Skip to main content

Post Apocalyptic RPG List

I'm not that big on magic in RPG's.  I do like Swords and Sorcery RPG's that tend to look at magic as something sinister, something alien. In these settings magic seduces it's users with promises of power and then ends up spitting them out as corrupt minions.  That is about the only concept of magic that appeals to me some reason.  Other than that you can pretty much keep your wizards except as adversaries that need a good bashing.

So what RPG's do you play that don't have magic besides swords and sorcery type games that aren't, well, boring? Lot's actually, but mainly futuristic ones. I've always liked post apocalyptic RPG's.  Strait Sci-Fi far-future games with interstellar travel I enjoy but they tend to be hard to play...not impossible but harder.  The post apocalyptic settings tend to be easier to manage for me but still unpredictable for players.  Post-apocalyptic games (or P-A games) are easy for fantasy players to transition over to as well.  It is almost like playing fantasy rpg's but instead of magical weapons you find ancient tech.  Instead of monsters warped by Chaos you find monsters that have been warped by mutations and ancient genetic engineering. Instead of dungeons you have ruined cities and ancient military complexes. The genre, especially when the P-A system seems kind of so over-the-top that the games themselves border on fantasy, it is a nice sweet spot.

So here is a brief list of some of the P-A games I've been looking at running or stealing ideas from. I know many others exist but these are the ones that are currently on my radar.  Please fill free to send me additional games to add that I have missed.
  • Darwin's World (1st Edition and 2nd Editions available, D20, Savage Worlds systems) - I own the first edition, it looks really good but it is D20 modern based.  Not that that is a bad thing, but I'd probably use this more as something to mine ideas off of for running a Mutant Future game. 
  • Earth AD 2 (genreDiversion) - I just bought this. The genreDiversion system is very rules light, but I think it does it in such a way that it still remains very playable.  I think Earth AD 2 will be my go to system for one offs and small campaigns, where Mutant Future's/Gamma World 1st Edition will be my choice if I want to run a long term campaign.
  • Gamma World (1-5 editions, Old D&D and D20) - Gamma World 1st Edition was the first RPG that I ever bought with my own money as a kid in the 70ies. It owns a special place in my heart. I love how there was just enough rules to entice your imagination.  Lot's of hints for you to work out on your own.  Since it is so dated I will probably use Mutant Futures as my base for new post apocalyptic campaigns, but Gamma World 1st edition will be used right along side it.  I hear 2nd edition is good as well, but I don't own it.  3rd and beyond I believe go D20, so I would probably just mine those editions for ideas.
  • Mutanoids (don't know much about this one)
  • Mutant Future (Old D&D Gamma World retro clone) The remake of Gamma World.  I downloaded the free version but plan to buy a hard copy to support Goblinoid Games.  This will probably be my go to for running long term P-A campaigns.
  • Mutant Epoch (Own system) - I hear REALLY good things about this game, but I don't own it.  I hear it uses a D30 and has a funky system as well. I might purchase it for ideas.
  • Barbarians of the Aftermath (Barbarians of Lemuria) - I love the Sword and Sorcery Barbarians of Lemuria rules that Barbarians of the Aftermath is based off of.  I was lucky enough to get a hard back edition of this game when it came it.  It is a great book, top notch art work and ideas. I think I will use it extensively with both Earth AD 2 and Gamma World/Mutant Future campaigns, but probably not as a stand alone as it might be just a shade too rules lite for me.
  • Atomic Highways (don't know much about this one) - This game is well regarded and the core book is free on RPGNow.  I've downloaded it but haven't looked through it yet.  I hear it is aimed at sort of a Mad Max meets Car Wars meets Gamma World vibe.  All good but a lot of commentators have stated that it's focus is a bit too narrow to use as a tool kit for building your own post apocalypse campaign.  
  • Apocalypse World (don't know much about this one) - From what I understand this is one of the newer "narrative" rules lite type games.  The game does have a strong following.  Low on my list to check out but I could be pleasantly surprised when I do.
Update: Thaumiel Nerub sent me a much more extensive list of post apocalyptic RPG's.  So I've added them into the mix.  I'm just posting his list for now and I will come back and comment more extensively on each of these games in the future.  Thanks Thaumiel.

- Metamorphosis Alpha
- Outbreak
- D20 Apocalypse
- D20 Redline
- D20 Highwayman
- Deadlands: Hell On Earth
- Badlands
- Wormspeak
- Highway Holocaust
- (Slaughter) Mountain Run
- The Omega Zone
- Vermine
- Les Chroniques Des Féals
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Taiga
- Unhallow Metropolis
- All Flesh Must Be Eaten (zombie apocalypse...)
- Morrow Project
- Aftermath
- Rifts (well, kinda)
- After The Bomb
- Daemonia: The Role playing game
- Engel
- Exodus Survivors Guide (former Fallout rpg)
- Hot War
- Judge Dredd (well, kinda maybe maybe not)
- Systems Failure
- Torg


I know I'm missing more.  If you know them, especially the indie ones, please let me know in the comments!  Thanks.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Free OSR of the Week: Revised MAZES and MINOTAURS

Looking for a free OSR game with a Greek Mythos theme? Look no further than MAZES and MINOTAURS.  Three core books plus a companion, all free pdfs. http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html

Mutant Future Christmas Themed Adventure

Bad Santa: An Adventure Concept for your Mutant Future or Post Apocalyptic Game So I *might* be running a game session tonight, I'm kind of the back up guy.  We will have possibly three GM's present, and I'm probably 3rd in line.  But as one looks like will be a no show and the other is new, I figure I better have at least a concept of an adventure setup.  So for a quick and dirty set of ideas I used the Beast & Barbarians Golden Edition adventure idea generator to generate some broad concepts for an adventure, and then applied them to a Mutant Future setting.  I also wanted to have the adventure Christmas/Holiday themed.  So here goes. Back Story The party is friends with a mutant settlement that relies on a semi-working robotical farm for food.  Some kind of robotical unit snuck into the village and stole the nuclear power cell from one of the main CPU that controls the farm.  A scout from the village tracked the bot's path into the ru...

CharacterAI Inspired Story

A mysterious rider appears in a forest and encounters a humanoid monster attempting to slay him. He defeats the monster and discovers a mystical cabin in the woods. Inside, an old woman listens to his tale, allows him to rest, feeds him, and then gives him a sword to aid in his quest. We learn the rider is a knight, obliged to kill any magical being preying on humanity, seeking vengeance for the slaying of his family by such a being. Continuing his journey, the rider reaches a keep after spending a night at a farm, where he is kindly received. It's revealed that he was once a farmer himself. At the keep, plagued by a night dragon, he stays overnight, awaiting an audience with the local lord. He demonstrates magical tricks to the keep's soldiers, hinting at his extraordinary nature. Learning that the soldiers are preparing to attack the dragon, he dissuades them, warning of their likely demise. In the morning, hearing of the lord's plan to muster an army against the dragon, ...