Science Fiction Games
The writers and players of role playing games largely enjoyed science fiction as much as fantasy. Science fiction also features wondrous worlds and mysterious powers to tinker with. Even without magic (a defining feature of fantasy gaming), science fiction games made do with psychic powers, energy manipulation, and high technology. Traveller, the most well-known science fiction game made do without most of these things, however.
We include science-fantasy games in this category. These are settings that use the features of science fiction—set in our future, high technology, and space travel—but include elements that do not follow scientific laws, such as mutational powers that are, for all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from magic.
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Warriors of Mars (1974) Not a role playing game, but these miniatures rules for Barsoom have rudimentary RPG rules. A very rare game. |
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Metamorphosis Alpha (1976) The
first science-fiction RPG, set aboard a lost starship where the mutated
survivors of a disaster struggle to survive. A dungeon in space. |
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Starfaring (1976) A rarity. A quick, dirty, and rather silly look at galactic exploration. Great cartoons. |
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Traveller (1977) The science fiction RPG. A big success, with many editions and a complete reprint of the first edition, too. |
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John Carter, Warlord of Mars (1978) A rare and simple RPG for Barsoom. |
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Gamma World, 1st edition (1978) Metamorphosis
Alpha comes to Earth. Mutants and mayhem. |
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Skyrealms of Jorune (1985) A
unique gameworld, most famous for its art. Jorune was a tantalizing
and well-detailed setting. The fans, while few, are devoted. Our Jorune Special Collection has a number of interesting items for this world. |
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Space: 1889 (1988) The British Empire expands to Mars. A very clever science fiction setting with a stiff upper lip. |
Last revised August 12, 2007.