As it says on the tin, this is a "lite" version of the full GURPS system, but don't let that stop you from trying it out. This system is heavily skill-based rather than class-based, which I find to be far more useful and flexible.

In here you can get a very good grasp of the basics of GURPS from which you should easily be able to determine if the system will work well for you. There are no packaged mini-modules or anything, and the system they chose for the free trial version is largely fantasy (there are some modern equipment and skills, so you can get a feel for how those types of play would feel) but there is enough here for you to roll up characters who would fit seemlessly into a game using the full version of the rules.

This system has been around for a long time, has been carefully edited, and plays well in any scenario you could come up with. If you have never tried a skill-focused game before, try this - the price is right! Traveller hooked me on skill-based games, and GURPS set the hook.

A great free introduction to a great game system.

GURPS has gained a reputation as an overly complicated RPG. This 32 page PDF shows how simple it realy is to play. The game is complicated, I won't lie. However, GURPS is no more complicated than Dungeons and Dragons or Shadowrun. GURPS has gained it's reputation because it loads the complexity into starting the game. While D&D allows you to just pick a race and class and learn more as you go GURPS requires an understanding of the system to create a character. GURPS Lite helps this process by reducing the list of abilities you have to chose from to some common ones usefull in most genre. The full rules offer other means of simplifying the character creation process for new players such as using templates. Once play starts the game becomes fairly simple with rules to adapt to many play styles, levels of realism and different genre.

If you're tired of having to learn new rules every time you want to play in a different setting or want to have adventures that jump from one genre to another GURPS is probably the best system available. It's also great for adapting your favorite book, TV show or movie into a game setting or just adventuring in a setting you cook up yourself.

Best of all GURPS Lite is free so if you decide you don't like it all you lose is the time it took you to read 32 pages.