This is a list of ten pen and paper RPGs that are good, but probably aren’t on most people’s top ten list. As we’ve stated, the games are good, maybe even great, but not great enough to be at the elite Top Ten level.

1. Vampire – This game, as well as other World of Darkness games, should probably be ranked higher on the overall list, but never had a ton of experience with these games. It still is the number one LARP’ing game in the world though, since there are people out they LARP’ing the game that don’t even know it (Goths, or Vampire LARP’ers? You decide).

2. Mage – One of the follow-up games to Vampire. It also lives in the World of Darkness setting. The game introduced a free flow set of magic that allowed players to do virtually anything they could think of.

3. Werewolf – This game was fun, especially coupled with Vampire. I loved taking my Werewolf against Vampires in 1st edition and destroying them, mostly because the systems weren’t balanced to go together. I also give the game props for having that 1st edition hard cover with the claw marks in it, great advertising.

4. Paranoia – One of the only games I can remember that you automatically get extra lives for when you die. Consequently, expect to die fairly often. This game is also one of the few games where the printed modules were often better than player generated ones.

5. Spycraft – Version 2.0 of the game was a major improvement over the previous edition. It became one of the best modern roleplaying games of all time in the pen and paper genre. It is also one of the best skill-based RPGs that you can find out there.

6. Gamma World – This game reminds you how fun random character generation can truly be. Set in a post-apocalyptic setting, it pretty much allows you to run a Mad Max, anything goes type of setting for your characters. The game has been around forever and has like six or seven different editions of the game.

7. Cyberpunk 2020 – True cyberpunk setting in every sense of the word. This game can be absolutely lethal as well. And who could forget the most infamous cybernetic item of all time, the Mr. Stud implant. Basically a requirement for all bad-asses in the game.

8. Warhammer FRPG – Warhammer is more known for their miniatures and wargaming. Even lately they’ve become known for their Warhammer MMORPG. But their roleplaying game is pretty darn fun too, and has a very unique character class system.

9. Earthdawn – According to FASA, it was supposed to be Shadowrun but in a fantasy setting. The game had a pretty unique system and setting, but for some reason it always felt kind of bland when you played (sometimes like 4th edition D&D). The game did pretty well, however, and still has a small following.

10. Hackmaster – Best critical hit tables ever. I remember running this for our gaming group and just hoping that every time someone made an attack roll, it was a critical hit. You never knew what part of your body was getting mauled or completely chopped off.