Upcoming 2026 Trading Card and Tabletop RPG Releases Based on Popular Book Franchises

Recently, numerous video game franchises have launched their own trading cards and physical games, and book properties are following suit. For example, the popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series unveiled a trading card game earlier this year. At the same time, AMC is fundraising to develop a tabletop RPG adaptation of Anne Rice’s classic Interview with the Vampire.

These are not the only literary adaptations heading to tabletop formats in 2026. Earlier this year, The Hobbit appeared as a Magic: The Gathering set, and The Lord of the Rings received a trick‑taking game for board‑ and card‑game fans. As the year progresses, additional books and series are rolling out physical cards, tabletop RPGs, and other tabletop experiences set in their universes.

Horror On The Orient Express

Release Rolls Out Over October

Horror on the Orient Express is not based on a single novel; instead, it blends the works of two classic authors into a richly atmospheric board game: Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and H. P. Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu.

Backed by Kickstarter, the game invites one to four players to step aboard the Orient Express and travel back to the 1920s. While journeying through the Dreamlands, they encounter deranged cultists and ruthless monsters drawn from the Cthulhu mythos.

Each playthrough offers ample content to discover, featuring 100 cards, 196 tokens, 37 miniatures, 26 train pieces, and 226 additional game components.

The package includes a beautifully illustrated game board, cards, tokens, and an actual train model. By adapting the Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG into a visual, tactile format, the title promises to appeal to fans of both franchises as well as lovers of board games and tabletop RPGs.

A Court Of Thorns & Roses: Fate & Favor

Releases On October 11

A Court of Thorns & Roses: Fate & Favor translates Sarah J. Maas’s series into a card and board game accommodating up to seven players. Players encounter familiar characters, refine their strategies, and craft their own narrative within the Thorns & Roses universe.

In the game, you assume the role of a High Lord striving to become the ruler of Prythian. Your path to power can involve ruthlessly overcoming opponents or forming alliances—your choices and fate dictate the outcome.

Gameplay revolves around cards that continually shift loyalties, requiring quick adaptation. You can outmaneuver rivals or join forces with them to ascend across the seven courts. The game is available in exclusive packaging at Target and includes a distinctive tree‑shaped bookmark, ideal for returning to the novels after a play session.

Dune: Imperium – Conspiracy Expansion

Releases On October 31

Dune: Imperium is a strategic deck‑building board game adapted from Frank Herbert’s novels. Launched in 2020, the base edition has become a favorite among Dune enthusiasts and board‑game aficionados alike.

This Halloween, the game debuts a eagerly awaited expansion focused on conspiracies. As Paul Muad’Dib’s rule over the Imperium fuels ongoing war and unrest, new conspiracies emerge that threaten to overthrow him. The expansion allows players to raid planets, deploy conspiracies with lasting effects, and cooperate with others to depose the Emperor.

Playing the expansion requires the base game, but fans of the series’ political intrigue and strategic depth will find it appealing. It is compatible with the original Dune: Imperium, the 2023 Uprising variant, and all other expansions.

Cosmere RPG: Mistborn

Releases On November 4

Cosmere RPG immerses players in Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy universe. The d20‑based system debuted its first campaign in 2025 within the Stormlight Archive setting, and this November it expands to encompass the beloved Mistborn series.

Built on a traditional tabletop RPG framework, the system grants players greater freedom. You can increase the difficulty of any encounter, tailor your character with abilities from any class, and creatively apply your powers.

The expansion adds three detailed guides that walk you through the lore and mechanics, situating adventures in the world of Scadrial. The campaign begins in the Final Empire and continues with a second chapter set many centuries after the empire’s fall.

The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict

Releases On November 13

The Lord of the Rings has inspired numerous physical and digital games, and Circle of Conflict represents the franchise’s newest tabletop offering.

Set during the Third Age of Middle‑earth amidst a great war, this tabletop RPG allows two to four players to command either the Shadow or the Free Peoples armies, competing against one another for dominion over nations.

The game challenges your strategic skill, requiring you to attack and defend simultaneously against rival players. The Free Peoples aim to aid the Fellowship in reaching its goal or defeating the Shadow, while the Shadow strives to defeat or undermine opposing fellowships.

Throughout play, you can enlist iconic characters from the series. Both Lord of the Rings enthusiasts and tabletop RPG fans will appreciate this title, which demands balancing two distinct objectives while opposing other players.

Fourth Wing: Formations

Releases On November 30

Rebecca Yarros’s epic fantasy series Fourth Wing is making the jump to physical gaming this late November. Fourth Wing: Formations is a strategy‑driven card game that builds upon a standard 54‑card deck with series‑specific elements.

Assume the role of a general and direct the Riders, Scribes, Infantry, and Healers to defend Navarre in this variant of Kings in the Corner. As an added benefit, the cards can be used to play any conventional card game.

This is not Fourth Wing’s first foray into tabletop formats. The Priorities card game challenges players to make in‑world decisions and spark debate, while Rise of the Wingleader sends you into the Riders Quadrant to vie for power, climb the ranks, and command the series’ legendary dragons.

Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG And Dungeon Crawler Carl: Unstoppable

Releases In November 2026

The wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl is debuting two physical game projects this November: the card‑based deck‑building title DCC: Unstoppable and the tabletop DCC RPG.

Both titles were brought to life through crowdfunding and immerse players in the World Dungeon. The RPG features a rulebook exceeding 300 pages, covering lore, skills, characters, environments, and more.

If the rulebook feels overwhelming, the Unstoppable card game offers a solo or two‑player experience that is quick to learn. It guides you through the first three floors of the World Dungeon, presenting an ever‑changing labyrinthine challenge.

Moreover, any progress you achieve in this game will carry forward to subsequent floors when future expansions for the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG are released.

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