I stood in line at my local game shop while a clerk stacked a tower of freebies on the counter. You could hear the soft rustle of character sheets and the sort of small giddy panic that comes before a campaign starts. I tucked a glossy quickstart under my arm and realized the best scores come from showing up at the right door.
What is Free RPG Day?
Free RPG Day is a single Saturday when publishers send free adventures, quickstarts, and accessories to participating stores — and you go claim them. I use the Free RPG Day website to find a local shop, then treat the day like a treasure map: some finds are mainstream, some are surprises, and the hunting itself is half the fun.
When is Free RPG Day?
This year it falls on Saturday, June 27. Plan your stop early: stores often hand out titles until they run out, so arriving after lunch can mean missing the best stuff.
The Cosmere Roleplaying Game: Law and Obligation Adventure
You’ll notice Brandon Sanderson’s name on a lot of shelves, and his setting carries weight in any bookstore or game shop. Description: Law and Obligation is a one-shot for 3rd-level characters meant to introduce players to the Cosmere Roleplaying Game and the Stormlight Campaign Setting. I’d hand this to anyone curious about high-magic political drama; the adventure gives referees a tidy set piece and players a chance to feel like protagonists in an epic novel. If you follow Brotherwise Games or Sanderson’s social channels, this quickstart can link you to bigger campaign books and community-run modules.
Wizard Riders Quickstart Guide
The box art for this one practically hums at you from the table. Description: Wizard Riders from Catalyst Game Labs mixes dying-earth vibes, arcane motorcycle gangs, and engine-roaring set pieces. You’ll get enough to run a short road-trip mission that’s cinematic and lean — ideal if you want a one-shot that feels cinematic without a six-hour prep cycle. If you use Roll20, Foundry, or drive your group with a playlist, this quickstart slides into those tools smoothly.
Creature Curation Presents #1 Adventures and Quickstart Guides
You’ll spot anthologies on the table because they give you variety for the price of a coffee. Description: This anthology bundles three short adventures — Vast Grimm, Raptor Ruckus, and Neon Bastardz — with links to character generators and resources. If you like to test-drive different mechanics in a single session, this is your sampler platter; I treat these booklets as an afternoon of mechanical speed-dating.
Dungeons & Kittens Quickstart Adventure
You’ll notice families hovering near this one — the art reads like a warm invitation. Description: From DeadCrow and Edge Studio, Dungeons & Kittens blends feline silliness with medieval fantasy and is ideal for new or younger players. It’s lightweight, funny, and a great pick if you want a low-pressure introduction that still gives players room to be silly and clever.
Avatar and Root Quickstart Adventure Bundle
You’ll see this bundle strapped together because it’s meant to be portable on game night. Description: Six quickstart booklets covering different eras of Avatar and various clearings of Root give you self-contained stories to test the mechanics and tone. If you’re running Magpie Games’ systems or scouting distinct narrative styles, these booklets let you flip the mood from political intrigue to woodland skirmish in a single session.
Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: The Secret Wars Expansion Preview
Superhero fans will flock to any Marvel-branded booklet like it’s an open-door comic convention. Description: The Secret Wars preview includes a 16-page Battleworld story, an original map, and a free PDF of ready-to-play character sheets and a quickstart guide. If you manage a party that loves cinematic combat and cross-dimensional stakes, this preview works well with tools like D&D Beyond-style character management or PDF handouts via DriveThruRPG.
Kaguya Protocol
You’ll spot cyberpunk samurai flavors in indie corners of the table because those mixes travel well. Description: KAGUYA PROTOCOL is a two-part scenario for CBR+PNK, placing you as descendants of shinobi guardians in 20XX. The score reads like a short film: infiltrate a trillionaire’s mansion and escort Kaguya to the Moon while wielding ancient Artifacts that honor an old pact. Mythworks’ aesthetic and mechanics reward groups that like cinematic stealth layered with mythic beats.
Fossilized Violence
Whenever a title promises prehistoric combat, someone in the store leans in and asks how lethal the monsters are. Description: Fossilized Violence pits early humanity against evolving dinosaurs on primeval Pangeon and lists 140+ pieces of equipment for survival. If your table loves gear spreadsheets, survival-sim tension, or cinematic hunting sequences, R Talsorian Games gives you an evolutionary sandbox to test resource choices and group tactics.
Which games are free on Free RPG Day?
Publishers range from the heavy hitters — Marvel, Magpie Games, Catalyst — to small indies like Creature Curation and Mythworks. I treat the day like a buffet: grab one or two big-brand quickstarts and then mix in a couple of oddities you wouldn’t otherwise find; the result is a table that teaches you what mechanics and tones your group actually likes, fast. Some runs feel like finding a secret comics back-issue in a thrift store, and those surprises are why I keep coming back.
Want a full list or to find a participating store? Visit the Free RPG Day website and check your local shop’s hours before you go. If you’re running a game tonight, which one will you put on the table first?