Best game system on Reddit

206 reviews from r/rpg, r/talespire, r/NoStupidQuestions and 12 more subreddits

206 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Nintendo Switch

4.8

(9)

"Nintendo Switch 100%. If he’s more interested in playing on TV, then get the regular model, as opposed to Lite or OLED."

"Nintendo switch regular model. Can be used handheld or docked and hooked to the TV."

"Switch: Super Mario Odyssey, Pokémon Let’s Go!, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Kirby Star Allies, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, etc."

"The Nintendo switch is very fun and an affordable starting point."

"Probably a Nintendo Switch. Has a good range of retro to modern games."

"50 y/o woman here - love my Switch. Especially love playing Tetris 99!"

"The women above 40 in my family have Nintendo switches and love them (hell, I'm not a women and 20 and love my switch)."

"If your getting a switch. Get the original one not a lite."

"A Switch is a good balance of both popular new and old games, I would say you'll be happy with a Switch."

Mothership

4.8

(9)

"Mothership is a sci-fi horror RPG and maybe the best GM book I’ve ever seen."

"Mothership. The 1st edition just got fully released and is available on Tuesday Knight Games website as of 10 minutes ago!"

"Mothership's shiny new edition releases tomorrow; you want that."

"Mothership is based on a lot of OSR/NuSR principles, meaning it’s easy, lethal, and gets out of your way so you can focus on narratives and/or puzzles."

"I would probably go with that system."

"Mothership would work great for this IMO, easy to run one-shots."

"Mothership- Indie darling game, that’s got a amazingly fast and slick system."

"Mothership, and Death in space might be good."

"They look at many of the most popular space RPGs, including... Mothership (a space horror game; think Aliens)."

Nintendo

5.0

(7)

"I am getting a Switch!"

"Get the subscription service that is offered with the Switch."

"You get a huge pile of classic nintendo games."

"She's genuinely loving it and having a good time."

"Nintendo tries to be a gaming system for the whole family."

"I play my iPad the most because the games are relaxing."

"It's one the favorite systems I've ever owned."

Hero Kids

4.9

(7)

"Check out _Hero Kids_; my 4 & 6yo daughters love it!"

"Hero Kids."

"Hero Kids is great and is pretty easy to scale to the child's capabilities."

"Hero kids or Amazing Tales on drive thru RPG"

"I can definitely recommend Hero Kids. They get to be many different kinds of heroes (like classes) and they get to have a pet too."

"Hero Kids No Thank You, Evil! (great for kids that cannot read properly yet!) Magical Kitties Save The Day No Mice, No Mewsters Pokémon Tales For slightly older kids: Knave, Quest, Heroes of Adventure"

"Hero Kids."

Call of Cthulhu

4.4

(7)

"Call of Cthulhu would *definitely* work better if you wanted a more grounded system than D&D for the game."

"One of the best supported games you could use."

"Call of Cthulhu - Classic lovecraftian investigations into eldritch horror."

"I am personally not a fan of the game mechanics, but I think that the best choice might be *Night's Black Agents*."

"Call of Cthulhu Vaesen Cypher Stay Alive! This would be my order of preference."

"My next choice would be Call of Cthulhu."

"Call of cthulhu, just remove the mythos."

Forbidden Lands

4.8

(6)

"Forbidden Lands, i love the system."

"Forbidden Lands is the system you seek."

"Forbidden Lands by Freeleague seems to perfectly fit your needs."

"Forbidden lands from Free league jumps to mind first."

"Both are easy to run."

"Forbidden Lands or Five Torches Deep (and its expansions)."

Alien RPG

5.0

(5)

"Alien RPG"

"Alien RPG would definitely work very well for that!"

"Alien RPG can be isolated to just a ship. Actually, it works beautiful when you do that."

"Alien, for sure!"

"**The Alien RPG** You have crew members stuck on a ship with a terrifying creature lurking in the shadows."

Delta Green

5.0

(5)

"Which is basically spun off of Call of Cthulhu."

"Delta Green, definitely."

"Delta Green. It's absolutely one of my favorite systems and will do the job pretty well."

"Definitely check our Delta Green."

"I highly recommend Delta Green."

GURPS

4.0

(6)

"Depending on your timeline, and your motivation and creativity levels, GURPS may be a good fit."

"Definitely Try GURPS, If It Was Good Enough For The Development And Basis Of Fallout Than It's Probably Good Enough For A Sci-fi Detective Campaign."

"Gurps is also very good, especially with this kind of different worlds and realities crossing over."

"GURPS is good for street level supers, if you like it already."

"GURPS is quite good at it."

"GURPS - I've seen a couple of streams in sci-fi setting."

#10

Stars Without Number

4.8

(5)

"Would suggest Stars Without Number. From the perspective of a GM that does all their own worldbuilding, it's the best system I've ever run."

"I believe churn out interesting ship to ship combat."

"I'd strongly recommend Stars Without Number, it has a great rp-focused ship battle system."

"It's really solid, check it out!"

"It's a d20 system that uses 2d6 for skills and is quite a bit lighter than Starfinder."

#11

Savage Worlds

4.0

(6)

"Savage Worlds super hero companion has ideas and rules for almost all power levels."

"Savage Worlds with Necessary Evil works nicely for pulp superheroes."

"Savage Worlds would work for this."

"Savage Worlds uses a wound system rather than HP and does well in a low to no magic setting."

"Savage Worlds maybe? It pretty much hits all your points."

"I personally prefer [Savage Worlds](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/261539/Savage-Worlds-Adventure-Edition) over Cypher System."

#12

Traveller

4.4

(5)

"Would seem to be the most obvious candidate."

"My usual suggestion when someone is looking for a hard sci-fi setting like you are asking for is Traveller."

"I'd also recommend Traveller."

"Traveller for all your space needs."

"I’d also recommend taking a look at Traveller (or Cepheus)."

#13

Amazing Tales

5.0

(4)

"Amazing Tales is great for younger kids. https://amazing-tales.net/"

"I’ve done some games of Amazing Tales with my daughter. Good fun, kind of improvise around their ideas."

"My favorite system for this kind of thing is **Amazing Tales.**"

"A good first-ever (player or GM) rpg is Amazing Tales, I'd recommend starting with this."

#14

Dread

4.8

(4)

"I really enjoyed my time doing Dread's free adventure Beneath the Metal Sky."

"Look no further, it’d be amazing."

"Given *they're all going to die* I'd say Dread or Ten Candles."

#15

Monster of the Week

4.3

(4)

"Is BUILT for this exact thing."

"Monster of the Week is a Powered by the Apocalypse system with low magic."

"Monster of the Week. I ran a game that had a couple of monsters inspired by SCPs."

"I think *Monster of the Week* is the better fit."

#16

Quest

4.3

(4)

"It's free, and highly regarded."

"Heard Quest is pretty good and easy to pick up."

"Quest I think would be a good game for this."

"Quest is my go to for things like this. Light, both mechanically and tonally, players aren’t superheroes."

#17

Cyberpunk Red

5.0

(3)

"Cyberpunk RED."

"Cyberpunk RED"

"Surprised nobody had mentioned Cyberpunk Red. It's the newer and somewhat modernized version of the OG Cyberpunk game."

#18

Worlds Without Number

4.3

(3)

"Worlds Without Number by Kevin Crawford."

"Worlds Without Number is really good at making sandbox style open world type gameplay happen."

"Worlds Without Number might do the trick."

#19

Star Wars 5E

4.3

(3)

"If you already know 5e by heart and you have fans in your group, consider running Star Wars 5e!"

"Dimension 20 just ran a full season using Star Wars 5E."

"This might be just what you're looking for, especially if you've played D&D before."

#20

Cthulhu Dark

4.0

(3)

"Cthulhu Dark (free) or if you want more crunch Vaesen."

"Cthulhu Dark!"

"Cthulhu Dark is what you need."

#21

Vaesen

4.0

(3)

"Vaesen."

"Vaesen or Dread Nights"

"Vaesen might work for this."

#22

Starfinder

4.0

(3)

"Starfinder, Shadowrun, GURPS, Cypher, Cyberpunk 2020... The list goes on."

"Starfinder"

"Starfinder is a good one, pathfinder but in the future, many mechanics to work with."

#23

Coriolis

4.0

(3)

"Coriolis is a great time with plenty of options!"

"Coriolis would likely be better for a homebrew."

"Coriolis does exactly what you said about crew positions that u didnt want. however it does it in a way to make it interesting so you way wanna look at it"

#24

Blades in the Dark

5.0

(2)

"Strong vote for blades in the dark."

"I like Blades in the Dark for all of the reasons you stated above."

#25

Mork Borg

5.0

(2)

"Start them off playing Mork Borg, then have them warp to the future and switch over to Cy_Borg."

"Mork Borg is a great rules light Death Metal Fantasy RPG."

#26

Starhold

5.0

(2)

"You're describing Starhold. The Critshow did a full actual-play season that went brilliantly."

"Sounds like an ideal setting for Starhold."

#27

Xbox Series S

5.0

(2)

"Xbox series S. It's the cheapest console."

"Buy him an Xbox Series S, only £249 instead of £500."

#28

Zweihander

4.5

(2)

"For a gritty, survival/horror, I used the Zweihander RPG. It has no official established setting, making it great for adapting it to different settings or themes."

"Zweihander is similar to WFRP and would work well for that sort of thing."

#29

Starforged

4.5

(2)

"Starforged is great with a very modular setting and easily used in nearly any setting you can think of."

"Starforged."

#30

Genesys

4.5

(2)

"I also find Genesys combat extremely fun, since the system has a lot of mechanics that encourage in-combat storytelling and rp'ing."

"I’ll throw Genesys by FFG into the ring, same system as Star Wars FFG but setting agnostic."

#31

Cypher System

4.5

(2)

"I am a big fan of the Cypher system."

"Cypher system, only requires one d20 and the dm never rolls."

#32

Star Wars

4.5

(2)

"I easily recommend FFG Star Wars with Knight Level play."

"FFG's Star Wars or Genesys. They're basically the same system."

#33

Mausritter

4.0

(2)

"Mausritter."

"Mausritter is one ive been wanting to try for a while."

#34

AstraTerra

4.0

(2)

"The [AstraTerra](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/373356) is a very nice rpg for kids."

"Astraterra is child friendly steam fantasy rpg."

#35

Cortex Prime

4.0

(2)

"Maybe cortex prime."

"Cortex prime might be a good option."

#36

Infinity

4.0

(2)

"Infinity the RPG is very fun, Shadowrun is good but complex and you could use the cypher system as well."

"Why not try a skirmish battle game then with just a sprinkling of story in between fights? Infinity, Kill Team, Mordheim..."

#37

Tiny D6

4.0

(2)

"Tiny d6 and Mini Six both suit your criteria."

"The Tiny D6 system has genre books for just about anything, is super fast to learn and play."

#38

Basic Fantasy

4.0

(2)

"Basic Fantasy or OSE (or basically any retro-clone but these are my favorite)."

#39

Star Wars RPG

4.0

(2)

"I mean, I really love the FFG/Edge RPG System (Force and Destiny, etc.)."

"My choice would be the SAGA Edition."

#40

Dungeons & Dragons

4.0

(2)

"For lighter Dungeons & Dragons style fantasy games, you could try: The Black Hack, Into the Unknown, the Dungeons & Dragons 5e starter set, or the Dungeons & Dragons 5e essentials kit."

#41

Mörk Borg

3.5

(2)

"If you like Mörk Borg... have you checked the other Borg inspired games?"

"So would you say that Mork Borg decoupled from its tongue in cheek from dark setting would be best for you?"

#42

Icons

5.0

(1)

"If you are looking for a more comic style I highly recommend Icons."

#43

Dungeon Crawl Classics

5.0

(1)

"My pick when I did this was Dungeon Crawl Classics. Zero regrets."

#44

Songbirds 3e

5.0

(1)

"It's my favorite release of late year, and has some lovely little hexcrawling mechanics."

#45

D6 Space

5.0

(1)

"If that doesn't suit your space pirate needs, I dunno what will."

#46

Orbital Blues

5.0

(1)

"It's an absolute gem of a lite sci-fi rpg."

#47

Reign

5.0

(1)

"It's the system I used to introduce my daughter to the hobby, and it's what I suggest to every new player or GM."

#48

Hostile

5.0

(1)

"It is well supported and very intuitive to play."

#49

Never Going Home

5.0

(1)

"Try Never Going Home."

#50

Tiny Dungeons

5.0

(1)

"Tiny Dungeons [a TinyD6 system]. All each player needs is 3d6."

#51

Questions

5.0

(1)

"Questions is designed for young kids and just won the Silver ENnie for Family Game at GenCon."

#52

Lost in the Fantasy World

5.0

(1)

"It plays remarkably well and while intended for young players is a rich enough storytelling experience for older players too."

#53

Dinosaur Princesses

5.0

(1)

"The game encourages a lot of drawing and coloring as you go."

#54

Fear Itself

5.0

(1)

"I'm surprised nobody offered Fear Itself. It's a Gumshoe-based game simulating horror investigations."

#55

Intel i7 2TB

5.0

(1)

"I just got my i7 2tb version and I love it so far!"

#56

Fear of the Unknown

5.0

(1)

"Fear of the Unknown is my own horror mystery game that I always recommend."

#57

Fate Core

5.0

(1)

"Fate Core. That's the way to go for this."

#58

Talislanta

5.0

(1)

"It's an amazing system and setting."

#59

The Expanse RPG

5.0

(1)

"While I agree with everyone else that Stars Without Number is likely your best (and free) bet, you might want to look into The Expanse RPG. Nothing says "hard sci-fi" like "the Expanse.""

#60

Nintendo Wii

5.0

(1)

"Wii: Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, etc."

#61

CBR+PNK

4.0

(1)

"Did you see CBR+PNK? It is a system based on FitD for one-shots in the cyberpunk genre."

#62

SAGA Edition

4.0

(1)

"You could try the saga edition which was released in 2007."

#63

Troika

4.0

(1)

"I imagine you've seen Troika? It is a very stripped down, small book that still contains some good gamable content."

#64

Swords & Sixsiders

4.0

(1)

"Swords & Sixsiders Black Hack, Rad Hack The Lavender Hack works great for swashbuckling type games."

#65

Mutant: Genlab Alpha

4.0

(1)

"**Mutant : Genlab Alpha** should do the trick."

#66

QuestWorlds

4.0

(1)

"Have you looked into QuestWorlds? This is the update to HeroQuest with a rename."

#67

Clash of Spears

4.0

(1)

"Clash of Spears has an expansion called Rise of Eagles. Should be what you’re looking for."

#68

Plus One EXP

4.0

(1)

"I’d also like to suggest looking into Down We Go from Plus One EXP."

#69

DBA

4.0

(1)

"DBA is a great choice. It is not complex, but gives great (and short) games."

#70

Hyperion

4.0

(1)

"If you like your space with a little bit of horror, this one might be for you."

#71

Monster of the Week RPG

4.0

(1)

"I would generally vote for Monster of the Week unless you are super interested in having your PLAYERS puzzle-solve their way through mysteries."

#72

Dungeon World RPG

4.0

(1)

"Dungeon World, or a PBTA game with a theme that appeals to you."

#73

Scum & Villainy

4.0

(1)

"I've heard Scum & Villainy might work well for this."

#74

Chamber

4.0

(1)

"John Harper wrote a mini-game called Chamber that's based on the AGON system for running SCP/Control style stories."

#75

Maze Rats RPG

4.0

(1)

"I quite like Maze Rats. its very easy to learn, having only 4 pages of rules."

#76

Scum and Villainy

4.0

(1)

"Take a peek at Scum and Villainy if you're up for a more episodic pace."

#77

Bulldogs

4.0

(1)

"Bulldogs (runs on Fate Core)."

#78

Barbarians of Lemuria

4.0

(1)

"I might recommend 'Barbarians of Lemuria' especially the d20 Hack of it 'BOL Hack'."

#79

Savage Worlds: SWADE

4.0

(1)

"I play Savage Worlds (SWADE), Interface Zero is what I'm going to be running."

#80

N.E.W. System

4.0

(1)

"I also really liked the N.E.W. System. Had a neat life path creation system and was very crunchy."

#81

Eclipse Phase

4.0

(1)

"Eclipse Phase game with Talespire."

#82

Fragged

4.0

(1)

"Fragged."

#83

Dungeon World

4.0

(1)

"My quick recommendation is, unironically, Dungeon World."

#84

Basic Role Playing

4.0

(1)

"Basic Role Playing works well for this."

#85

Basic Fantasy Roleplay

4.0

(1)

"I've had luck setting with Basic Fantasy Roleplay."

#86

Electric Bastionland

4.0

(1)

"Electric Bastionland is a pretty unique setting."

#87

The Contract RPG

4.0

(1)

"I love this game for highly customizable powers system."

#88

Pendragon RPG: 5th Edition

4.0

(1)

"You could try checking out the 5th edition of the Pendragon RPG."

#89

Ryuutama

4.0

(1)

"I'm going to make a curveball suggestion and say Ryuutama."

#90

The Isle of Dread

4.0

(1)

"The Isle of Dread."

#91

13th Age

4.0

(1)

"13th Age. You should be able to convert basically any 3.5 era hexcrawl materials."

#92

Storypath

4.0

(1)

"Try the storypath system line of games."

#93

Esoterrorists

4.0

(1)

"Esoterrorists is probably the closest you get to X-Files."

#94

InSpectres

4.0

(1)

"For light hearted you can try InSpectres."

#95

Fallout

4.0

(1)

"Modiphius currently publishes the Fallout RPG under the 2d20 system."

#96

Sony PS5

3.0

(1)

"Good luck finding a new console. Supplies are extremely limited and the units available are hella expensive."

#97

Stokerverse

3.0

(1)

"I have this game that I haven't gotten around to play yet called Stokerverse."

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