this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2025
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Sci-Fi RPGs

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A community for Sci-Fi themed tabletop RPGs.

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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)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

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~~ EDGE system. There was also the short lived d20 system from WoTC.

[–] Frostbeard 3 points 6 days ago

You also have Battletch, but somt know Robotech to say of the systems are similar

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

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)?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

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, and 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

BattleTech! That's the one. Didn't know they made an RPG out of it.

Firefly is an out of print Cortex Plus game by Margaret Weis Productions. It's in the list as well as Serenity (the Cortex Classic game by WEP, isn't IP licensing fun?).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Thanks, I missed seeing those in the list!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

The Battletech RPG was called Mechwarrior, if memory serves.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Aside from the ones mentioned, Star Wars also has the FFG system, right?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago

I misremembered, the current Star Wars game uses EDGE, not FATE. And afaik this is the same system that FFG published. But was moved to a new studio when Asmodee moved all of the Star Wars licenses around killing X-Wing and Armada.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

That's right. Arguably the most famous?

Come to think of it, I don't think there ever was a Fate official Star Wars setting. I didn't find it, anyway.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Sorry, it is EDGE, not FATE. I edited my initial post.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Right, that uses the Fantasy Flight Games' Narrative Dice System (same as WH Fantasy).