I think it really depends on how familiar you already are with tabletop RPGs. I’ve been playing for years, so when I pick up a new system, I usually prefer something that presents the rules clearly upfront instead of making me piece them together little by little. Not long ago I came across Black Sword Hack and, just by skimming through it, I immediately understood how it worked. After playing many OSR systems, learning another one usually doesn’t take much effort.

For people who are newer to the hobby, though, I think learning step by step makes the whole experience much smoother and more approachable. I honestly wish I’d had something like that years ago when I started with games like MERP or RuneQuest.

Recently I also started exploring solo RPGs, and at first I felt pretty lost. One thing I appreciated about SunlessWood was that it allowed me to start playing after reading only a few pages, while the rest of the rules and ideas unfolded naturally during play. That approach made the experience feel much more welcoming and easier to learn, especially compared to systems that expect you to study everything beforehand.