 Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura

Completionist Run: 80+ Hours

Arcanum might look old, since it came out almost twenty years ago. However, for any nostalgic lovers of the fantasy RPG genre and any old-school D&D players, this game is a real treasure. It's absolutely worth picking up due to its almost Diablo-style look.

Arcanum drops you into a world of both magic and tech. Depending on the build you go for, either or both can be exploited. There are tons of classic D&D character-building elements, and you can even choose whether you'd like to fight in real-time or experience turn-based combat.

13 Etrian Odyssey

Completionist Run: 90+ Hours

For those who prefer their games on handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS, Japanese RPG games like Etrian Odyssey deliver a surprisingly good D&D-like experience. This series in particular has been around for a while, with its first three games being released as a collection on the Nintendo Switch.

Much of the games' content is dedicated to classic dungeon crawling, with a whole host of character classes to choose from. This includes more special classes such as shogun, ronin, and ninja. In true RPG fashion, the game is also turn-based.

12 Planescape: Torment

Completionist Run: 60+ Hours

For those looking for a true, ultimately nostalgic D&D experience, there's no better game to go for than Planescape: Torment. Not only is this game based on an actual D&D campaign, but it also shares the same engine as Baldur's Gate, although with slight changes.

Turn-based and with all the classic RPG elements, it's hard not to love this game. While it might be old, it continues to hold up surprisingly well. If you're familiar with the Second Edition ruleset, you'll be particularly comfortable with this game.

11 Dark Souls Series

Completionist Run: 90+ Hours

Maybe turn-based isn't really your speed, which is fair enough. There are plenty of great titles out there that aren't necessarily carbon copies of D&D, but still deliver immersive and challenging environments guaranteed to satisfy any RPG lovers. The Dark Souls series is one of them.

Known for its truly imaginative and horrifyingly interesting enemies, Dark Souls allows you to customize the fight how you want as you traverse picturesque ruins and dungeons, taking down all sorts of monsters and demons. For a gothic D&D experience, this is a great choice.

10 Neverwinter

Completionist Run: 200+ Hours

Neverwinter is a free MMO based on D&D, specifically the city of Neverwinter in the Forgotten Realms campaign. Not to be confused with the Neverwinter Nights series, this 2013 game sets you in the city as it begins to rise from the ashes of destruction. The citizens are divided, and a new threat of the dead rising threatens to destroy the city once again.

You can select from one of eight races, and form groups to investigate the mysterious surroundings behind the dead reanimating. The classic MMO gameplay loop of battling enemies and taking on quests keeps things going. Every new module adds awesome new content to the game, like new playable races, new PvP maps, and more.

9 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Completionist Run: 150+ Hours

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the amazing sequel to Divinity: Original Sin. Set centuries after the first game, instead of playing a pair of Source Hunters, you'll find yourself as a "Sourcerer." With the Void approaching and the Divine — the only being thought to be able to hold it back — dead, it is up to you to claim the Divinity for yourself and keep the world from succumbing to darkness.

You can either choose one of six unique origin characters or create your own. You can also create your very own campaign and play fan-made ones through Master Mode.