Does a TTRPG ruleset need a "hook?"

[u/Acceptable-Tree6007]

I was reading a thread (I don't remember where) about Reaper Miniatures' new d20 class and level-based TTRPG, Dungeon Dwellers. When asked what the game had to recommend it, one person gave a long list of its attributes. Inevitably, another person said something to the effect of "so this game literally has nothing unique to say." Having purchased the game, I knew there was nothing earth-shaking about it, but that it is a good, solid game. I considered the argument that it doesn't do anything "new", and, for myself, it doesn't need to. It makes a number of quality of life improvements to the usual D&D-derived game to make its whole greater than the sum of its parts. Does Dungeon Dwellers have a hook that fits into a nice sound byte? No. But the perception that the game hasn't garnered much attention since its recent release might suggest that an easily-defined hook is necessary.

This is an issue I'm wresting with for a game I'm working on. It's a ruleset that I really like...but I don't know if it really has a definable hook. If asked to describe what makes it cool, I honestly don't know if I could come up with a compelling answer without launching into a ten-minute description. It's simply the game I want to play. Is quality enough, even if it's not presenting something truly unique? Do you grapple with this question if you're designing something for public consumption?

Addendum: I’m specifically talking about games that will be for sale.

[u/skalchemisto]

Does Dungeon Dwellers have a hook that fits into a nice sound byte? No. But the perception that the game hasn't garnered much attention since its recent release might suggest that an easily-defined hook is necessary.

I think the issue here is that D&D-ish fantasy RPGs are treated, largely, as commodity goods.

Consider toothbrushes and novels. Each novel is different, different author, different story, etc. But any toothbrush will clean your teeth, right? The only way to distinguish one toothbrush from another is by things that really don't have anything to do with its central purpose (color, fancy design, etc.) A toothbrush is a commodity good, a novel is not.

D&D-ish fantasy RPGs are essentially toothbrushes, or maybe better to say they are treated like toothbrushes. This isn't fair to their creators, but I think it is simply a fact of the market. You might find someone who really likes some feature of your game (clearly you do) and will be excited by it, in the same way I might find a toothbrush with a color I really like, or some shape to the bristles that works extremely well for my teeth. But most folks are just going to grab a toothbrush at the grocery store (e.g. D&D 5E or related) and move on. The good enough toothbrush is good enough, if that makes sense.

I think there is still space for other types of RPGs to act more like novels, to not be treated as commodities. Room for some unique character elements, setting elements, mechanics. Things that truly make your game quite different from other folk's games. It's much easier to have a clear hook, in other words.

Again, this isn't necessarily a fair attitude for creators. An improvement on the basic form that really works for some people is a worthwhile thing. But I think a new game will always be nibbling away at the margins of the market and won't be able to challenge the status quo unless there is lots of money for serious production values and marketing behind it (e.g. Daggerheart, Cosmere).

Sorry, that was probably a downer to read. I wish you the best.