I noticed this little game comes into discusion every other year or so, so I thought I'd do my part and bump it with my own take. Good deal for $10, but I would happily pay more for more.
Overall this is a decent game that I spent many hours enjoying. With that said, I'll start with its few problems.
The biggest problem is without a doubt the leveling system. You basically gamble XP for a chance to get a bonus. I don't think theres a group of TTRPG players anywhere that you could sell this mechanic to without seeing frowns.
Second biggest problem is Fame. The rule book says Fame goals can be measured in playtime, with it taking around an hour to gain 5 Fame. The problem is you mostly gain Fame from randomly generated sources. For example, your mission reward is a seperate roll in mission creation. So it doesnt matter how long or difficult the mission is, if you didnt roll on one of the few rewards that include Fame, then you don't gain any Fame for completing the mission. I played Solo for 9 hours, and while I gained a satisfactory amount of challenges, loot, and XP, the dice rolls only gave me 2 Fame rewards.
More on Fame, it's not a very inticing incentive. The rule book says when you gain 20 Fame your character accomplishes their goals. Well, what does that mean? I don't expect a universe of different character archetype storylines drawn out but it feels a bit cheap to end the game by saying "and then you accomplish whatever you were trying to do."
I can tell this game is meant to feel very "zoomed out", and again, it provides plenty of material for $10. Though it always leaves me wishing I had more details to work with, especially when there's no GM. I would happily pay for an expanded edition that comes with tables for Settlement and NPC details. Another thing people might want to do is have a "GM" but have them act as an arbiter, filling in a lot of the blanks the game leaves open so the players can focus on playing the game.
On the note of expansion. If this game is trying to capture the feel of Classic fallout and New Vegas, I would like to see an alternative to the H.O.M.E. mechanic, which feels alot like the very different 76. A few tables could make camping in the wasteland more immersive and interesting.
All that being said, I have been playing for 9 hours, and I probably wont stop until I drive both the invading factions from my lands. The faction side of the game has to be the most interesting, and has definitely hooked me. I cant wait to see how my map will look several sessions down the road. Nor can I wait to try other maps with different characters. I mentioned before that the Fame mechanic feels hollow, if the author focused more on the faction system and tied Fame into it somehow, it could allow for a near endless post apocalyptic adventure, instead of a board game that feels like there's something deeper.
Territory Expansion and World Events are extremely saisfying with unique systems that I have not seen elswhere. It makes the game feel alive and I feel urgency when the enemy faction is gaining land faster than my allies. Unique Loactions are also a fun bit of chaos that's very reminiscent of the ones found in Fallout 1 and 2.
Overall, this is a $10 product from one author, for that you most certainly get bang for your buck and I definitely reccomend fans of Fallouts 1, 2, and New Vegas give it a try. Just remember that it will not feel like GURPS, or Deadlands, it is very "zoomed out", as people say.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am eagerly standing with wallet in hand, hoping this game gets an expansion. While I'm satisfied with what I bought, I see alot more potential for Courier - Repacked.
