If you wanted to run/play a game very similar to Stranger Things what game would you choose and why?

Kids on Bikes
Dark Places & Demigorgons
Tales From the Loop
Other

I'd probably roll my own set of house rules with the Basic Roleplaying gold book.

It depends what kind of game you want to have.

If you just want a nostalgia adventure in "a simpler time" virtually any ruleset would work.

If you want something where kids can go have adventures, get into trouble, and survive it, use the White Hat Scooby rules from Buffy the Vampire Slayer aka Cinematic Unisystem. This gives underpowered characters special points that they can spend to squeak out of a dangerous situation. More powerful characters are more formidable, but get fewer second chances.

If you want to focus on solving a mystery, perhaps Robin Laws' Gumshoe system? I think there is a "junior detective" variant of Gumshoe that would probably work well. I haven't played that one yet.

I'd use Cepheus Engine coupled with Mongoose Traveller 1st Edition and the MgT Psion splatbook with material drawn from Traveller 4's Psionic Institutes splatbook. Limit the tech level to 7 and it should do nicely in covering the first two seasons of Stranger Things (I haven't seen any of the third season).

Honestly, I would probably go with the Buffy version of Cinematic Unisystem, but that's largely because I already own and know it and I wouldn't be willing to spend time and/or money on something new for Stranger Things. The White Hats can cover most of the characters, with a select few being Hero-types.

An early version of "Call of Cthulhu" or "Silent legions".

Quote from: jeff37923;1092295I'd use Cepheus Engine coupled with Mongoose Traveller 1st Edition and the MgT Psion splatbook with material drawn from Traveller 4's Psionic Institutes splatbook. Limit the tech level to 7 and it should do nicely in covering the first two seasons of Stranger Things (I haven't seen any of the third season).

I don't think anyone has seen season 3 yet. Soon though. But I agree, I could absolutely do Stranger Things with the Traveller rules system.

Call of Cthulhu is a natural fit, too. In fact, the show is practically a CoC game set in the 1980's where half the investigators are pre-teens.

Depends... All three will work.

But Kids On Bikes and Tales from the Loop are both story games with a lot of player agency. Which is fine, if you're into that. I'm not a fan of a lot of player agency - so if I was to use KOBs I would play it more like a traditional game. The rules are very simple. Both it, and TFTL simulate that genre. They specifically deal with mechanics for kids, their relationships and problems. They have a narrative structure that closely follows the genre.

For example, KOB has a powered NPC that is controlled by the players, basically 11 (is that her name? I can't quite remember now). Again, I don't like the idea of players each controlling an aspect of a characters personality. So I'd chop that shit right out and play them as a GM controlled NPC. In KOB you can play a kid, teen or adult. Each one has their own strengths as you would expect. Kids don't have money, but they have charm as everyone loves kids (except me), Teens are tougher while adults have access to money and more skills.

Dark Places & Demi Gorgons is an OSR game. One of my personal favorites as it goes. It's definitely the most traditional out of the three, but you can do a lot more then just Stranger things with it. There's also good amount of material presented in the book unlike KOB. In DP&DG you can play a wide variety of characters (each with their own style, skills and abilities) and generally, they are older, late teens or early adult. But you can of course play kids.

There is a good progression through levels but they are never going to get super tough. I'd think of it along the lines of a Buffy or East Texas University. They can be in school or just delinquents as well.

While I like KOB also, I would definitely NOT play it as written. And there are a lot of details left out and certain things open to interpretation (which I'm fine with personally). I mean, there are no monsters per se. You're going to have to make them up. Oh, and there are a shit load of 'warnings'. Things like that stupid X-Card and Veils but I just ignore that shit.

That's not to say KOB can't be horrific, it certainly can (unlike TFTL). If you do go that route, I'd suggest getting the adventures book that was also released. It provides some really cool frameworks for adventures (you could use them with any game actually).

It really depends on what type of game you're looking for - Traditional or more narrative?

Beyond the Supernatural: This one is well suited to that sort of action.

Dragao Brasil issue 112 has a Stranger Things adaption to their 3D&T RPG system.

First, going with games that are oriented to kid characters you could look at World of Darkness: Innocents or Little Fears.  But for me I'd probably go with Gurps (it's what I used for a street kids game set in the Dresdenverse).

Dark Places & Demigorgons is surprisingly good. It looks like a cheap cash in, but perhaps despite that, is a very solid game with some solid support material.

People who mention Gurps/BRP seem to be overlooking that the kids don't all get slaughtered after a few sessions...

Quote from: JeremyR;1092355People who mention Gurps/BRP seem to be overlooking that the kids don't all get slaughtered after a few sessions...

BRP is flexible enough that you can tailor the level of lethality. I assume GURPs can be similarly tweaked.

I don't know that it could be anything other than make believe, because everyone must survive every encounter.  That's a stretch for an RPG which models consequences for failure.  If all of the heroes must make it home alive every day, that doesn't sound like D&D to me.

I would look for a system with built-in non-death, non-wound consequences. I would probably go Buffy as its the best system I've seen for emulating TV/movies where PCs might suffer, yet still survive to win.

Word of caution. Don't run it with strangers. Make sure you know your group of adults gathered to pretend being teens.

Paranoid? Nope, just really creepy memories of playing Cybergeneration at two different cons and discovering "playing teens" brought out the wrong adults.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1092373I would look for a system with built-in non-death, non-wound consequences.

Tales from the Loop definitely fits the bill for this. I have both TftL and Kids on Bikes and am back-and-forth on which one to run for a Stranger Things type of campaign, and I'm really on the fence as to which one I like best. I'm leaning towards TftL at the moment, but KoB has something for "Free RPG Day" and that may tip[ the balance back.

In any case, games with kids exploring shouldn't focus on character death.