We put this together to give you a feel for where tabletop RPGs came from — not as an academic record. The dates below are approximate, cross-checked across a handful of AI models rather than pulled from primary historical sources, and a few of the "family" relationships between games (how much Pathfinder 2e really "descends from" D&D, whether an edition is a direct evolution or a fork) are genuinely debated inside the hobby itself. Treat this as a rough map, not a definitive one — we'll keep refining it.
Core Game and Branches
D&D is the one system with real, interesting forking worth diagramming — retro-clones, the Pathfinder split, and its own string of editions.
- Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) The first commercially published tabletop RPG.
- Basic D&D (1977) A simplified, beginner-oriented version of D&D, later expanded into boxed sets (B/X, Expert, Companion).
- Old School Essentials (2019) A modern reorganization of the 1981 Basic/Expert D&D rules.
- Basic Fantasy RPG (2006–2007) A free, community-driven game recreating classic Basic D&D-style play.
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons / AD&D (1977–1979) A more complex, rules-heavy version of D&D; core books released across those years, not all at once.
- AD&D 2nd Edition (1989) A revised and reorganized edition of AD&D.
- D&D 3rd Edition / 3.5 (2000 / 2003) A major redesign introducing the unified "d20 System."
- Pathfinder 1st Edition (2009) Built on D&D 3.5's rules via the Open Game License, continuing that style of play after 4th Edition changed direction.
- Pathfinder 2nd Edition (2019) A substantial redesign of Pathfinder — how much it "descends from" vs. "diverges from" 3.5 is genuinely debated.
- Pathfinder 1st Edition (2009) Built on D&D 3.5's rules via the Open Game License, continuing that style of play after 4th Edition changed direction.
- D&D 4th Edition (2008) A tactical, grid-combat-focused redesign of D&D.
- D&D 5th Edition (2014) The current widely-played edition, aiming for a simpler, more accessible feel.
- D&D 5e 2024 Revision (2024) An updated, backward-compatible revision of 5th Edition.
- D&D 3rd Edition / 3.5 (2000 / 2003) A major redesign introducing the unified "d20 System."
- AD&D 2nd Edition (1989) A revised and reorganized edition of AD&D.
- Basic D&D (1977) A simplified, beginner-oriented version of D&D, later expanded into boxed sets (B/X, Expert, Companion).
20 TTRPGs You've Probably Heard Of, in the Order They Showed Up
Not every game below is related to D&D the way the branches above are — some grew out of entirely separate design traditions. This isn't a scientific popularity ranking, just a timeline of well-known, influential games across the hobby's history, roughly in the order they first appeared.
Starter Sets
New to all of this? Start with our TTRPG Noob Guide.
Curious about a specific system? Browse Similar Games.