What is the best steampunk RPG? It must have lots of airship action and not overly crunchy.

I own Space 1889.  I am not crazy about the system, but the writing, the setting, and the adventures are incredible.  I own every book as a .pdf. 

Now there is a Savage Worlds conversion called: Red Sands.  Savage Worlds is a wonderful system for pulp fiction, action-oriented game.  I also own that.  Sadly, I have never played it.  I just haven't had the time.   But if I were to play Space 1889, I would use the .pdf's as source matereal, and Savate Worlds as the engine.

Are there airships?  You betcha, and space craft (Aether flyers), sky galleons, the planets are all just like the people thought they were in the 1800's. Mars is a desert world with dried up canals and faded empires. Venus is a steaming, Jungle world populated by lizard people.  Mercury is tidally locked so one side always faces the sun, and the other faces away, forming a volcanic hellscape and frozen wasteland on the other.  With a temperate band circling the planet between night side and day side.

I don't remember any of the ofher planets, but there are books and plenty of source matereal.

The Iron Kingdoms setting for D&D 3.x

I guess I should mention also that I would prefer no magic and no fantasy races, if possible.

I need to sit down and read the Girl Genius RPG.  It is written in GURPS 4th, but that can scale from light weight to super crunchy.

Quote from: Batjon on July 30, 2022, 10:43:02 PM
I guess I should mention also that I would prefer no magic and no fantasy races, if possible.

Um, steampunk is magical fantasy though.

Clockwork doesn't have to be magical.  I'm more specifically trying to avoid spellcasting classes.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/137764/The-Widening-Gyre-A-Savage-Steampunk-Setting?term=Gyre

I have not played this, but seen it recommended in Savage Worlds circles. There's also a Hero version.

Quote from: kreegan on July 31, 2022, 07:46:34 PM
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/137764/The-Widening-Gyre-A-Savage-Steampunk-Setting?term=Gyre

I have not played this, but seen it recommended in Savage Worlds circles. There's also a Hero version.

This one mentions sorcery and spells, something the OP is trying to avoid. I will have to agree though, that I don't recall any steampunk that doesn't have magic, so...

Quote from: HappyDaze on July 31, 2022, 07:49:33 PM
This one mentions sorcery and spells, something the OP is trying to avoid. I will have to agree though, that I don't recall any steampunk that doesn't have magic, so...

There's Leagues of Adventure from Triple Ace Games—airships and Vernepunk stuff, but no magic unless you expand into the Gothic Horror or Cthulhu sublines.

Have you checked out Forgotten Futures? Its focus is a little broader than steampunk. But as it's based on "scientific romance" novels and stories, it should do that quite nicely. It's by Marcus Rowland, and it's free. Pretty simple system.

Stuff to look up at random and I personally know nothing about:   

Etherscope, by Goodman Games and Malladins Gate Press.
Castle Falkenstein by Mike Pondsmith
Wolsung: Steam Pulp Fantasy by Artur Ganszyniec
Iron Kingdoms by Privateer Press
Tephra: The Steampunk RPG by Daniel Burrow

Fate Accelerated Edition is super easy to hack to do exactly what you want.  Combine that with something like the Larcenous Designs's Steampunk deck and the thing will pretty much write itself.

Blades in the Dark (depending on which itch.io bundles you have supported, you may already have this), is lo/no magic and 'steam punky'.