TrippyHippy Game Ratings

10
The Great Pendragon Campaign	10	The True King of Campaigns!
King Arthur Pendragon	10	Very ambitious in design and research. As elegant a set of system mechanics as you can hope to find, and beautifully written. Hard to get into for some, unless you are a true Arthurian aficionado, as it's built to be very specific to the setting. Perfect if you are. Pretty much the pinnacle of RPG design through all the ages, regardless.

9
Ars Magica	9	Significantly influential game and by all rights, should be regarded as the original 'indie/narrative' rpg. The covenant and troupe style campaign design is still worth the price of admission alone, and the attention to detail both in setting and the very flexible magic system is remarkable. I felt it lost some of it's impact in later editions by focussing too much on fleshing out the Mythic Europe setting and the mechanics generally, although it's support and fanbase are incredibly enduring.
Call of Cthulhu	9	The system may need a little bit of a polish in parts these days, but this is truly an immersive game that creates an experience and atmosphere that is entirely different to D&D. Probably my favourite game to play after all these years.
Ghostbusters	9	Highly influential, and instantly playable with rules that are as simple as they come but highly engaging in actual play. Also, fun to read.
Paranoia	9	One of the smartest, sharpest and wittiest games I've read. Highly playable too, for one shot games, although very difficult to establish anything more long term despite the best efforts of the creators to persuade otherwise. XP was the best version, and some of the scenarios written for it are hilarious.
RuneQuest	9	The best early attempt at producing a 'realistic' rules system for a complex, and very detailed fantasy setting heavily focused on culture and myth. Logical, evocative and cerebral. Many imitators, but none have really surpassed it.
Toon	9	A classic in it's own right, although the system could be made even lighter for this particular genre in retrospect. Innovated all sorts of things - including designs towards creating character motivation and depth, which is somewhat bizarre considering the genre it is emulating - although the 'zany' aspects of the game might get a bit tiresome after a while.
Traveller	9	Resultant later editions have diluted the impact of this seminal game. It's dated in some respects but still playable, and it's iconic status in RPG history is still something of a byword for innovation, versatility and efficacy. A true Classic.
Vampire: The Masquerade	9	Did for the roleplaying hobby what Nirvana did for rock music in the 90s - it brought the 'alternative' culture (both within and outside of the gaming hobby) into the mainstream. Still annoying some for its phenomenal success in doing just thatÃ¢â‚¬Â¦.and annoying others for influencing the development of awful pop culture knock offs like Underworld and the Twilight series.... The later editions become a little too convoluted with additional Clans and metaplot, which reduces the original impact a little for me.

8
Castle Falkenstein	8	Clever game, utilising cards for general play and other things (like dueling and magic). The magic system is particularly flavoursome and fun. The Victorian-era fantasy setting has been done before and since, although this game still retains its charm. Good luck finding a physical book that does not fall to pieces, and some of the systems are a little disjointed from the rest. Nevertheless, it was a game that forerun a lot of the ideas that became staples of narrative roleplaying years after, without a lot of fanfare. It deserves credit for that.
Cthulhu by Gaslight	8	Perfect alternative setting for the Cthulhu game. Indeed, in some ways is a better setting than the 1920s considering all the gothic literature that emerged from the period.
Death on the Reik	8	Perfect rendition of the Lovecraft meets Tolkien vibe that became a trademark for WFRP. Apocalypse Now on a barge. Yay!
Delta Green	8	Superbly written supplement for the Call of Cthulhu game. Thoroughly (post)modern take on the old Mythos, that expertly integrates the whole thing into the broader conspiracy theories that have been part of the US culture since WW2. 'Cutting edge' does date unfortunately, however, and much of the premise seems fixed on the 1990s.
Delta Green: Countdown	8	More of the same from the Delta Green crew - still excellently written, and more internationalist in approach. The work on Hastur is worth the price of admission alone.
Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space	8	It's hard to find fault in this game, as it's pretty much flawless for what it set's out to do. It's 11th Doctor Edition, especially, has incredibly high production values. Easy to read, easy on the eye, and with a flexible but simple system that works effectively for creating the feel of the TV series. Some gamers will find the tone of the game a little more family-orientated than the usual rpgs they may be used to, and violent conflict is actively downplayed in favour of problem solving and character interaction. A Bad Thing? Not in my opinion.
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia	8	Concise, complete and delightful representation of the best D&D has got to offer. Puts later versions of the game to shame.
The Enemy Within: Shadows Over Bögenhafen	8	Great atmospherics and an intriguing mystery campaign to solve. The first 'Lovecraftian' style fantasy adventure for WFRP.
The Enemy Within: Something Rotten in Kislev	8	Underrated 3-part adventure as it sets a different, satirical tone to the previous Enemy Within series - akin to a fantasy Paranoia adventure in some ways. Very well written and structured though, and our group got a lot of entertainment from it. Anything that presents an agricultural community being run by well trained zombies and a Chaos God of indifference has got to be worth a look at.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen	8	One of the few experimental roleplaying games that actually works and is original in intent and execution. Funny read, if nothing else, and subverts the conventions of 'what is a rpg?' without being overbearing or self righteous. Gameplay is reminiscent of one of those Radio 4 Comedy wordplay game shows.
Feng Shui	8	It's impact on release was akin to The Ramones in rock 'n' roll. That is, it went back to basics of how gamers like to create fun around the table top without pretense. A little shallow, and possibly dated in it's mechanics and appearance, but it's still an easy 'pick-up-and-play' game.
Fiasco	8	Very well thought out, entertaining and supported 'alternative' roleplaying/storytelling game for telling crime-based tragicomedy in practically any setting. It works not so much because of mechanics (which are largely non-existant in the roleplaying segments of play), but rather the structured approach with which farcical situations can be produced and played out. It's an ideal tool for scriptwriting.
Flashbacks	8	Tidy collection of some of the most entertainingly absurd rpg scenarios ever written. Perfect companion to the core rules.
Kult	8	The epitome of dark roleplaying in the 1990s. Powerful and evocative read. Average system - except for the magic which is a work of art - although nothing that would inhibit the playing of the game.
Mage: The Ascension	8	The more fantasy orientated aspects of playing a mage seemed to find a niche amongst gamers interested in White Wolf's games, but put-off by the unnerving aspects of playing 'monsters'. The postmodern and freeform magic system was inspired but took several editions to iron out the issues of practical gameplay it inevitably created. The rest of the game brought such passionate individual interpretation into the True Meaning of it all, that it inevitably led to bitter edition wars amongst fans which would have even put some of the game world protagonists to shame. One cannot deny the game's philosophical brio though, and if played with the right crowd and the right spirit, it's one hell of a rollercoaster ride.
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game	8	Exuberant adaptation of a popular, vast and ever expanding intellectual property. The mechanics take some time to get used to, but they are evocative of the full colour action that brings the superhero genre to life and, for fans of the comics, it provides a perfect stepping stone into roleplaying. It does largely assume the use of established Marvel characters, however, with none of the detailed character generation schemes found in other supers rpgs.
Masks of Nyarlathotep	8	It's non-player characters can be a bit stereotyped and it's not really a deep story. But it is well paced, with memorable set pieces, and very reliably fun to play. Better in PDF than hardcopy these days, simply because it allows you to print out the large quantity of handout props used in the game (as was previously provided in the box set).
Mongoose Traveller First Edition	8	A highly versitile system which can be the basis of pretty much any type of sci-fi game. The seminal lifepath character generation is still pretty unique and a fun game in and of itself. The rest of the systems (world building and starships) make you feel like a scientist and it's a pretty complete package as a standalone product.
Mutant: Year Zero	8	Excellent presentation, accessibly simple but colourful rules and a viable premise for long term gaming in a compelling setting. Seriously, what's not to like?
The One Ring: Adventures over the Edge of the Wild	8	Beautiful production values and some very clever design choices make this the best Middle Earth game I have seen - although the rules could have been organised a bit better. Flexible in most aspects of Middle Earth play, with the exception of not being able to play a Wizard! This will not worry most groups however, as the main appeal lies in playing everyman heroes in a subtly magical, rich (and dark) fantasy world. Just like in the books! Notably, it largely supersedes the original appeal of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay too, in terms of the core fan base.
One Shots	8	Terrifically inventive and highly varied series of odd-ball scenarios for the (post)modern era. Did more to sell the idea of Unknown Armies to me than anything else I read. The mechanics are so simple that you could possibly play these out without a rulebook.
Power Behind the Throne	8	Conspiracy investigations in a medieval city setting. Lots of pop cultural references and entertaining to play. Required the use of the Middenhiem City book to get the most out it though.
Rocket Age	8	Rock solid product with an eminently playable premise. The 'Romantic Scifi' genre may have been done before, but this is a very polished book and system, with great layout and presentation. Curiously, adapts the entire Doctor Who ruleset including the anti-gratuitious violence aspect of the initiative system (actual attacks go behind talking, moving and doing other actions) - although this tends to promote drama I find as much as anything else I have found in my game sessions. Basically, if you are a fan of Flash Gordon or Barsoom, then this is a terrific game to buy into.
RuneQuest 6th Edition	8	Great for handling historical games - capturing the feel of ancient worlds and cultures perfectly. The areas of improvement over standard BRP lies in the immersive character generation, the tactical play of the combat system and the authenticity of the five magical traditions presented . Unquestionably a work of passion and excellence.
Wraith: The Oblivion	8	Vampire's more mature sibling in a lot of ways - with an elaborate Shadow Play system that really engrosses players in the 'personal' horror motif. Heavy with Jungian allegory, Poe references and a beautifully laid out interior design. The editing was problematic in both editions however - key rules for Passions and Willpower (!) being left out. It's also a hell of a lot harder to get a group enthusiastic enough to actually want to play compared to Vampire.

7
2300AD	7	Arguably the best setting yet released for Mongoose Traveller rules. Really brings out aspects of hard science and real world future speculation in the game. Some people will inevitably disagree with some of the predictions made, and it could have done with a bit more editing attention in places. Accessible towards a wide range of concepts and scenarios however - from space exploration to cyberpunk - and all in one coherent vision.
Amber Diceless Role-Playing	7	Seminal roleplaying game hampered by 1980s standard production values and somewhat amateur writing, although it still makes for an engaging read. Influential to a degree, although the ideas never caught on in mainstream gaming as much as some may have thought or hoped for.
Basic RolePlaying	7	Nice to have all the disparate systems all in one place, and an interesting introduction about the history of the system to boot. Versatile, but requires a bit of GM work to decanter through all the options.
Black Crusade	7	Largely a throwback to the Realms of Chaos books put out in the early 90s by Games Workshop - but made more playable in rpg terms. Creepy, visceral art throughout - but seriously would you ever want to play one?
Champions	7	Influential game that largely established the points-spend design, while inviting game masters and players alike to take the role of a designer. Hard going for those who don't like attention to detail, but a totally immersive experience for others. Respected.
Champions Complete	7	Champions is a classic, with a long lived fanbase, so it can't seriously be anything less than a good product. It is flexible and well organized, and can be used in a multitude of ways. Thankfully this book doesn't try to push in you in every possible way to create a 700+ page two volume monstrosity anymore....which is good news. It is really an expansion on the previous Basic and Sidekick versions of the rules, but 'complete' in and of itself. Still a bit too 'crunchy' with rules for my tastes though.
Clockwork & Chivalry Core Book	7	Decent production values and writing, presenting a 17th English Civil War setting that is certainly an undervalued setting. The steampunk and fantasy elements give the game a very Warhammer Fantasy feel, and it is ably supported by some very good campaign supplements.
Conspiracy X	7	Clever systems infused with a good basic premise. Unfortunately it had to compete in the same market as Delta Green and the World of Darkness, so it largely got squeezed out.
Dark Heresy	7	Based on the percentile-based WFRP system, but without the careers system of character generation (which is a loss), the game's (largely kitchen sink) setting has a pretty solid foundation. The gothic imagery in the game is still visually arresting, and powers the impact it has on much of it's substantial fan-base. The premise is specific on investigative horror which some will find limiting, but it's well signposted (and alternative premises are found in it's sister games). It could do with a new edition in order to accommodate ideas from these other games, and a general streamlining of the rules.
Deathwatch Core Rulebook	7	In some ways the best of the W40K rpgs to date as the character creation allows for different backgrounds and different roles - which creates more PC alternatives. The Space Marines are iconic too, and just as flexible in terms of investigation/heavy combat as previous 40KRP premises. The xenos and chaos threats are escalated up a notch too.
The Dying Earth Roleplaying Game	7	Earnest attempt to approach the Dying Earth series with an authentic system to highlight the verbose nature of the series. Honestly, just not my cup of tea.
Eclipse Phase	7	Clearly a game inspired by the same material that inspired Steve Jackson's Transhuman Space a few years earlier - in turn an evolution from the Cyberpunk fad - but presented with a more Shadowrun-like graphical style. While it undoubtedly has brio and looks physically impressive, I find the density of text overwhelming at times. The percentile game system is solid rather than spectacular, although it's robust and versatile enough to allow for a wildly divergent variety of character forms - the major appeal of the game. It enjoys a lot of good support, and an enthusiastic fanbase, so it must be doing something right.
HoL: Human Occupied Landfill	7	Hilarious and disgusting at one at the same time! An unflinchingly sardonic and profane attack on gamer culture and bad sci-fi. For me, an absolute treasure.
Judge Dredd	7	Maybe it's something of a guilty pleasure for me, but I like the setting, like the style, like the attitude and really like the implementation of the Traveller rules in this version of the Judge Dredd game. The life path based character generation work perfectly in this game, although the lack of a true experience system may curtail long term campaign development.
The Keeper's Companion	7	Essays and resources galore. Largely indispensable for serious Call of Cthulhu players.
The Laundry	7	Very tight and highly polished rendition of the BRP system to create a modern day Cthulhu/spy thriller setting. Less James Bond and more The Ipcress Files, with a healthy dose of 'The Office' style bureaucratic black humour. Essentially a very British take on a very modern Cthulhu game.
Lords of Olympus	7	Very worthy use of the Amber Diceless engine, with a classical high concept and some very good art and layout. Useful, not least for the full write up of the Greek pantheon and mythos, but above all the setting and premise fits the ruleset perfectly. Probably the most playable diceless game I have seen.
My Life with Master	7	Very odd, but genuinely original game. Elegantly sparse-but-attractive layout, and heavily themed to a degree rarely achieved by most mainstream games. Not for casual gamers, however, and really only of interest to those willing to engage in literature analysis. Bizarre d4 dice pool mechanic.
Outpost Mars	7	Really neat and well researched hard sci-fi setting for people wanting a trip to Mars. Adaptable to other hard sci-fi settings, but a huge amount of scope for adventure in a very dangerous landscape.
Over the Edge	7	A product that demonstrates how simple game systems can be if you just want to have fun. Weird setting, with interesting concepts that seem inspired mainly from 60s 'alternative' literature, and it is well written. The simplicity of it's system makes it useful as a setting book for a number of other games.
Primeval	7	Alternative time travelling tv show setting to Doctor Who, but using an almost identical system which gives plenty of crossover potential. The main focus is on dinosaur hunting/escaping so it's not quit as flexible in narrative potential as it's sibling game. It does have a slightly more scientifically grounded tone however, and the conspiracy and paleontology sections (and bestiary!) are really useful resources. Full colour interior looks good too.
Puppetland: A Storytelling Game with Strings in a Grim World of Make-believe	7	I first read this as a pullout section in Arcane magazine. It's interesting in it's conventions (dice less, time-fixed scenario, darkly fey setting). Owes a bit to the Nutcracker Ballet possibly, and only really useful as a oneshot experience. Fun for precisely one hour of your life - but itâ€™s easy enough to play on a whim. A genuinely original, and simple diceless system through.
Qin: The Warring States	7	Style and authenticity turned up to 10. An excellent representation of the Wuxia genre. I'm just not that convinced that I want to play it.
Rogue Trader	7	I found the choice of roles to be too restricting in the game, with several of the core careers quite weird and difficult to play. The 'freedom' you get from travelling the Imperium provides a slightly lighter premise than the other games, although the subsystems for ship design and trade aren't especially interesting. The whole package is still very attractive and visually impressive though.
Savage Worlds	7	Brilliant presentation and marketing. Enthusiastic writing and fanbase. System itself not for me - and I'd struggle to play 'serious drama' with it.
Shadowrun	7	I respect Shadowrun for it's longevity and have played it a few times with some enthusiastic fans. The Gibson/Tolkien mix is still a bit of an incongruity for me, however, and it's not a game I would ever be truly enamored by. Good luck to those who do, though, as it's one of the best supported games out there.
Star Trek: The Next Generation	7	Comprehensive introduction to an iconic sci-fi setting, that is nevertheless pretty generic in it's application. The rules work, it's looked pretty and it was well supported. I never had the opportunity to play the older FASA version, so I cannot make comparisons, but for what it was this was as good a game as you could make from the brand. I had no time for Star Trek until this book came out...
Star Wars: Edge of the Empire	7	The two risks made in the game concern the dice for one, and the decision to split up the license into separate lines. This one provides a comprehensive guide towards playing Hans Solo style narratives. For many this will be everything they ever wanted, although it doesn't skimp on things like the Force or The Empire either. The dice take some time to get used to and require a buy in from the players. They do add colour to the game system though. Arguably the best Star Wars RPG made so far.
Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game	7	Probably still the most fondly remembered version of the Star Wars rpg, with a free-wheeling dice pool system and a setting that harkens back to before the dark age of Jar Jar Binks. The cinematic D6 system is still the simplest to understand and run.
The Time Traveller's Companion	7	Perfect companion piece for the Doctor Who core game - for those wishing to delve a little deeper into the background setting and away from the 'intro/family game' aspects of the Core alone. Well written, easy on the eye and cerebrally engaging with notable rules for TARDIS operations and design. Makes for great long term campaigning.
Unknown Armies	7	A halfway house between Call of Cthulhu and the World of Darkness games, without ever really fully establishing it's own identity in my view. Still, the system is probably the best engine for playing a Tarantino-esque storyline without any difficulty at all. And, regardless of anything else, it is supported by some excellent weird scenarios and writing.
Unseen Masters	7
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay	7	The iconic British fantasy RPG. Dark, gritty and with with a dose of sardonic wit. The Careers system gave a real feel of the social fabric of the Warhammer world, the system was simple, tidy (in 2nd edition especially) and I liked the magic system that was introduced too.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse	7	A thoroughly Good Read, with an evocatively well fleshed-out urban fantasy world, strong themes and high quality art. Gameplay was problematic throughout it's history as the wobbly Storyteller dicepool system was not quite streamlined enough to simulate the frequent violence involved in a typical narrative. The Tribes were also horribly stereotyped for some (non-American) gamers, and it's standing was always somewhat in the shadow of Vampire: The Masquerade. The 20th edition does resolve some of these issues however.
Yggdrasill	7	Eminently playable set of rules for playing viking warriors (and other character types) in a richly detailed mythic Scandinavia. Beautiful presentation too.

6
Aberrant	6	Cool pop-culture and satirical references in the setting make it a good read. System just way too clunky for actual use.
Adventure!	6	Probably the best, or at least most versatile of the Trinity trilogy of games. Lots of pulp games made in it's aftermath somewhat drowns out it's identity.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten	6	Gimmic of a game, insofar that pretty much any other horror rpg (or in fact most fantasy rpgs) could do exactly the same thing. A generic system attached to a specific, but easy-to-run scenario concept. Cool packaging though.
Blue Planet	6	Earnest attempt at producing a serious, hard sci-fi game with an environmental theme. Elegant in parts and a rich setting - but very, very difficult to actually play.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game	6	Fun while it lasted, but without a high profile current IP, how relevant is it anymore?
Call of Cthulhu d20	6	A good adaptation, with a professional polished appearance and well written essays in the back. Doesn't really adapt the d20 system in any meaningful way to the source material however. While the original game was notable for shifting the paradigm of gaming away from power-fantasies towards playing ordinary, vulnerable people, this game simply reverts back to creating adventure heroes that get increasingly harder to scare as they level up.
Castles & Crusades	6	I 'get' it. I really do. I just think that any time the owners of D&D wanted to 'get' it too, then C&C would cease to have a purpose.
Changeling: The Dreaming	6	Good art and a few interesting ideas do not disguise the heavy handed themes, clunky mechanics and general disconnect with the rest of the original WoD games. It has it's fans still though, and to be fair the second edition of the book does look gorgeous.
Cyberpunk	6	The irony is just how dated this game of cutting edgy-ness has become. That said, it still has a charm and resilient rules for everything except hacking. For many, it was a defining game of the late 80s.
De Profundis: Letters From the Abyss	6	Possibly loses something in translation, but the advise given towards creating atmospherics is worthwhile. Not sure I'd play it with others directly, but it may help create some great resources and handouts in a tabletop Cthulhu game.
Deadlands	6	Shifted trends to a degree at the time of it's original release by going against the grain of miinimalistic systems and brought in as many utilities into gameplay as could be found: cards, dice, pokerchips, miniatures, music CDs (and don't forget the T-Shirt!). Evocative illustrations capture the mood well (more 'wikki-wikki-Wild Wild West' than Fistful of Dollars, unfortunately...), but the setting detail is sparse. Nevertheless, the 'weird western' genre niche was pretty much nailed by this game, and it's been enjoyed by many since. An obvious influence on Savage Worlds!
Diaspora	6	Neat package that attempts to emulate Traveller for the Fate system. Less maths, although I actually felt that this was part of the Traveller charm that Diaspora missed out on.
Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium	6	Not a lot of substance, but a lot of visceral style and profanity. Admittedly, this can make for an easy night's entertainment for the right crowd.
Elric!	6	Probably the most polished version of the Stormbringer rules, with a pretty comprehensive introduction to the dark worlds of Moorecock's eponymous fantasy hero. The prog-rock elements of the genre may have become a bit dated since however.
Everway	6	An interesting idea, with jaw dropping quality production design, but the system itself was more experimental than practical and it lacked a fully fleshed out setting.
GURPS Basic Set Deluxe	6	Big, meaty, crunchy, comprehensive, logical, well-organised. Just a little bit bland.
GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns	6	Big, meaty, crunchy, comprehensive, logical, well-organised. Just a little bit bland. And you need the other book!
GURPS Basic Set: Characters	6	Big, meaty, crunchy, comprehensive, logical, well-organised. Just a little bit bland. And you need the other book!
In Nomine	6	Compelling central premise, but terrible implementation and organisation of rules. It's the sort of game you read and say 'if only' as it could have been a major hit. There isn't anything quite like it still - it's as if the creators were caught in two minds between Toon-like silliness and Vampire-like cool.
Jovian Chronicles	6	Neat game setting and system, with a nice layout - although a bit lacking either in 'hard' sci-fi detail and/or pulpy action adventure hooks. In short, it doesn't really seem to know what to do with itself.
MegaTraveller	6	Effectively serves as a consolidation of all the Classic Traveller books and supplements up to that point - repackaged as a completely new edition. Bad judgment was made in the ostentatious presentation, and the now inextricable setting and metaplot. It does provide a grounded and defined core mechanic, although the complexity of the game increases substantially as they try to standardise each system accordingly.
Mutants & Masterminds	6	Broke the mold of D20/OGL in the 2000s - by molding the system to genre rather than the other way round. Hard to see how it's particularly advanced beyond the game design and support of Champions however, in retrospect, although it is popular and well supported.
Nobilis	6	Despite a jarring shift in art direction, the 3rd edition of this game provides a decent amount of support for creating fleshed out and entirely unique characters in an epically magical setting. The diceless system is certainly functional and you can't really imagine using any other system. However, I suspect that most people buy this for the whimsical, creative writing rather than to game with - I found reading it is akin to listening to an early Pink Floyd record (the one with the cow on the cover).
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game	6	Strong production values and a sense of 'giving the fans what they want' goes a long way for Pathfinder. Truck loads of support, but not quite the game for me. Too complex by half.
Starblazer Adventures	6	Interesting genre emulation based on a cult comic strip - but just too big a book to be wieldy as an RPG. As a setting, it at least provided more meat than Spirit of the Century.
Strontium Dog	6	Less well known and less well supported than it's 2000AD sibling - Judge Dredd - but there is a lot of mileage in this setting for all sorts of anarchic action and anti-heroics. The subsystems for mutations and sorcery, as well as the dimension hopping concepts make it a welcome addition to the Traveller stable.
Transhuman Space	6	An attempt at providing more verisimilitude to the cyberpunk genre, by imbuing it with a 21st Century set of transhumanist philosophies. In gaming terms, it's a Bladerunner-style setting. The playtest was interesting, from memory, but some aspects of the game system grate with the setting in my view and feel overly compressed, and a bizarre decision to use imperial measurements for gameplay even though the gameworld didn't! It included concepts that clearly inspired an impact on the hobby and had some great art. The overall problem is that, all said and done, I could never get a group who came close to wanting to play it. Good read though.
Trinity	6	Impressive physical design and presentation, but the game's setting carries a little too many cookie-cutter stereotypes in what is, essentially, just another kitchen sink sci-fi setting. Like most near future games, the world design carries contentious predictions too - and while some of the sci-fi is interesting, is still feels very 'soft' to me. The game itself was limited itself largely due to a very confused marketing campaign, that actively promoted another game which was then vetoed and replaced by this line due to some internal White Wolf disputes.
Warhammer City	6	Broadly - the setting book to go with Power Behind the Throne. Snotball being the funniest part.

5
Angel Roleplaying Game	5	Never really saw the appeal of this game, aside from offering a slightly more generic premise and polished ruleset than the Buffy game (which it was a spin-off from). Didn't really last in the face of World of Darkness products either.
Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM)	5	Generic system with japanese cartoon artwork.
Chill 1st Edition	5	Early competitor to Call of Cthulhu, that lacked any of it's rival's intellectual vigor or distinctiveness.
Dogs in the Vineyard	5	Amateurishly written - in a chit-chatty style that explains concepts with long prose. Beyond it's core-system gimmick and interesting western premise, there isn't a lot of meaty substance to the game. Woefully under-developed.
Fading Suns	5	The World of Darkness and Warhammer 40K gothic influences are obvious enough. The system is drearily familiar, and although the anachronistic/feudal sci-fi concept is a well versed concept to run games in, I honestly found the game background a bit of a chore to read through.
Fate Core	5	Mana from Heaven for the FATE-aholic. Ho-hum tedium for the rest of us. A case of the fanboy bark being a lot bigger than the actual bite.
HeroQuest	5	Some passion has gone into the making of this game, but I'm not sure it's as radical as some make it out to be. I prefer the 'simulationist' approach of RuneQuest. Moreover, for a game that bills itself as a 'simple' system I find it incredibly opaque in it's exposition.
Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game	5	Extraordinary high production standards don't mask the point that the system is too complex for the subject matter, or the notion of a beginner's game. A case where a system is belligerently pushed on a game out of creator pride more than anything else.
Silver Age Sentinels	5	Flagship game that failed. Not hard to see why in the (admittedly shallow) comparison of it's art and layout to it's near competitors (nominally Mutants and Masterminds). Trouble is, in the comic strip genre, visual impact counts for a lot and the vaunted system really wasn't all that amazing or original.
Spirit of the Century	5	Resultant game design probably did shift in the aftermath of this game, and it certainly built an enthusiastic fanbase. I never cared for it though, and found some of the 'revolutionary' aspects of it's design a little overstated by overenthusiastic fans. The book is mainly full of rules, with the setting only detailed enough to be written on a pamphlet.
Star Wars Core Rulebook	5	Despite being a professionally polished product, the worst aspect of this game is it's association with the Prequel trilogy. That is, rather than the free-wheeling, kitchen-sink, pulp style of the original Trilogy we get rules for a clunky, adolescent power fantasy in spaaace! Good luck at convincing players they should not all be Jedi....
Suppressed Transmission	5	I read the opening intro about ice-cream which was funny, although other bits got tiresome as you read through it. Although it is a generic-use book, it is still mainly geared towards GURPS in it's usage.
Tribe 8	5	The tidy 'silhouette' system is functional enough, and the setting promises rich narrative opportunities in a post-apocalyptic, spiritual world. The in-character prose and setting information bores me silly though. Really hard to get into.

4
Demon: The Fallen	4	Scraping the barrel. Almost no mileage to be made from playing Demons as far as I can see - and the continual in character prose rather than plain explanations is an irritation.
Hunter: The Reckoning	4	Poor art and a contrived premise - moreover it was a game that just wasn't worth making, although like any game it still attracts some vocal fans.
Marc Miller's Traveller	4	An attempt by the original creator to take back the reins on his game. The return to simpler visual design, and less overbearing metaplot is appreciable, but the mechanics are clunky. Miller's first attempt at publishing an inverted D6 dice pool system has mixed results - any game that requires you to roll 'half dice' just to make the maths work has got to be suspect. Still, it's better than T5....
Mouse Guard Role Playing Game Box Set	4	A rules lite system that patently isn't and an 'indie' game that is a licensed setting.
Nephilim	4	A game that took itself Far Too Seriously, and, let's be honest, was only released as an attempt to cash in on Vampire: The Masquerade's success. The worst game Chaosium have ever released.
Sorcerer	4	A neat and concisely presented book, with a solid but interesting dice-pool core mechanic. The premise isn't especially well developed or even that original, however, nor is the 'revolutionary' notion of independent publishing. These self-congratulatory and grandiose claims along with it's openly antagonistic (and prejudiced) writing provide little appeal. Historically interesting only because it represents a period of time where the arrogance of a game designer was considered a virtue.
Vimary Sourcebook	4	Overrated to an unbelievable degree.

3
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Player's Handbook	3	A triumph of organised game play, tight rules and tactical options. A tragedy for the art of roleplaying.
Traveller: The New Era	3	Seemingly an attempt to keep up with the dark 'n' moody style that was ascendent in the 90s, with a heavily metaplotted setting and no avenue whatsoever towards creating your own universes to explore.And the system bares little resemblance to previous editions. A game Travelling in totally the wrong direction.
Violence: The Roleplaying Game of Egregious and Repulsive Bloodshed	3	Not-for-kids satire on roleplaying attitudes and conventions. Basically lifted the central 'joke' from the HoL rpg, but not as funny.

2
Traveller5	2	For a game that billed itself as an 'ultimate edition' - this is an ultimate let down. Unusable for the most part. An exceptionally poorly executed project that can only serve to damage the reputation of earlier editions.
Weird War II: Blood on the Rhine	2	Cheap and nasty depiction of real world history, with fantasy elements brought in to represent nations and people. There has since been better researched, better thought out and frankly more respectful games set in WW2.

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