6mo ago

Sci-Fi RPG systems/settings/core rules

This is meant to be a non-exhaustive list, in stream-of-consciousness order.

Dedicated systems

Traveller (in its many incarnations throughout the past nearly 50 years and derivatives such as Cepheus, Hostile)
2300 AD (now a setting for Traveller)
Cyberpunk (2013, 2020, V3.0, Red)
Paranoia
Eclipse Phase
Lancer
Star Wars roleplaying (different games by different publishers: WEG d6, d20, FFG NDS)
Warhammer 40K
3:16: Carnage Amongst the Stars
Shadowrun
Apocalypse World
Coyote & Crow
SLA Industries

FATE based systems

Bulldogs!
Mindjammer
Nova Praxis
Diaspora
Atomic Robo

OSR/d20 based systems

Stars Without Number
Starfinder
Mothership
CY_BORG

Year Zero

Mutant: Year Zero
Alien: The RPG
Blade Runner: The RPG
Coriolis – The Third Horizon

GURPS

A host of modules and supplements named after the subgenre, GURPS-style. GURPS Transhuman Space, Cyberpunk, etc.

Other systems

Star Trek Adventures (Modiphius 2d20)
Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Modiphius 2d20)
Rifts (Palladium)
Robotech (Palladium)
Scum and Villainy (FitD/PbtA)
The Expanse RPG (Modern AGE)

Solo friendly

Stoneburner
Ironsworn: Starforged (PbtA)
Hostile (Cepheus/Traveller)

Out of print/No longer developed

Firefly RPG (Cortex Plus)
Serenity RPG (Cortex Classic)
Battlestar Galactica RPG (Cortex Classic)
Gamma World (D&D)
Space Opera
Other Suns
Albedo
Space Master
HARP SF
Blue Planet
Ringworld
Living Steel
High Colonies
Jovian Chronicles
Heavy Gear
Justifiers
Star Frontiers
Universe
CORPS

Have a suggestion to improve this? Your favorite game missing? Leave a comment.

29 comments

Other system
Eclipse Phase
Neon City Overdrive
Black Star
Mutant Year Zero/Elysium/BioLab
Coriolis and the 2nd edition : Coriolis the Great Dark (same system as Mutant Year Zero above)
Salvage Union
OSR Cities (Cyberpunk) and Ashes(post apo) Without Numbers
Out of Print Mutant chronicle 1st and 2nd edition
Also there’s a lot of Judge Dredd TTRPG
Coriolis - The Third Horizon
CY_BORG
For solo players, Ironsworn: Starforged is a must.
- Done and thank you!
https://greenroninstore.com/collections/the-expanse-rpg
Based on the Modern AGE ruleset.
The irony is that The Expanse was first conceived as an online RPG setting. They couldn't get funding, so they played it "mail in" style on a forum. This became the basis of the first book. The book series was, in turn, turned into an tabletop RPG. We've almost gone full circle.
- Thank you, added it!
Blue Planet is getting an update - Blue Planet: Recontact
The Kickstarter closed some time ago, and several beta PDFs have been provided.
- Getting an update since 2017 (IIRC)
Scum & Villainy
I'm enjoying this blades in the dark adaptation quite a lot
- Added, thank you.
Are we counting splatbooks like Fabula Ultima: Techno Fantasy
- Not really, no, just full fledged settings with rules. Trying to keep a concise list. You're welcome to start a post for those, though. It would definitely fit the community.
...i've wanted to play the original alternity / stardrive for twenty-five years, but i hear darkmatter is a pretty good campaign setting for the system, too...
- ...may as well throw in star frontiers while you're at it...
Strong recommend for Stars Without Number. It’s a great hard sci-fi system if you leave out the optional psychic stuff.
What makes it interesting is that it’s very lethal. A level 5 party can easily get murdered by a group of level 1s if they get trapped or ambushed.
It makes for games where players think hard before committing to combat.
I used it to run a game set in Alastair Reynolds‘ “Revelation Space” universe and it worked well. I chose it because it does not force a very specific sci-fi universe on you. Super happy.
- Sounds like you’d like Hostile by Zozer Games. They have a solo version too where you control a crew.
Rifts
Robotech- OOP
There is a new version of Robotech from after Paladium Games lost the license, but I have not looked at, or played it.
And there is the old d6 system for Star Wars from West End Games, and the new books use I think the FATE system. There was also the short lived d20 system from WoTC.
- Rifts is a classic, but also a very strange animal. And for some reason I thought Robotech was a minis game (must be confusing with something else).
  Star Wars is already listed. I know those are technically different games, but I'm trying to keep the list as concise as possible (grouping the multiple versions of the same setting under one entry). I don't know much about the history of star wars RPG though. How would you summarize it? (WEG d6, d20, Fate)?
  
  And for some reason I thought Robotech was a minis game (must be confusing with something else).
  There was a Robotech minis game, that was a huge debacle, and why Paladium games lost the license. But you are likely thinking of BattleTech, which is historically a mini game but also has an TTRPG version initially called MechWarrior, but I think it has a new name now.
  How would you summarize it? (WEG d6, d20, Fate)?
  Yes. They all play totally differently, AB’s the newer stuff has newer source books. But the last time I looked the community had taken the newer stuff and adapted it to work with WEGd6.
  And despite something being listed, I think if there are multiple versions (not just different editions, but these are totally different games set in the same universe. But to keep the list concise, a note that there are different versions from different publishers.
  Another I just remembered, is there is a Firefly RPG, I forget the publisher (possibly Lost Unicorn Games) I will look it up later.
- You also have Battletch, but somt know Robotech to say of the systems are similar
I tried the Star Trek Adventures recently and liked it. It felt like a middle ground between FATE games and Cortex games. Worth a shot for anybody on the fence.
- Wow. I hadn't heard of a single item in your list except for SLA Industries. Not that surprising considering most are long out of print.
  By Jupiter Chronicles do you mean Jovian Chronicles?

29 comments