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Simon Crowe
United Kingdom
Sheffield
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In Gamma World, the setting, many alternative universes have collapsed in on each other. Fifty years later the world is a mishmash of realities where anything could happen. Gamma World, the game, feels accurate to its setting – it's a mess of rules and design decisions that often feels like it is at odds with itself. But when everything aligns you get a game that is incredibly fun.
The main two influences that have collided to create this Gamma World are the previous editions, which I have not played, and 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, which I also have not played. So here I am, a completely fresh player, which seems to have it's advantages and disadvantages.
In the box
Cards
There are two decks – one for Alpha Mutations and the other for Omega Tech. Since both of these might be drawn from during a game it would seem the most obvious design decision to give them differently marked backs – but this is not the case. The main side is not brilliantly designed either. The actually name of the card doesn't really stand out and the dull colours make reading not as easy as it could be. You also get given a booster pack of collectible cards to add to the set decks. More on the cards later...
Counters
Designating various monsters, these are fine. Double sided, with a different monster on each side. This gives variety and ensures you have multiple of each type, though can make rooting around for the one you want a little difficult.
Battle Maps
A bit mixed. Nice enough but they're not quite generic enough that they could be reused many times, but not quite weird enough that they scream 'Gamma World fun!'. Where's the craziness?
Character Sheets
Pretty bad. They are supposed to help guide a player along character creation, but just end up muddled with no space to write anything useful on. Plus there are only 4 of these, when the adventure provided in the rulebook is for 5 players. Of course it's RPG Geek to the rescue, and there are some good character sheets in the files section. I used the sheet designed at http://boldpueblo.com/downloads/gammaworld/.
Rulebook
I normally review a rulebook chapter by chapter, but Gamma World defies that in many ways – and not really good ones. Even though the rules are theoretically simple there's a lot of flicking back and forth to try and find things out, and rules that left me scratching my head until I found them buried in another section. It doesn't help that the index provided is so pathetic. Is Gamma World assuming you know 4th Ed D&D? I spent a while trying to find out what the 'resist' rule meant, which is a feature of numerous PCs, only to find it in the monsters section.
So far the contents aren't particularly inspiring so far. Luckily the game makes up for this...
Setting
Compared to most RPGs I've seen, the setting gets barely any explanation. But then again it's not really a place with recognisable geography and kingdoms. Instead it's a place where anything can happen, a crash of realities caused by the Large Hadron Colider (nice touch there). The setting is more implied through various parts of the rules. 'Humanity' is barely recognisable, replaced with bizarre mutants. The world is a mix of shattered cities, radioactive wastelands and super evolved jungles. It's a bizarre and lethal world, littered with ancient technology. The overall impression given is that the game should be fairly random, and quite dangerous, but that's where the fun comes from.
The Game
It's a game about fighting. Ok, if you know D&D that might be the most obvious statement ever, but I'm used to games that at least cloak this in rules for other situations. I have never actually played a game that completely requires the use of minis and a squared battlemap. I've got no problem with this, it's just... different. As long as the combat is interesting and tactical enough (and from playing a few encounters it seems that way) then it's all good.
The basic system involves rolling a D20, adding a modifier based on a skill or stat, and trying to reach a difficulty set by the GM (or most often the defences of the enemy). Despite the often confusingly written rules it's all relatively simple. Certainly within my first game the players had picked it up within one encounter.
Characters
Character creation might be the best bit of the game. It's completely random, which I always enjoy, and the biggest part of this is rolling two 'origins' from a list of twenty. The character becomes a mix of these adaptations/gifts/physiologies that range from being an android or yeti to having telepathic or psychokinetic powers. After a player rolls two origins on the table it's up to them to decide how these origins interact.
It's a great group activity too, and can provoke plenty of laughs as players try and meld weird origins and come up with bizarre backgrounds for their electrokinetic cockroach. I'd say that the only issue is that about a quarter of the origins are mind-based powers, and a player might be disappointed if they end up with a characters who is an empath and mind coercer and none of the more wacky options (like a swarm of rats crossed with a plant),
The two origins dictate starting powers and abilities, and affect certain abilities and skills that are otherwise rolled randomly. Yes it's almost completely random and players really need to buy into this fact beforehand, it's no good coming in with preconceived notions of what you want to play. The only bit of character creation the players get input on (other than putting all the rolls and origins together) is choosing weapons.
Origins also determine character progression, which is a little linear for my taste. It's level based, with a set bonus each level based on the two origins. I would have preferred some sort of either choice or random decision, but at least it's simple and functional.
Gear
I'm not about to claim this is a completely original idea, but I was particularly taken with the way the game handles weaponry. Rather than a huge list of different weapons it basically gives a small number of categories and let's a player choose whatever weapon he want and fit this in. Want to wield a chainsaw? That's probably a heavy two-handed melee weapon. A toaster that fires electrified cutlery (yes that's an example from the game I played)? That could be a one-handed light ranged weapon that doesn't use ammo. It's easy, and means players aren't eternally focussing finding the best gun, instead sticking with whatever suits their character.
Aside from weapons players are generally loaded with random scavenged items. Some useful, like night-vision goggles or a tent, and some not so – like a croquet set or a tin of sardines. The real thing players are after though is Omega Tech, ancient technology created by aliens or a machine intelligence. They are drawn at random from a deck as play rewards, usually with powerful effects usable once per encounter but with a chance of breaking down.
Alpha Mutations & Omega Tech cards
A big part of the game involves the constantly changing Alpha Mutations. As well as being a telekinetic plant (or whatever) each character has one mutation (two or three at higher levels). This starts drawn from a random deck. At the end of each encounter, or whenever a character rolls a natural '1' during an encounter they lose a mutation and draw a new one. These range from tentacles and extra arms to psychic powers (personally I'm more a fan of the physical mutations than the mind powers, though the deck is mixed about 50:50). I've seen some complaints about the constant changes, but personally I like the way this keeps encounters different and players on their toes trying to figure out how best to use their new abilities.
The base game has the GM creating the deck for the Mutations and Tech. But the rules also allow players to collect decks of their own by buying boosters of random cards (like some sort of collectible card game). So instead of drawing random mutations and tech from the Gms deck they can pull them from their own small prepared decks. Now I understand the idea for extra revenue on the behalf of Wizards of the Coast, but the fact is this seems to against the whole point of the game itself. Instead of random fun and weirdness the draws become predictable and repetitive. I can see GMs buying more cards to expand their own decks, but allowing players to do it is just wrong.
Monsters
A range of bad guys are provided, tending towards humanoid animals (pigs, badgers etc.) and giant insects with a few robotic enemies thrown in. It seems like a good enough range for starters, covering most of the levels, though probably not enough to vary a whole campaign with. The monster entries are well presented and easy to read. As a GM I was a bit unsure about balancing encounters, the guidance given seems thorough but I found it kind of confusing. Again a GM with experience in balancing encounters will probably find it a bit easier.
Steading of the Iron King
The adventure included in the rulebook is rather disappointing. Essentially a factory has started releasing defective robots, and the PCs are to enter the factory and shut it down. But there are a random assortment of bad guys along the way to beat up. Its simply eight combats in a row with the vaguest of links between them. Gone is the craziness and anything goes attitude of Gamma World, replaced with a dull series of encounters. Definitely a weak attempt to get people into the Gamma World mindset.
Overall Thoughts
So we have a game which should be quick and fun, but involves a lot of flipping through a poorly organised rulebook. A setting that should be crazy and interesting, but a sample adventure that is anything but. A system that tries to promote randomness, and a collectable aspect that tries to reduce that. Different aspects of the game almost seem like they were designed independently. Despite this though, a GM and players with an attitude towards the weirdness will find a lot to like. It's a game that rewards imagination and a light hearted attitude and players of that type are in for a treat.
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The Harnish
Germany
Duisburg
NRW
Cult of The Harnish Leader
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Nice review. We've enjoyed playing Gamma World as a one-off, wacky game but nobody really likes it for long term play.
One thing that should be pointed out though is that like other recent WotC box sets, Gamma World's box is deceptively oversized with a good deal of the space in that impressive box being taken up by a cardboard filler. 
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DMSamuel
United States
Ithaca
New York
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MJ Harnish wrote: One thing that should be pointed out though is that like other recent WotC box sets, Gamma World's box is deceptively oversized with a good deal of the space in that impressive box being taken up by a cardboard filler.
But at least the box is of good quality - heavy enough to house the two GW expansions, including tokens and cards in a card-box. That is more than I can say for any other WotC boxed set of 2010/2011.
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Simon Crowe
United Kingdom
Sheffield
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MJ Harnish wrote: Nice review. We've enjoyed playing Gamma World as a one-off, wacky game but nobody really likes it for long term play. One thing that should be pointed out though is that like other recent WotC box sets, Gamma World's box is deceptively oversized with a good deal of the space in that impressive box being taken up by a cardboard filler.
Doh. You know when you plan out a review and then forget everything you wanted to say. Yes - my thought was that with the predictable levelling system and limited gear the game would possibly get quite repetitive if you went through all the levels. I can see it being more fun for shorter games. Plus character creation is probably the best bit.
I actually threw my box away, I was better off carrying the various components separately. Maybe if I got any of the expansions I'd regret it.
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Brian Leet
United States
Montpelier
Vermont
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Excellent review. I pretty much agree on all points. I found the introductory adventure to be a huge let down. I really wish they'd given a handful of maps, a handful of enemy creature groups (perhaps as a "part A - mooks" and "part B - leader" format, a handful of traps/hazards, and a handful of twists and then just had a set of tables for making randomly generated adventures/encounters. It would have fit the setting much better, taken up no more space and really crowned off this product.
The rule book does suffer from being a clearly trimmed down version of 4E. This left references and situations referenced in one part of the rules as though clearly defined despite lacking precise rules elsewhere about them. With that said, I like the simpler rules to the game.
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Paul Baldowski
United Kingdom
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I think I'm glad I didn't buy this now... Thanks.
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John "Omega" Williams
United States
Michigan
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Nice review.
One note though.
Though its called Gamma World... Like the d20 Modern GW and Alternity GW campaign books, The setting has nothing to do with the original Gamma World which was a good mix of weird and serious.
This version is near the diametric opposite of d20 GW and instead of serious and a bit grim... This is pure goof-ball. Its not as absolutely riddled with errors as the d20 version is. Though the rules do have several noticible holdovers from what look like last minute rules changes. Mostly in the chargen section.
And as stated elsewhere. Take note that aside from naming your character and selecting a starting weapon and armour. You have absolutely *zero* control of chargen and untill you hit a certain level point,,, You have zero control over your mutations and artifacts. They *will* change very frequently.
If you can work past those issues... then its a fun setting on its own. But its not Gamma World even with the token addition of many classic GW mutants. And heres the second problem. Whoever was doing art direction should be fired. They assigned an artist and its as if he were illustrating a totally diffrent game of deformed horror freaks instead of weird and wacky.
And finally theres the tacked on CCG element. Luckily WOTC allowed the cards in text format only to be posted on the WOTC site.
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Anthony DuLac
United States
Minnesota
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I like the system and have picked up everything for it so far. I don't like the goofball aspects though and plan to adapt it to play it more straight like a Fallout 3-ish style game.
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Simon Crowe
United Kingdom
Sheffield
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wytefang wrote: I like the system and have picked up everything for it so far. I don't like the goofball aspects though and plan to adapt it to play it more straight like a Fallout 3-ish style game.
Do you not think other games might be more suited to that? The goofball aspects make this game in my opinion.
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John "Omega" Williams
United States
Michigan
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1st and 2md ed GW fir the Wasteland/Fallout theme, just with much more mutants. and all you'd have to do is limit the sheer variety of mutants to get a more Fallout feel. Same can be done with the D&D version by just jettisoning the comedy routine and allowing the players to choose to be human rather than a rare random roll. Then ditch the whole "flux" gag. With carefull pruning and viscious weeding its viable. Sadly the d20M version would have come close if it hadnt been so obsessed with the nanotech to the point it subsumed everything.
Comedy fits this games theme. But it is no more Gamma World than the nanite-happy d20M version. If I want slapstick then I can play Toons Toonpocalypse setting or Mesh World.
Scrowe wrote: wytefang wrote: I like the system and have picked up everything for it so far. I don't like the goofball aspects though and plan to adapt it to play it more straight like a Fallout 3-ish style game. :) Do you not think other games might be more suited to that? The goofball aspects make this game in my opinion.
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Darin Rebertus
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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I have heard of some non-D20 systems called Barbarians of the Aftermath and Atomic Highway that might work for you.
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