This is the kind of rules light game that I like. It's simple, quick and smooth-running, but the authors haven't used that as an excuse to be lazy. The combat can provide a touch of tactical depth and this was achieved with relatively little in the way of added rules. Players can customize their mechs because not only are there several chassis and pilot types to choose from, but there are also lists of weapon traits and modules to add to mechs. The GM has plenty of example enemies, with abilities that can be copied over to their own creations.

This is the kind of simplicity that feels like a lot of work was put in to achieve that simplicity and make the best possible version of this game.

having only run a few sessions my experience on the table is limited but totally positive. the system is both thematic and elegant, something that is a huge benefit to my group having only about 2-3hrs a session.

mecha role playing games almost always get buried in minutia and irrelevant details that are fine, great even, in a skirmish wargame. TMH doesnt sweat the little stuff but still feels complete and even robust in character options and solid gameplay mechanics.

i will say for my own mini campaign im running for a planned 6-10 sessions i have done some "hacking" of the game changing some rules a little and some a lot, and the core game mechanics are showing how fantastic and adaptable they are. its the most fun i have had running a game in a long time.

personally i didnt even have a single experience much less an interest in "The Black Hack" style of games before this one either, but its brought them into my sights for sure

Im a big fan of Dungeon world and 5e and any system that lets me get into the fun of things.

Mecha Hack does that and it does it well. It's not a perfect system but it's a good system and the bite size reading footprint makes it easy for me to handle with my ADHD.

I found this while doing my once-a-year search for new mecha tabletop rpgs; I waffled a bit on whether or not to make the purchase, as I am not generally an OSR person, but I find myself extremely surprised by how much I like The Mecha Hack. If you're looking for a straightforward, streamlined, combat-focused mecha game that captures the spirit of the genre, you will find a lot to enjoy here. I took a quick look at a free version of the original Black Hack, and the rules presented here stick closely to the source, with just the right number of minor tweaks and additions to make it truly a mecha game and not just a quick re-skin. Part of me wants a bit more in the game for what to do with characters outside their robots, but an equal part of me thinks it's not really necessary. Given the popularity of The Black Hack, the simplicity of the system, and the number of spin-offs it has generated, I imagine that it would be extremely easy to expand on that part of the game if it became important.

Art and layout are good, flavorful, and functional.

5/5. Recommended.

TLDR AT THE END- I have just checked out the rules in the book and I am here to offer my thoughts. First of all, the character generation system enables for quick character/mech-stats generation and thats pretty cool (also expected by an OSR-based game). One thing key to this game, is the actual melding of the pilot stats and the mecha stats, so your character is the pilot AND the mech. That kinda goes against the spirit of most franchises the game is inspired by (such as Battletech and MS Gundam, where the pilots are somewhat often seen swapping mechs) but it is easily mod-able and does not limit the GM in making and presenting the players with their own unique mecha designs, just by tweaking some stats and upgrades here and there. The upgrades presented for the mechs are very nice, and a solid base to build upon. The weapons, combat and such are solidly represented, powered by the fluidity of the Black Hack's system and a series of very slick modular upgrades that offer many customization options, without making things too complicated. Another thing, the reactor dice is a neat-and-fast mechanic for tracking heat and exertion (Battletech could take a few notes here). The micro-setting presented within the book is a kinda basic sci-fi setting with aliens and various factions, and serves to fuel the reader with ideas and also introduce a person with limited knowledge on mecha to the skeleton of a story they can build upon, all and all, fairly cool stuff. The art and formatting within the book is very nice, with thematic pieces and nice, industrial, cyberpunk-y, black-and-white designs so that's a big plus for me. The extra tokens and paper minis are a nice addition and much appreciated.

TLDR- All and all this is a pretty nice toolkit that a mecha-nerd such as me will find very useful if they want to run a hard, sci-fi giant robot campaign. As a plus, it is quite compatible with other OSR products and adapting other Black Hack supplements will prove very easy. If a GM wants to present different mechs of their own design I would recommend splitting the pilot stats from the mech stats. I am probably going -for my own game- to let the players generate separate stats for their pilots and I am going to create standard arrays for the mechs. I skimmed the book and am already brimming with ideas!