Tabletop RPG · since 2017 · #99 most discussed

Tales from the Loop

Kids in a retro-futuristic 1980s setting solve mysteries involving strange machines, with everyday life shaping each story.

Year Zero EngineSci fidice poolpush your lucklifepath creationinvestigationtheater of the mindShort arcsNeeds a GM

6.1

Geek rating

From 13 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 6.8.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion5.3 / 10

85 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 3.7 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate Tales from the Loop from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

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What players say

At the table

Tales from the Loop is played as a light, talk-heavy game about kids facing strange mysteries, and most firsthand reports are positive. The sample is small, so treat it as a thin picture. Tables disagree mainly about the dice system and the published adventures.

What works

The starter set's "Recycled Boy" scenario is repeatable. One GM has run it about eight times for different groups, and the set includes a map, premade sheets and dice. (thread)
The rules are easy to learn, play starts quickly, and the system stays out of the way. (thread)
Kid-scale problems like parents, school and being grounded drive good roleplay, and one player enjoyed the core book campaign. (thread)
A group of first-time RPG players is having a great time. Players say pushing a roll works as a chosen gamble, and fail-forward rulings keep the story moving. (thread)

What tables struggle with

One player found that published adventures needed players to take very unlikely actions to progress. Another didn't enjoy the system or two published adventures. (thread) (thread)
The stripped-down system can spiral badly after failed rolls. Another player finds the Year Zero Engine too punishing for the intended tone. (thread) (thread)
One group finds outcomes too binary and characters weak at most things. They and another player did not fully grasp pushing and fail-forward at first. (thread)
Teenage players reportedly get little from the 80s/90s nostalgia the setting leans on. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups that care more about roleplay and character scenes than mechanics.
Newcomers who want a quick start from the starter set.
Players who connect with the nostalgic setting.

In players' words

"Me and my group are currently playing Tales from the Loop as our first RPG and we are having a great time." (thread)
"some things the authors expected us to do for the story to progress were Extremely Dumb" (thread)
"I didn't love TotL as a system or the two published adventures I've played of it." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.5

How good is Tales From the Loop in 2024?

The few people who say they played Tales from the Loop mostly enjoyed it as a light, social, roleplay-heavy game about kids and mysteries. One player was let down by far-fetched adventures that needed the players to do unlikely things to move the story along, and by a stripped-down system that spirals badly when rolls fail. Most of the thread is general praise, setting talk and comparisons to Kids on Bikes or other Free League games, with few detailed table reports. 5 firsthand · 32 comments

Open on Reddit

6.8

Other Systems for Tales from the Loop

Tales from the Loop play comes across as enjoyable. The original poster's group is having a great time as first-time RPG players, but they find the Year Zero rolls too binary and think characters are bad at most things. Other players say pushed rolls and fail-forward rulings already give in-between outcomes, and one says the system is too punishing for the tone. Much of the thread is advice and suggestions for other systems, which don't count. 5 firsthand · 19 comments

Open on Reddit

4.5

Tales from the Loop or Dragonbane for a Teenager

The thread is mostly a Dragonbane vs. Tales from the Loop gift recommendation, so there is almost no real play data for Tales from the Loop. The two firsthand voices are lukewarm: one disliked the system and two published adventures, and one says teen players miss the nostalgia the setting depends on. 2 firsthand · 24 comments

Open on Reddit

8.5

Need Advise for "Tales from the Loop" RPG

The thread is mostly a newcomer asking where to start with Tales from the Loop, and only one commenter describes actually running it. That commenter has run the starter set's 'Recycled Boy' adventure about 8 times for different groups and calls it a favourite. 1 firsthand · 15 comments

Open on Reddit