Okay this is gonna be heresy to my OSR and PbtA peeps but hear me out.
I think there are two kinds of game systems that work for my group.
One is the rules heavy “buildy” games with lots of character options and crunch to choose from. You’re building your character out of Lego pieces, out of big ugly rock pieces even, but you have plenty of pieces to choose from. Like 5e with its dozens and dozens of subclasses and spells.
The other is the more story gamey system that’s super rules light where the little crunch that’s there generates all kinds of characters. We’ve had fun with Microscope and Fiasco and Hillfolk and DitV and Cthulhu Dark, and I would imagine that games like Wushu and Fate would fit in here too. Games where a simple core system evoke millions of character options, more clay than Lego.
In between these two extremes is a zone of suck where there are distinct prefabricated characters but they are too rigid and too few and have too few options and not enough “buildiness”. The characters feel too samey.
But outside of the Zone of Suck, both kinds of games are okay and good.
This entire essay is me just guessing how my players feel. Why don’t I just ask them? I’m gonna, that’s why I’m writing this so I can send it to them.
I met my group playing Magic and board games, they’re gonna want a more system mastery type kind of game. Whereas me myself I have a more minimalist streak, I’m gonna be into something like Knave or World of Dungeons or Cthulhu Dark. Pick a profession, bring your own imagination. Open ended and flexible.