Ok, "Sabres and Witchery" looks pretty interesting.

I agree it looks pretty good.  It reminds me of a low level LotFP.

Hulks and Horrors, of course.

Mazes & Minotaurs is my favorite OSR game. I love how the system combines all the easy and fun of OD&D, but adds modern concepts to streamline everything. I also love the setting focus because Greek Mythos via Hollywood cliches is just so kickass.

If you are asking for "pure" retroclone, then I have to go with Swords & Wizardry: White Box because it goes right to the core elements of D&D allowing you to move forward in whatever direction creating your own "AD&D"

Also, I love S&W:WB because having Fighting Men, Wizards and Clerics only with very raw rules sets up terrifically interesting play situation at the table. I have been leaning toward OD&D more and more over the years as my Old School Go-To and S&W:WB has been pure awesome fun.

Quote from: The Butcher;557334Wow. Here I am looking for a swashbucklers vs. horrors game for some time now. And off goes Simon "Barbarians of Lemuria" Washbourne and cross-breeds Backswords & Bucklers with LotFP, and throws in a bestiary for good measure -- all for free. The man's a class act. Thanks for the heads-up!

I try my best to please...

Just in case anyone likes Sabres & Witchery, I've been working on a few other Swords & Wizardry-based things; Blood & Bullets (Old West) and Ancient Mysteries & Lost Treasures (modern conspiracy action-adventure) and I'm now working on a space fantasy too. After that will be a super hero one called Supermen & Wonderwomen.

Go here for some free fun!

http://beyondbeliefgames.webs.com/freestuff.htm

The ones I actually GM are Labyrinth Lord and OSRIC, both are very nice. LL is a bit more professional. OSRIC has a great presentation of the 1e AD&D players' rules, the DM stuff is workmanlike. I especially like LL for Tolkienesque worlds and OSRIC for more Gygaxian swords & sorcery.

I guess for me its currently Swords & Wizardry (hence all the stuff I'm putting out now), although I did have a love affair with Castles & Crusades a while back.

OSRIC definitely.

I'm partial to Labyrinth Lord, although lately for some reason I've been wanting to take another look at Basic Fantasy.

Not true retro clones, but made very much in the old school spirit that I like a lot are: Old School Hack and Dungeon World.

It depends what the OP means. If what was meant was actual direct clones, then my answer would be "none of them. I find them pointless".

If what was meant was all the different OSR variant rules-sets, then I'd have to say Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;558490It depends what the OP means. If what was meant was actual direct clones, then my answer would be "none of them. I find them pointless".

Tried buying a copy of the 1974 edition of D&D lately?

http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetail.asp_Q_ProductID_E_11047_A_InventoryID_E_2147874548_A_ProductLineID_E_2137419089_A_ManufacturerID_E_1_A_CategoryID_E_901_A_GenreID_E_

Prices on ebay are even higher.

Quote from: estar;558507Tried buying a copy of the 1974 edition of D&D lately?

http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetail.asp_Q_ProductID_E_11047_A_InventoryID_E_2147874548_A_ProductLineID_E_2137419089_A_ManufacturerID_E_1_A_CategoryID_E_901_A_GenreID_E_

Prices on ebay are even higher.

There is NO way I would ever spend that much for an rpg when I can get a high quality retroclone for at worst 1/6th the price.

I was very lucky to get both of my OD&D copies for much less, but it is obvious to me that not everyone is willing to shell out $100+ for a game. You can still get the OD&D PDFs relatively easily, but it sure ain't legal any more, ever since WotC pulled the PDFs from RPGnow/DriveThru that is... fucking bastards.

Quote from: RPGPundit;558490It depends what the OP means. If what was meant was actual direct clones, then my answer would be "none of them. I find them pointless".

If what was meant was all the different OSR variant rules-sets, then I'd have to say Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

RPGPundit

Even if you don't find them useful in actual play, they have contributed at least in some small way toward helping build the market you seek to tap into with your forthcoming clone game.

But aside from that, just from an open gaming perspective I've always argued that even if you don't find clones useful for actual play, they do contribute to the wider open gaming community. For example, you like Adventurer Conqueror King and there is a heck of a lot of text I wrote for Labyrinth Lord included in that book. If you sit down to play ACK you are benefiting from the open content many of us have worked hard to contribute.