One of the most popular searches on YouTube related to tabletop RPGs is “learn to play D&D.” But what if you could learn how to play tabletop roleplaying games using a simple system featuring giant robots?

The Mecha Hack Could Be the Game For You

With a constant influx of people who are interested in tabletop RPGs, the number one question on any beginner’s mind is “where do I start?”

Dungeons & Dragons is an amazing game, and there are a ton of resources out there to learn it. But it can be incredibly daunting trying to jump into a game whose manual for players clocks in at about 320 pages.

Consider an alternate path. What if you could sit down at the table, make a character in under ten minutes, and understand the rules in roughly the same amount of time?

If that idea sounds attractive to you, consider making The Mecha Hack (by us, Absolute Tabletop) the first RPG you learn.

You can pick up a PDF copy on DriveThruRPG or here on our site for ~$7 bucks.

So Why The Mecha Hack?

It’s understandable that you might be leaning toward sticking with D&D as your first RPG, so zero pressure. But outside of being able to learn it quickly, here are some other reasons to consider giving the Mecha Hack a shot. 

You’ll Actually Be Playing Dungeons & Dragons… Sort Of…

Something to consider is that the Mecha Hack uses rules from the Black Hack, which is a stripped-down, rules-lite version of Dungesons & Dragons. Now, it is based on the original 1970’s version of the game, but many call it the most streamlined version of the D&D ruleset available. So if you’re looking to learn D&D, playing the Mecha Hack could be the perfect training wheels.

Playing in a World You Know and Love

In any fantasy tabletop RPG, you need a world to play in. For many, in addition to learning the rules, learning the lore and details of a campaign setting (or “world”) can be too much to handle. If you play The Mecha Hack, you can quickly and easily set the game in the universe of one of your favorite giant robot properties. If you’re a fan of Pacific Rim, Gundam, Transformers and Battletech, you’ll feel right at home in this rules-lite RPG.

Our friends over at Nerdarchy hosted an article written by our own Matt Click featuring 5 Famous mecha statted out for the game.

Tons of Missions to Play

Sometimes it can be tough to come up with material to use to run sessions when you’re first starting out. Another hurdle is that using pre-written adventures requires even more time and effort to read through and prepare. The Mecha Hack comes with an entire section of Game Master tools, mission generators, and more than 30 enemy stat blocks to get the action started quickly.

And if you want even more missions to play, we’ve even written a sequel to The Mecha Hack loaded with more than 40 one-page missions that are super easy to run — even for beginners. The one-page scenarios. cover everything from training missions, action-packed skirmishes, high-octane chases, perilous salvage, and everything in between.

Get your copy of the Mecha Hack: Mission Manual on DriveThruRPG or our site for a little under $12 bucks.

Check Out What Others Have to Say

Don’t take our word for it! The Mecha Hack has gained quite a bit of popularity in the tabletop RPG world. Aside from being a Mithral seller on DriveThruRPG, here are some other articles that mention the Mecha Hack positively:

• EnWorld
• Drippit
• Too Much Content

Whether you choose The Mecha Hack or another game to learn how to play tabletop RPGs, we wish you and your table the very best, from our tabletop to yours.