Some of the biggest conventions for tabletop role-playing games and board games take place during the summer, which means publishers have a heavy slate of new releases to demo and sell at Gen Con, Origins, and the UK Games Expo. Even if you’re not going to be at one of these shows, you’ll still find friendly local gaming stores stocking new board games to play when it’s too hot outside and TTRPG rulebooks for your not-so-light beach reading.
While there are plenty of new sourcebooks and expansions for well-established games releasing this summer like Ravenloft: The Horrors Within and Magic: The Gathering‘s Marvel Super Heroes, we’re keeping this list to standalone titles. The challenges of physical distribution mean that the tabletop industry’s release dates are a lot more fluid than those of video games, films, or TV shows, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for updates on some of these products.
From a Zelda-inspired TTRPG to a card game based on Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, these are the 10 most anticipated board games and TTRPGs of 2026.
1
Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork
Release date: Q2
Orders are shipping soon for the TTRPG based on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels – which raised more than $3.2 million in crowdfunding – and the core rulebook and a starter set will also be released in retail stores. The game is light on rules and heavy on flavor, offering plenty of ideas for stories in the namesake city and details on the setting. Publisher Modiphius Entertainment has big plans to support the new game, and it’ll be launching a new Kickstarter campaign in Q4 to fund Discworld: Adventures in Lancre and Uberwald.
2
Legend in the Mist
Release date: June 17
Son of Oak Game Studio is gearing up for the print release of its rustic fantasy TTRPG Legend in the Mist with a Launch Fest event, offering a last chance at discounted pricing along with daily drops that provide new character options and adventure ideas. With inspirations including The Hobbit, The Secret of Kells, and The Dark Crystal, the game focuses on unlikely heroes and intrepid explorers unraveling mysteries in a folklore-inspired world. Legend in the Mist emphasizes narrative freedom and character-driven storytelling rather than optimizing for numerical advantages in big fights. Dice rolls are simple, and characters change over time as they face tough decisions.
3
Cyberpunk Legends: Into the Night
Release date: July
Not to be mistaken for the Cyberpunk TCG, which isn’t releasing until December, Cyberpunk Legends: Into the Night is a narrative co-op card game shipping to backers this summer ahead of a retail release. Set in 2012, the campaign game for one to four players is designed to take just five minutes to set up and 10 minutes to learn. Players team up to solve puzzles and explore Night City through a new story that provides an introduction to the history and characters important to Cyberpunk 2077. The key mechanic is working together to craft poker hands, but table talk is often restricted to simulate having to make tough decisions under fire with limited information.
4
Shards of Creation
Release date: June 24
The trick-taking game based on Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere fantasy universe is so hotly anticipated that preorders have sold out. Magic in the Cosmere comes from the Shards, aspects of a shattered divinity representing concepts like Honor, Devotion, and Ruin. Shards of Creation embodies the conflict between the wielders of that immense power by making them card suits, illustrated with gorgeous art. Each has their own special abilities to add a bit of complexity to the genre, but the game is designed to be simple and fast.
5
Pathfinder Quest
Release date: July
Fusing aspects of the Pathfinder TTRPG with dungeon crawling board games like Gloomhaven and Descent, Pathfinder Quest lets players get to know the world of Golarion by going on adventures and completing noncombat challenges representing narrative decisions. Setup is simpler than many adventure board games, and sessions take about 90 minutes as you spend time fighting, exploring, and completing tasks. There are plenty of character options to choose from and you’ll level up after every adventure.
6
StarCraft Tabletop Miniatures Game
Release date: July
It’s been almost a decade since the last StarCraft video game was released, but the StarCraft Tabletop Miniatures Game provides a new way to field Zerg, Terran, or Protoss armies. Two players face off in matches that take one to two hours, with streamlined rules designed to make the game more accessible than Warhammer 40,000. The game can be played with up to six players in massive battles across different maps where you’ll need to carefully use your resources to deploy units, play tactical cards, and complete missions.
7
Twilight Sword
Release date: July
Inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Two Little Mice’s TTRPG Twilight Sword tasks players with restoring hope to a land ravaged by monsters. You’ll play an amnesiac champion, exploring the Realm of Radia using cards representing regions, quests, and landmarks meant to emulate an open-world video game. The mechanics are simple but there are plenty of character options you can experiment with to capitalize on the elemental affinities and vulnerabilities used to fight and explore.
8
13 Omens
Release date: July 30
Paizo is offering a first taste of its new rules-lite horror TTRPG at Gen Con. You’re not guaranteed to survive the adventure, where you’ll play a group of ghost hunters investigating a series of disappearances around Mount St. Helens. A very different experience from the highly complex fantasy adventures Paizo is known for, 13 Omens is designed for one-shots where players can quickly learn the rules and the mechanics won’t get in the way of the creepy vibes. The stakes rise as the session goes on until every roll could mean disaster.
9
Invincible Superhero Roleplaying
Release date: July 30
Free League Publishing’s TTRPG based on Robert Kirkman’s coming-of-age superhero comic series is also releasing at Gen Con. Using the same Year Zero engine as Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game and Alien: The Role-Playing Game, Invincible – Superhero Roleplaying is built for high-stakes battles with the potential for brutal injuries. When you’re not saving the world, you’ll need to find ways to mentally recover by focusing on your personal relationships through social scenes. Build your own heroes or play as your favorites from the series.
10
Codenames: Critical Role Adventures
Release date: Q3
A radical reinterpretation of the hit spy-themed party game, Codenames: Critical Role Adventures brings in elements of Dungeons & Dragons as players take on the role of characters from the actual play show. One person plays the Game Master, guiding their friends through a series of three campaigns with branching missions where they’ll gather items and experience points. They’ll unlock new abilities that change how the game is played as they test their Critical Role knowledge by guessing words.
