7 tabletop RPGs like Zelda to play when you’ve finished Tears of the Kingdom
Take the hero of time into your roleplaying games
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now out and it’s basically all that many, many people will be thinking about for the next few weeks. If Breath of the Wild's expansive world is anything to go by, Tears of the Kingdom will be occupying our attention for months to come.
With that in mind, you might struggle to concentrate on your usual tabletop RPG nights, whilst dreaming of beating up Moblins and collecting Korok seeds. Luckily you can keep the good dungeons rolling and bring Hyrule into every aspect of your life, with these seven Zelda-like RPGs designed to satisfy your needs.
7 tabletop RPGs like Zelda to play when you've finished Tears of the Kingdom
- Heroes of Cerulea
- Relic
- The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild
- Forgotten Ballad
- The Door Locks Behind You
- Break!!!
- Colostle
Playing these seven tabletop roleplaying games will be almost just as good as wielding your Hylian shield and Master Sword to explore distant horizons, almost. To lose yourself in all things Zelda, even when playing TRPGs, give this collection of roleplaying games a try.
1. Heroes of Cerulea
Fans of the original Legend of Zelda will love this game
If your love of the Zelda games started well before Breath of the Wild, before Link even had visible flowing hair, then this pixelated fantasy RPG is for you. Heroes of Cerulea fully embraces the retro video game aesthetic and aims to bring those nostalgic feelings to the tabletop. The RPG’s world faces a classic fight between good and evil, with you as players taking over from the lost guardian and paragon to fight the Shadow King.
Along the way you’ll explore dungeons, fight monsters and collect items all in the name of saving the world. Not only is the setting and story reminiscent of the classic NES game, the game mechanics also replicate the feel of playing. Players can collect keys during their journey, which disappear once they’ve been used to unlock any doors, and if you smash a random pot you’ll be rewarded with gold – both of which happen in the original Zelda.
Both players and monsters have hearts that can be depleted, with attacks whittling down one mark each time, so it’s even visually like playing a Zelda game. Heroes of Cerulea features gorgeous pixel art to bring the world maps, characters, and fearsome monsters to life. It really feels like it could be a lost entry in the Zelda series, one you can play with friends and where you get to decide what happens next in the fight between good and evil. And that will probably be a get rich quick scheme involving pots.
Get Heroes of Cerulea from Blackfisk Publishing's Itch.io page.
2. Relic
Explore a vast world in search of enormous creatures
Become a titan hunter in a world of colossal beings as you forge a better future for humanity in Relic. You and your fellow heroes will explore the untamed wilds of Windfall – which is a fun little Windwaker reference - to battle through the wartorn wastes of Three Nations. Fans of the aforementioned Windwaker can even explore the Sea of Stars archipelago. It’s not classic Zelda-like dungeoneering, but it definitely taps into the open world excitement of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Over three books, Relic aims to provide a fleshed-out map that allows players to dive straight in. The main difference between the games are the Titans, huge creatures that roam the lands and must be stopped. It draws heavily from other video games such as Shadow of the Colossus and Monster Hunter, with players tracking down and battling these vast monsters.
However, you won’t be facing these beasts alone. Besides your fellow heroes, you’ll be able to pick up talismans during your journey - which range from powerful items to pets and new abilities. This means that, much like in many Zelda entries, you’ll need to explore before you go for the boss. You won’t be able to play Tears of the Kingdom forever, it might be time to set your sights to a new horizon.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild
Take Tears of the Kingdom directly with you into TRPGs
There’s no denying the inspirations behind this RPG, as it literally has Zelda in its title! The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild is an tabletop RPG made by dedicated Zelda fans, wanting to bring the experience of playing the series to everyone's tables – and it’s totally free! Originally inspired by Breath of the Wild, Reclaim the Wild aims to be a toolset to continue your adventures in the world beyond your Switch.
Character creation in the fantasy TRPG is flexible, allowing you to become the hero you want to be, beyond just a small blonde guy, and it provides several gameplay mechanics to use to explore its big open-world. Inclement weather means that the world is ever-changing, with dangerous terrain forcing players to avoid falling off slippery cliffs. Traps, dungeons and monsters are around every hill. Plus, you can design your very own Zelda-inspired monsters to craft some truly memorable bosses. Of course, there’s a crafting system, which enables players to customise their weapons, armour and food to prepare for any given situation.
Reclaim the Wild is the perfect game to have ready and waiting for when you inevitably finish Tears of the Kingdom and crave more of its world to explore. Link’s journey may be over for now, but yours doesn’t have to be.
Get The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild for free from the RPG's website.
4. Forgotten Ballad
Delve into dungeons with this neat roleplaying game
Forgotten Ballad is an RPG all about exploring ancient ruins nestled in troubled worlds freeing ancient cursed guardians and learning magical songs along the way. You play as an adventurer from a humble background who sets out to make the world a better place by facing the evil that has twisted the world. Every dungeon holds a spirit that is corrupt the land around it, from weather to geography. Luckily, with some trusty items in hand, you can face anything, or at least try and then gobble up food to restore those lost hearts.
Forgotten Ballad puts a lot of thought into its dungeon design, which is an essential for any classic Zelda fans - with themes, magic, and more bringing them to life. Each one has keys to collect in order to open new areas and are populated with monsters like the Batzee and Wizdo, which might remind you of a certain Keese and Wizzrobes. Like Breath of the Wild, the items you find here are essential, with careful inventory management system needed to store all the rope, keys, candles, bombs, boomerangs and more.
Forgotten Ballad has a preview available now, but is currently crowdfunding over on Kickstarter to bring a full set of rules, character creation and even a cool looking adventure filled with some lovely art. Get ready to step into your next favourite dungeon with Forgotten Ballad.
Get Forgotten Ballade from Coolwayink's Itch.io page.
5. The Door Locks Behind You
Players will be able to take advantage of the elemental system to deal damage
The Door Locks Behind You is a chance to build your own Zelda-esque world to explore, dungeons to fight through and evil tyrant to defeat. You start any campaign with a dark force at work - perhaps they increase monster attacks in the world, flood coastal communities or draw the moon ever closer to the earth. Their presence is a constant threat driving players forward as they explore each new region, eventually culminating with a big fight at the end of a winding dungeon.
Along the way players can enjoy many zelda-esque gameplay mechanics to immerse them in the world. Items have limited durability, meaning you need to think beyond always swinging with your sword. Food is able to heal you, but a plain apple restores less hearts than a hearty cooked sandwich. If you want even more similarities, then you’ll love the elemental magic items and monsters. How lightning interacts with water and fire with grass are all things to keep in mind.
The monster creator system features a really fun set of tables that allow you to get creative when making your enemies. Plus, you could just use it to bring a Moblin or Lynel over if your players want Breath of the Wild but MORE. The Door Locks Behind You feels very much like the chance to write your own Zelda title, when you’re done with Tears of the Kingdom of course.
Get The Door Locks Behind You from the RPG's Backerkit page.
6. Break!!!
Mounts are available to tame and ride this this RPG
If you love video games and anime in general, beyond the Zelda series, you’re going to want to check out Break!!!. Like Breath of the Wild, the world of Break is a post-apocalyptic world set far in the future, wherein life has grown anew amongst the remnants of past civilisations, where old empty cities crumble to dust and constructs of a long-forgotten war roam the wilds. You and your friends take on the role of adventurers brave enough to traverse the vast world, helping others or delving for treasures as you go.
You can play a weird and wonderful selection of classes and species like the classic rogue-ish sneaks to a battle princess, as well as elves, goblins, and even a human pulled from their world into this one. Then there are pets to tame, mounts to ride, downtime activities like crafting, and of course many monsters to fight and magic items to discover. There’s even a particularly familiar looking foe you might come across.
It may take the fantasy of a Zelda game and push it a little further at times, but a lot of reasons people love playing through Link’s adventures can be translated to the gameplay mechanics of Break. If you’re hankering for more adventures after Tears of the Kingdom and love the weirder side of the series, Break is the RPG for you.
Get Break!!! as a late pledge reward from the RPG's Kickstarter crowdfunding page.
7. Colostle
This RPG sees players venturing out alone on their own epic quest
For those players who want to continue their Zelda adventures alone, how about a solo RPG? There are so many great fantasy picks out there, but Colostle is a special example. Colostle is a journaling game about exploring a vast castle, one so big that entire oceans sit in its rooms. Cities look tiny compared to its vast doorways and the roof stretches beyond vision into the clouds.
Colostle sees you start out as a lone wanderer, heading out to explore, forge your destiny and help people along the way. The main character in Colostle shares similarities with Zelda’s Link in that they both start out as regular boys who find greatness in the wider world. The artwork feels very reminiscent of Breath of the Wild - the vast expanses to explore with remnants of a lost civilization peeking through, feels just as inviting as those first steps into The Great Plateau. Colostle also includes guardian-esque enemies that are shambling dangerous mechanical beings that amble the wilderness.
Colostle may not have dungeons to explore or a vast bestiary, but for anyone who spends their time in Zelda chatting to villagers, exploring every corner of the world and picking up items along the way, it might be your perfect game. No matter how you play, if you’re craving more exploration and open world adventures post-Zelda, then grab Colostle and a notebook to start your journey.
Get Colostle from the RPG's website.