So, I've picked up Gamma World and I must say I really like it after reading it. This is a little different from my usual review as I've only read the game, but it seems like a lot of peeps here wanted detailed info, so here goes!

If you don't know what Gamma World is, it's D&D's old, gonzo, post-apocalyptic cousin. Where adventurers roam the irradiated land ambushing spider-goats while armed with only a solid steel street sign and pyrokinesis. The dungeons are ruins, magic is technology and everyone is a mutant.

I'm excited o play it. It's definitely based on the D&D 4 ruleset, but it minimizes a lot of the problems I had with it.

Making a character is much simpler and RANDOM, and there is very little decision making to be made at first level. It's much easier to roll & go. There's no need for bullshit like planning your build 30 levels ahead as there's only a few simple choices to make on your journey to level 10. By level 10 you will have everything you could have had anyway.

Characters are a mixture of two randomly determined origins (except engineered Humans, which you become if you roll the same result twice on the origin table). You can end up being anything from a Gravikinetic Plant to a Swarm of Yetis (211 possibilities by my fuzzy late night math). Your primary stat is an 18, your secondary stat is a 16 and the rest are randomly determined by rolling 3d6. You'll have 2 inherent powers at first level determined by your origins and 1 random power drawn from the mutation deck. Gear is very simplified and you get a standard load out of a melee and ranged weapon plus some armor and an adventurers kit. Couple more items are rolled off a table and you are good to go.

Many, many, many of the rules are simplified. No healing surges, money or Action Points to keep track of. There's no economy at all but a barter economy which is all resolved through roleplaying with an occasional skill check. The equipment list is super simplified with only the weapon's type (Light or heavy, one handed or two handed, melee or ranged, Ammo or No) determining it's statistics. There's very few skills to keep track of (about 10). Special weapons and Mutation powers are all on cards and will be mostly temporary or subject to change. Ammo is pretty simple: you've either got it or you don't. If you use a weapon that needs ammo more than once in an encounter, at the end of the encounter you are out of ammo(for all 'ammo' weapons). You only receive ammo as a quest reward or you can barter for it in towns and such. No fucking Skill Challenges.

I really like the card based rules. The way they are implemented is very flexible, especially if players make their own decks. There are two decks: the Technology deck and the Mutation deck. All the cards are formatted like Powers in D&D and all of the benefits and drawbacks of those mechanics are included. There's far less ambiguity with names like Unstable Fusion Rifle or Foul Belch than there is with something like Warlords Favor or Enclose the Prey. The GM has a set and players can make a set at their own option or just draw from the GMs. Players have limits set on their decks (7+ cards, no more than 2 copies of any card), but it let's players have a bit of control over character customization without losing the randomness that is the key difference in this game over D&D. The rulebook has some advice for GM's to specially build their decks to flavor their campaigns or sessions.

At level one, players have one Mutation card which changes EVERY time they roll a 1. It can also change, at the player's option, when taking an extended rest. When it changes, it is drawn at random from either the player's mutation deck or the GM's and GM's have the option to force players to draw from their deck at any time (it's recommended especially when players roll the aforementioned 1). All of the Mutation power cards are useful at any character level (for example, ones that do damage will have level based damage) but certain character origins will have affinities toward particular powers (which would be good for players to put in their own decks).

Players begin play with one technology card and only gain more as rewards from quests and adventures. Working pre-fall tech is considered priceless in the setting. Technology has a significant chance of breaking after every encounter it is used. Some tech is more useful then others and some tech is almost useless (never discount a creative player) but comedic in nature. Just like Mutations, they function as powers and players can draw from their own Tech deck or the GM's. Some technology can be salvaged if it breaks, operating at a less then optimal level and (of course) salvaged stuff can break again later.

The combat is mostly D&D 4e. I haven't really noticed any changes. The numbers seem quicker and deadlier (HP is lower and damage is higher). Players will bring in different powers to every fight so it will be harder to fall in to the same routine. Monsters are more light hearted then their D&D counterparts, with Pig-Men who can hit you with a Belly-Bump to an evil race of badgers called Badders. Not to mention the giant Lion-Dragon-Spiders with laser eyes. There is no mention, advice or support for combat without a grid, which should come as no surprise to people familiar with D&D 4e.

So, overall, I'm very impressed with this boxed set. It managed to compress all the rules into a small format (Graphic Novel sized) 160 page book (including Monsters and an introductory adventure). It came with all the cards you need to play, a couple of poster battlemats and some quality punch out counters. Everything but the dice is in there. My only complaints as far as the formatting goes is they could have fit it in to a smaller box, and the Tech and Mutation cards could have used different backs.

Wow. A 9 grade. I'm surprised! Can't wait to get it.

I'm surprised the kept the Badders and other wacky elements intact... and random stat rolls! Man... I had a lot of fun with Gamma World way back in the Wayback... grrrr.... must not be tempted by the dark side....

I'm pretty excited for it actually. I did not like D&D 4e but this game looks like it will be very fun. I'm getting in to my first game on Wednesday (Gamma World Wednesday, I like my schedule alliterated) So I'll be able to let you know how it plays then.