43AD combines education and gaming. It provides an excellent breakdown of the history behind Imperial Rome’s invasion of Britannia while delivering smooth play. The combat system, essential to a game about a military invasion, is perfect. Even those not steeped in Roman history will find something to like here.

The explosive popularity of this system should tell you a great deal about how good it is. Not only a distillation of, and improvement on, well-worn mechanics, the game takes pains to emphasize utility. Its system WORKS and that’s more than many more involved games can say.

Absent any English-language roleplaying game inspired by Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, enthusiasts have this little creation. It features atrocious proofreading and is missing some critical rules, but the system works, and the included world-building material is excellent. Cap this off with terrific art from David Guyll.

It is an intriguing concept married to an elegant system. One would like to see more published variations, but it’s easy enough to mod. Despite its virtues, it has a small but significant flaw: it fails to define values for a critical element (Persistence), which could cause real headaches.

The JAMES BOND 007 game is a masterpiece of design, serving its subject perfectly, but it is long out of print. CLASSIFIED takes that system, tweaks it where it needs adjustment, and gifts it to you. It could come in a glitzier package, but here system is the point.

Easy to pick up, ICRPG also has depth for those who wish to dig into the system and what it can do. Illustrations throughout are excellent, serving to highlight the various settings. The organization is a moderate issue, but eventually flipping around becomes easier. A great choice.

Unfairly overlooked by many, CRGE earns top marks. It is easy to use and provides much-needed structure to solo games without being overbearing. Anyone can pick up and play with CRGE in minutes; the same can’t always be said of other products in the same space.

Like MÖRK BORG before it, this cybernetic outing is primarily a visual artifact. While the underlying system is solid, it’s nothing revolutionary, but the visuals in the book, coupled with evocative flavor text, elevate the game—the aesthetic works. Fan support is also excellent, with many gems.

At first blush, this concept is terrific but shakier in execution. GMs should expect to do some surgery to stitch together the loose plot line. Because of its episodic structure, it’s not the themed one-shot it might have been, which works against it. It’s still worth checking out.

This is a fun little rulebook with great art and a dirt-simple system called TinyD6. Those looking for crunch or depth here will be disappointed, but others seeking a post-apocalyptic game that can be picked up and played in minutes will be thrilled. It's worth grabbing.