Sleeper RPG's

[Jib]

I have discovered many fine RPG's that never ever made an impression on the community. Either due to budget or company failure these great RPGs have faded from most table tops.

Do you have a favorite game that you wish had a larger following or could "come back from the dead" so that others could enjoy it? Tell us about these great 'sleeper' games!

 

[jdrakeh]

vs. Monsters by Philip Reed is, to date, the only card-based RPG that I have ever enjoyed. It's Washington Irving, Jackie Chan, and Gary Gyax combined in a blender set to Awesome-ify. I really wish that more people would give it a chance but, I understand why they don't.

There's a whole "If a game uses anything other than dice to resolve action, it's crap!" mentality to compete with in our hobby (believe me, I know, as I allude to earlier) on top of trying to compete with much larger, more established, games that have lots of name brand recognition.

I also really like Maelstrom Storytelling, which contains one of the most evocative campaign settings that I've ever read. Sky galleons? Check. Shifting realities? Check. Shattered remnants of an an ancient empire? Check. Crime-fighting jazz bands? Check. It was James Brown cool.

I think what hurt it the most was being too different from other games of its time (1998). It used funny terms like "scene-based resolution," let players narrate their own conflict outcomes, and so on. That was all new, scary, stuff for a lot of people at the time.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Yes.

Though I'm going to say that even though there isn't much chatter about it, sales were good.

Rather than blather on here about it, I'll just say that I wrote it, a review of it was just posted, and I encourage everyone to read it here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/reviews/253252-reign-discordia.html

 

[Wik]

Well, I'll follow with one of Darrin's other great books - d20 Apocalypse. But I've mentioned this a hundred times before... and it's not a true "Sleeper".

Mouse Guard seems like a fun one, and I'd buy it if I had the spare cash kicking around.

The recent d6 releases (ie, in the past four years or so) are definitely cool, but ignored. No fluff is the problem, I think.

Oh! And any RPG entered in the Great Conjunction contest, on this very site!

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

Cartoon Action Hour: Season 2 (it's rules are significantly different enough from version 1 to warrant me not simply saying "Cartoon Action Hour"): Sure, it says it's designed for 80s cartoons, but if you actually look at the rules you'll find there really is nothing about them that screams this fact out at you. Plus they have some interesting stuff:
* they're the one "choose your own traits" system out there that actually has a rule for how to adjudicate a broad trait vs. a narrow trait
* since the rules for combat don't track damage, just resolution, non-violent skills are just as important as violent skills and you can use the system for social combats as-is
* really quick combat: squads of mooks go down if you succeed on one role, everyone else you just need four sucesses
I just really find it a nice rules-light game that manages to still have a bit of depth.

Teenagers From Outer Space: This game is just too whacky not to have a following. Even if you never play it the book is funny enough to be worth the purchase.

 

[Tetsubo]

The one that has had the biggest impact on me is one I discovered quite recently: Everstone (Blood Legacy). Possible the best version of the D20 (3.5) system I have ever encountered. Sadly it seems to have been released around the same time as Eberron. Which of course buried it... If you are a 3.5 fan, find a copy.

I also have a sweet spot in my heart for the second edition of After the Bomb.

 

[Umbran]

I'll put a vote in for Godlike. WWII superheroes that are not, in general, immune to bullets.

It has one of the more innovative dice mechanics I've seen in a while.

 

[jaerdaph]

vs. Monsters by Philip Reed is, to date, the only card-based RPG that I have ever enjoyed. It's Washington Irving, Jackie Chan, and Gary Gyax combined in a blender set to Awesome-ify. I really wish that more people would give it a chance but, I understand why they don't.

I love vs. Monsters too - my friends and I use it all the time for quick pickups etc.

Here's a brilliant game that doesn't get enough love, but when it does, it's deep and heart-felt: Monsters and Other Childish Things I've been meaning to pick up the Candlewick Manor campaign setting for it, which gets even more kudos. Edit: Although this game is very much alive.

 

[ExploderWizard]

It Came From The Late Late Late Show.

This game is a hoot. It really allows players to show off thier (bad) acting chops. The (hopefully) ever increasing Fame stat allows for whole silly campaigns with meaningful (less) rise in stardom for the actors (PC's)

Seeing My Name is Bruce recently made me remember this game.

 

[jdrakeh]

You know what? Add the old Hercules & Xena RPG to that list, as well. It wasn't particularly stunning in terms of innovation or presentation but it did allow for some incredibly entertaining fun in the mythic Greece of the two television shows that it was based on. I had a lot of fun with that game.