Blades is great! Switched to Blades/FitD from 5e for a change of pace. We really enjoyed it but eventually switched again to PF2e for some crunchier combat and character building.
But I do think Blades is my favorite "rules light" system I've tried. Works really well for TotM but still has enough crunch to feel like a game.
But I do think Blades is my favorite “rules light” system
I've read "Beam saber" which is supposed to be Forged in the Dark, and I wouldn't call it "Rule light", the core is simple, but there is like 200 pages of rules, with "position", "consequences', flash back, downtime. Looks pretty heavy for a "rule light" system
But I still need to play-it to see how it runs, feel like there is a lot of "unique" concepts and that we'll need 2-3 one shot to get a feel how it runs
I got a feeling from preparing my game that Blades is more intimidating that actually hard. At first it seems complex but more and more I read, the more at peace I become about the rules.
I totally agree. That's why I put "rules light" in quotes. Any any given moment there aren't a ton of rules to know but there are a lot of rules to cover a lot of those different moments, if that makes sense.
It's more "narrative first" compared to the crunchier d&d (e.g. one role to determine success and consequences then deciding what that actually means, rather than rolling to hit, rolling for damage, etc), but there's some proper gameplay going on with managing your resources like stress. I think of PbtA and the like as "rules light".
