A Generic Guide to Generic RPG Systems 

You forgot to mention Cypher System. It’s a fantastic universal system that can be applied to any genre for your campaign, be it adventure, drama, or mystery!

GURPS if you use the Gurps Character Creator, creation is no problem. People struggling to create builds in 5e to create a interesting character to play. You can do it in Gurps. Most rules are optional. All the books are awesome. You can make any universe that the players and you want. Problem is they have no OGL equivalent. You have to apply and get approval for anything you want to sell. If you are just running or providing for free. Its fine.

A nod to Chris below, the Hero System is a crunchy point buy system. Imagine as a wizard you could design all your own spells. As a spy, investing all your points on stats and skills so you can actually do what you designed your character for. There is a strong learning curve, but once you understand the mechanics you can create almost anything. Math Heavy during creation.

For folks who want much of the customization of GURPS with a fraction of the complexity, I've found BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) 2nd edition to be a nice sweet spot, if you can manage to get your hands on it.

Cortex prime definitely needs to be considered as does Open D6.

Cortex plus. Chaosium Basic Roleplaying (BRP). Year Zero engine.

I personally like B.E.S.M (Big Eyes Small Mouths) as a generic System. Sure it is marketed as an "Anime" system but Anime is an art style. An art style that has been used to tell a LOT of different stories. In reality, B.E.S.M. is just a Point Buy System, which gives you a LOT of flexibility with character creation.

I run fantasy campaigns in GURPS (so I don't know that much about other genre supplements). I think getting Dungeon Fantasy RPG and Nordlond bestiary (+ possibly other Nordlond stuff) is worth looking into if you want some prepackaged help as a GM =)

GURPS sounds cool

There are two types of generic system roleplayers: those who play GURPS, and those who are wrong… 😊 Seriously, though, GURPS can be used, and used well, for any genre, EXCEPT, perhaps, very high-powered Supers. But, even then, you can still have a blast. You can play serious/ silly/ cinematic/ realistic styles of games, in any genre you can think of. The rules can be as complicated, or as simple, as you wish. Every dice roll (apart from damage rolls) is done with three six-sided dice, so results are on a bell curve. There are templates for character types, if you choose to use them, but creating a character from scratch is far more fun. As stated, there are numerous source books, covering different settings, tech levels, magic, etc, but few adventure modules. However, you can use adventure modules from other systems, and convert them on the fly. GURPS uses standard imperial measurements, and stats are easy to translate into how smart, strong, fast, etc, anything is. I have played many RPGs in my 53 years, and GURPS has always been my preferred system. Mind you, I was playing “The Fantasy Trip” when it was first released in the 70’s, which is basically a proto-GURPS system. I was also playing D&D, Advanced D&D, Call of C’Thulhu, Traveller, Star Frontiers, and any other system I could get my hands on. But I always came back to GURPS. The game has been in its 4th Edition for some years now, with no real thought about a 5th edition in the horizon. The reason? The rules of 4th Edition are pretty much it. Steve Jackson Games pretty much perfected the generic RPG, so any future updates and changes will simply be refinements on what is already there. If you have not done so, give GURPS a look. You will likely be glad you did. Cheers,

For generic system, use Savage world for my cynematic games... and BRP system for more realistic games

If I am playing a quick game I really like Tricube Tales and/or Tiny D6. I have read Genesys and like the system, I just have not played it yet. I love Savage Worlds as my main goto, The source books are wonderful. I will finally be able to play a campaign that starts with Pathfinder passes through 50 Fathoms/Rippers into Deadlands to Deadlands: Noir from there into Modern times, then Interface Zero/Sprawlrunners through Dead Lands: Hell on Earth, Dead Lands: Lost Colony and beyond. All with one system and support material already printed and ready to go. With all the material I have listed there is still more...

For a long time I've been looking for the "best" Generic Rpg System. Still learning and getting to know Savage Worlds

I'd like to hear your take on Cypher, Gensys, and Basic Roleplaying.

This is great! I love the the DIY options that generic systems offer. I wasn't a big fan of how complicated I found Pathfinder to be, but when I found the Savage Worlds edition of Pathfinder, I was blown away. I think Savage Pathfinder is more fun. One system I recently learned about is Index Card RPG. In my opinion, it challenges Savage Worlds for top billing as a generic RPG system, although I think Savage Worlds is the OG of generic lift-and-lay engines.

I don't particularly care for Fate, it seems like you need to fail to eventually have a chance to win. Add to that the fact that it is a story driven system and it just isn't for me. I have played and GMed both Savage Worlds and GURPS and I enjoy them both. I haven't had any problems running either of them, even with less GM support than D&D. I'm used to creating new campaigns from scratch because we didn't have a choice in 1974,

Index Card rpg is pretty good considering it simplify how weapons work by setting the dice used for weapons and such.

Thank you. I miss the Genesys RPG and BESM in your list. 😢

Any advice ehere to find a good and free list of GURPS encounters for different settings? I'm relatively new and only GMed Savage Worlds and Call of Cthulhu and it would help me so much to have a "bestiarum" with standard enemjes and NSCs like "normal soldier"' "captain", "sailor", "pitbull" and so on.

Realize this video is a year old at this point, but I'd love to see some review of Heroes and Hardships, which just came off of a successful kickstarter.

You should look into the open d6 system too.

how does Fuzion stack up? i'm planning on homebrewing something based around Chronicle_001_Xenomorph_Invasion. just wondering if there's some glaring issues or things to note.

I found QuestWorlds (technically HeroQuest 2.2e) and it's a great generic system. Characters have abilities which can be freely chosen.. They're a bit like Fate's aspects but they can always be used and have ratings and subabilities. Also, all conflicts can be resolved with same systems. Not yet another rpg that consists 80% of combat rules. Conflict resolution is interesting and can be used for all kinds of conflicts. Highly recommended if you're looking for a narrative system that still has quite a bit of substance. Also, QuestWorlds SRD is available for free =)

I've lost so much time trying to get FATE and love it when I did it. Never played Savage worlds, but it seems funny as fuck! GURPS is too much for me.

Im interested in Open Legend

You mean I can't run DnD 5e to do any and everything?

Arn't most rpg systems generic? Year Zero is used with post Apocalyptic, Fantasy and SF. Rolemaster has Pulp, Black Ops, SiFy, Fantasy and post apocalyptic. Runequest has Basic Role Playing for everything. I can hardly think of any system that is not generic.

You left out the best generic system ever made: Champions.

I prefer EABA and Stuff!

So nothing at ALL about the Hero system? Hero is superior to GURPS

That’s an easy block

I don't think GURPS is that realistic, it feels more whatever some 90s nerd boys thought is realistic. Of the given here I would take Fate, but I am working on my own system which goes even further into the narrative approach that Fate.