RPGs That Are, but Aren’t Quite, Star Wars

It’s no secret I love the Star Wars RPGs. From the D6 system that I cut my teeth on and still run today, to the D20 system that I first GMed with, to the FFG system that I’ve collected almost all the books for and sing the praises of. If I had to run one RPG setting for the rest of my life, it’d be Star Wars.

However, sometimes you wanna play with a different set of rules! There are a lot of great RPGs out there that are Star Wars, just… not quite. Games that have filed off the serial numbers. So let’s take a look at that. This list will be primarily focused on games that require little to no modification from their core game to let you play a Star Wars game right out of the box.

 

Scum & Villainy

This game, using the Blades in the Dark rules, has you playing a crew living under the oppressive “Galactic Hegemony”. We all know what that means. This one is the one most recommended to me when I was asking what RPGs I should cover with this. There are also rules for playing as a rebel crew, so it’s ripe for playing Star Wars without any modifications needed.

Tachyon Squadron

Tachyon Squadron is also by Evil Hat, and rather than powered by Blades in the Dark, is a Fate supplement. You play as Rebel pilots fighting against the “Dominion of Unity.” We all know what that means… It’s built specifically to handle space combat, so if that’s the angle you want to take your Star Wars game, that’s the way to go.

Rebel Scum

An “antifascist Space Opera” is right up my alley! I’ve not played this one, but it seems to utilize a very simple game mechanic, allowing you to very quickly dive into a game. Useful for getting friends who have never played an RPG but love Star Wars into gaming.

Orbital

A GMless game about living life on a space station amid interstellar war would work perfectly for a game set on Bespin, or even the Death Star. It seems like a cool system, and I’m looking forward to diving into this one.

Bucket of Bolts

Bucket of Bolts is a solo RPG that uses a lot of Star Wars GIFs in its advertisement, so you KNOW it’s going to work well for our purposes. In Bucket of Bolts, you play as a ship itself, with however much sentience you want to give it, moving through the galaxy with a series of pilots and crews. Highly entertaining.

Notorious

Another solo RPG, where you play as a bounty hunter. Here’s part of the description:

In the midst of an intergalactic war, you’ll take on a lucrative contract from one of six factions. The job is simple: bring the target back, dead or alive—no disintegrations.

Sounds a lot like Star Wars, huh? Notorious is a quick and straightforward game to try if you really like The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett.

Kobolds Ate my Baby

I’m sorry, but one of my freinds suggested this, and it’s just too brilliant. Jawas Junked my Droid would be fantastic. You can play KAMB without needing to change the rules at all, and would be a delightful one-shot.

 

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So, what other games should I add to the list?