Forgotten RPGs

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com

brettmb

Legendary Pubber
Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
202
Reaction score
450
I've started a new series on my blog about forgotten RPGs. I kicked it off with 6 fantasy games that I bet most people never knew existed: Dawnfire, GateWar, Of Gods and Men, Quest of the Ancients, Shades of Heroes, and The Essential Fantasy Earth. I'll probably focus on sci-fi games for the next entry. Have you heard of these games? Have you ever played them? What did you think of them? Any favorites?




Here's the link: https://www.pigames.net/store/blog.php?entry=2828
 
I've started a new series on my blog about forgotten RPGs. I kicked it off with 6 fantasy games that I bet most people never knew existed: Dawnfire, GateWar, Of Gods and Men, Quest of the Ancients, Shades of Heroes, and The Essential Fantasy Earth. I'll probably focus on sci-fi games for the next entry. Have you heard of these games? Have you ever played them? What did you think of them? Any favorites?




Here's the link: https://www.pigames.net/store/blog.php?entry=2828
I have Of Gods and Men. Never played it. My childhood friend played it and loved it.
 
...I heard of all of these... My local game store carried them, some of them, at least...
 
For your sci fi retrospective, may I suggest Starleader: Assault from Metagaming? It was stand-alone man-to-man combat game and intended to be the first set of rules for the Starleader roleplaying game, much as Melee was to The Fantasy Trip. Unfortunately I don't believe any of the other planned titles for Starleader were released before Metagaming closed up shop around 1983.
 
Only heard Of Gods and Men, believe Dumarest has a copy.
 
Only heard Of Gods and Men, believe Dumarest has a copy.


I thought so too, but it's apparently not the Greek mythology one, I've never seen the cover.

I am honestly not familiar with any of these, despite spending a great deal of time in my life looking into obscure RPGs
 
For your sci fi retrospective, may I suggest Starleader: Assault from Metagaming? It was stand-alone man-to-man combat game and intended to be the first set of rules for the Starleader roleplaying game, much as Melee was to The Fantasy Trip. Unfortunately I don't believe any of the other planned titles for Starleader were released before Metagaming closed up shop around 1983.
I don't have that one. I can only discuss stuff that's in my library.
 
I need to look over my collection and figure out what obscure RPGs I still have. I have had many in the past but have sent them on their way to someone else...

I'm not sure if I've ever actually played most of the ones I still have...

Frank
 
For your sci fi retrospective, may I suggest Starleader: Assault from Metagaming? It was stand-alone man-to-man combat game and intended to be the first set of rules for the Starleader roleplaying game, much as Melee was to The Fantasy Trip. Unfortunately I don't believe any of the other planned titles for Starleader were released before Metagaming closed up shop around 1983.
I have a copy somewhere, but no time to review it. Boardgamegeek is not very kind to it.
 
Games I’ve played that y’all may not have heard of (I’ve owned few games I’ve never played, now that I think about it):

Promised Sands

Children of the Sun

Abeo (I don’t think I played that one, flipping through it)

Shard (it just needs more love, so disregard if it ain’t your thang)

New Gods of Mankind

Degenesis

I also feel like some games are old but not totally forgotten like Alternity, Prime Directive, Terra Primate, Dogs in the Vineyard, My Life With Master, Mortal Coil, and a lot of little fundamental indie games have sort of dropped off the radar. I do know WE talk about those on occasion, but I doubt the kids do.
 
I've got a copy of Children of the Sun around somewhere, actually. Also, a PDF of Degenesis.

I have some lesser known fantasy RPGs (Shadows of Esteren, popular more in Europe), but only a couple that only a few people recognize:

Ysgarth (small press game from 1979)
Darkurthe Legends (small press early '90s)
 
I too have Children of the Sun.
Is Abeo mistyped Albedo or a whole different thing?
 
Oh, Shard was the game I was trying to remember when discussing alternate species for food/mounts/pets. I'll add Morpheus and Providence (the latter's setting is fantastic, system? Just replace with your own preferred supers system.)

Ysgarth (small press game from 1979)
Darkurthe Legends (small press early '90s)
The latter was actually a decent "what if Middle-Earth came from White-Wolf" game/or your favorite dark author. I thought it was neat conceptually.

I'll add Hahlmabrea, Fifth Cycle, and Sun & Storm. I'm aware of and was warned away from World Tree.
 
Working in a game shop for 10+ years, I used to snag miscellaneous games as they came in.

Just looking on the shelves behind me, I have:

Swashbuckler by Jolly Roger Games
All Star Wrestling by Afterthought Images
the aforementioned Shards
The Hunt and the expansion Overtime by Maverick Games
The Duel by Alternative Armies
Interstellar Elite Combat and the Artic Companion by Game Masters Elite Associated
Manhunter and the Into the Bloodhood companion by Myrmidon Games

And that's just the two short shelves behind me. I'll take a look and post some others later. I love having all of my games visible!
 
Oh the mention
 
There was an old rpg, like Ninja's and Superspies but without any kind of powers.The players played ninja's, able to perform incredible feats - lift 400 pounds, that kind of thing. It was all very 80's, used to own a copy but not sure what happened to mine.
Can anyone remember the name of it?
 
Oh Manhunter (which I have) reminded me of Cosmic Enforcers the superhero alien invasion game.

Also Pandemonium! The tabloid rpg.
 
Manhunter and Cosmic Enforcers are great!
 
Yup... I have Cosmic Enforcers and love it too!
 
Anyone know anything about this game?

starQuestEdLipsett.jpg
 
So when we're talking about Forgotten RPGs are adaptations with standard rule sets included? i.e. the whole d20 glut.

As for another, I loved TimeLords and Warp World and Millenium's End
 
I have Hidden Kingdom. I'll post about that in another batch. It's actually back in print via a new edition.
 
Darkurthe Legends is actually pretty good.

I've run it with different mechanics, but whatever else I run my group keeps asking to go back to Darkurthe. Decided to try 5e this time, so I'm working up a new campaign now.
 
Here are four from my shelf: Raven Star (2nd Edition! Didn't know there was a 1st lol; bonus points for having a 3.5 disk in the back), Darkwood, Blood Dawn, and Manhunter (which per the sticker I paid $1).

fourlesserknown.jpg
 
The cover to Shades of Heroes reminded me of another game, but it took me a while to recall which. Turns out it was the cover of the German 1st edition of Midgard I was thinking of:

Midgard_2_DFR.jpg
 
Last edited:
[QUOTE="Bunch, post: 201379, member: 120"
Is Abeo mistyped Albedo or a whole different thing?
[/QUOTE]

It is its own thing.
 
I had a game called Witch Hunt, from 1983. A boxed set with very minimal components. Focused on the colonial witch scare, you could play as a witch or one of the witch hunters.
I gave it away to someone who was more interested in it that I was.

Witch_Hunt.jpg
 
You should check out the Dead Games group on Facebook. I have a good collection of games and I've been into them since the 70's with an absence in the 90's. They routinely put games out I never knew existed.


Further contributions:
Guardians rpg (superheroes by starchide)
Extreme Vengeance!
Alpha Omega
Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque
Thieves Guild
Primal Order
Rune
 
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top