Is FUDGE actually fun to play? I never see anyone play it.
Yes? Maybe? No? Like any system, it is good for some things and not so good with others, and it's largely a matter of taste.
You might like Fudge if:
* You're looking for something rules-lite. Off the top of my head, there are four mechanics in Fudge: Basic rolls, Opposed rolls, Damage rolls, and Fudge Points. I might have missed some, but the point is this is not a game where you need to stop the game and turn to page X to see how something works.
* You're looking for something that focuses on characters and story. Fudge games will probably feel more like a World of Darkness game and less like a D&D game. I find it best for genres where there's not an whole lot of crunchy mechanical bits, but games where there are rich settings. Middle Earth and Serenity would work well with Fudge.
* You like the dice. Part of the appeal of Fudge are the dice, which generate a bell curve between -4 and +4, heavily-weighted on the center. So if your character is good at something, when they roll the dice they will probably get a good result.
* You like to tinker with rules, and you want to learn how RPGs work. Fudge doesn't really work "out of the box." Part of the fun is making your own build.
You won't like Fudge if:
* You enjoy the meta-game of planning out the perfect character build from level 1 to 20, consulting char-op sites, picking the prefect combos of feats and spells.
* You are looking for crunchy tactical options. Or you like accumulating treasure.
* You hate the dice. Due to the bell-curve, some players complain "Why am I even bothering to roll dice?"
* You hate granular games, where the difference between ranks can be 10% rather than 1%.
* You don't want to build the game before you play it.
The critical flaw with Fudge is option-itis. Here's how initiative works:
Gaining initiative is an Opposed action. If the characters don’t have an Initiative attribute or skill— such as Reflexes or Speed— simply use Opposed Situational rolls. A gift such as Combat Reflexes can grant a +1 to initiative. Surprise may grant a bonus to the roll, or give automatic initiative. Initiative can be rolled once for each battle or once each round. Perhaps a character could trade skill for initiative: attack hastily (+1 to initiative that round) but be slightly off balance because of it (-1 to attack and defend that round).
There are at least 6 different decisions the GM has to make in that one paragraph alone. Now imagine that for every element of Fudge. I hate FATE (and that's a separate post) but part of the reason FATE succeeded is that it managed to build a straightforward Fudge build that you could actually play without building first.
So is it fun? I think so. But I also think OSR games and Hero System are fun.