What game system have you tried that made you go WOW!

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Dread absolutely blew me away the first time I played it. I was a skeptic when I heard the concept, and am now a total and absolute fanboy.

Most recently, the GR Song of Ice and Fire system got the creative juices flowing in a way few systems have in quite a while.

 

[balard]

Mutants & Masterminds. It's crazy. A masterpiece of roleplaying system.

For the setting, both Shadowrun and Eberron really impressed me. It's a shame Shadowrun rules are pretty much subpar.

 

[jdrakeh]

I had some time to think about it, and I thin I had better add another game — TWERPS! It's an incredibly light system, not to be taken seriously, and yet I've had much more fun with it than I have had with 'full-fledged' RPGs. From the first time I read it, I knew it was something special. It has, appropriately, influenced my own Awesome Engine.

 

[grodog]

I suppose that I should add this to my list, as well. I was absolutely smitten with the game before I even read it thanks to a review in Dragon. When I finally got my hands on a copy its density turned me off to the idea of actually playing it, but several of the concepts therein went on to influence other games that I ran.

I'll second that

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

More of the setting fluff than the mechanics; the mechanics are an updated version of the old WoD mechanics, with some twists, so they were mostly familiar.

I'd really have to agree with this. The setting is fantastic, full of ideas and excellent flavour, even though I did find that playing the actual game quickly bogged down in rolling bundles of dice.

I've still got a vague plan to convert one of the adventures I got for this to 4e.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Warhammer FRP v1 & v2 - The setting stirred my blood and found the game system fun and enjoyable. Was amazed when v2 came out. It is my game of choice.

Earthdawn - fun and enjoyable a game me a fantasy setting that was rich and interesting, the magic system was just what I was looking for. Would still be playing it, if my players would get into it.

Chill by Pacesetter - Older box game, this game just blew me away by being fun and scray at the same time.

Ghostbusters - Same as Chill.

Battletech - Just kick butt fun!

 

[Piratecat]

Dread, with its Jenga-based resolution system and its "13 questions" character creation. I'm not sure you could convince me there's a better, more atmospheric horror mechanic than the Jenga tower Dread uses.

Right there with you. Dread vaulted into first place as my favorite horror system, and hasn't left yet. More details here.

My current darling is Pelgrane Press's game Skulduggery, by Robin Laws. It's in playtest right now and is a more flexible variant of the Dying Earth rules. Basically, it's a game that allows verbal combat as well as physical, and you can use verbal combat to make other people and players do things they otherwise wouldn't. I'm finding it to be ridiculously fun.

Paranoia was a game that made me go Wow! I loved everything about it: the art, the humor, the setting, the speed, the simplicity. If there's a game that plays to my strengths, it's Paranoia.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Mutants & Masterminds. It's crazy. A masterpiece of roleplaying system.

It does work really well. Char gen offers near limitless options and, as a result, is rather complex and can be quite time consuming. However combat and general gameplay are fast.

I find the game only really slows down when char gen 'infects' gameplay as it can do with gadgeteering and certain uses of extra effort or hero points.

 

[Doug McCrae]

The systems that wow-ed me on sight were:

RuneQuest - I loved how everything had the same stats and worked the same way. In many respects it resembles d20 D&D, but was published in the late 70s.
DC Heroes - The AP system is an incredibly elegant way to handle the tremendous power range of the DC universe.
Amber - To me it was a really innovative and interesting system. Very well written rulebook also, I particularly enjoyed the detailed play examples.

I stopped keeping up with innovation in rpgs around 2000. Like I feel I ought to check out Burning Wheel and Spirit of the Century but I can't be arsed. Partly because dice pools are a big turn off for me and 75% of rpgs seem to use them now. However I do get the (almost certainly mistaken) impression that the days of innovative systems are gone, all we have now are innovative mechanics.

 

[Wombat]

The first game that gave me that "Wow!" was RuneQuest, which became my major game in the 80s. I mean, it was amazing! Skills were important, anyone could do magic, there were no character classes, you could really do well or really mess up in combat, and if you wanted to be a religious sort you had to know something about the power you worship -- dead amazing!

The next one that did it for me was Ars Magica: a game actually set in the Middle Ages with amazingly detailed magic, and the notion that there is an extra character in the game -- the covenant. Time seriously passes and people can die of old age...

Then came two at about the same time for me: Castle Falkenstein (love the card mechanics! love the steampunk feel!) and Over The Edge (still the one game I have used to move more non-gamers into gaming above all else -- so simple, so easy to explain, and the mechanics can be used in so many different settings).

Of late, I would have to agree that Spirit of the Century is a "WOW!" game. Quick to run, easy mechanics, exciting play, and simply a lot of fun!