I really want to start a game here on RPoL based on the hard boiled detective genre. The twenties would be a great time period, but not a deal breaker. Can anyone recommend a good rule set for this?

By good I mean accessible rules, and gritty. I am not picky about it still being on the market, if the best system in your mind is one that is out of print, I still might be able to find to for sale somewhere used.

Thanks...

Pulpy Modern AGE?

Call of Cthulhu is a horror-mystery game that's default setting is the 1920s. It leans into the horror quite a bit so there's a lot that you'd need to ignore or change. Trail of Cthulhu is another game in a similar vein. The rules are slightly different, but horror and mystery are the goals.

Mercenaries Spies & Private Eyes is a game that recently came out. No idea if it's good. But it's got some decent reviews. A Dirty World is a noir-based game that should do what you're after. Again, no idea if it's good but the reviews are positive.

Fate is a generic game system that can handle most proactive action-adventure style genres. With a little tweaking I'm sure it would sing for hard-boiled detectives. Tiny d6 just released Tiny Cthulhu, it has two mini rules sets in it one for pulp and one for noir.

Those are the ones I know of off the top of my head that should work for 1920s hard-boiled detective stuff. I'm sure there are others.

I guess I don't know how you are using the word Pulp, Steelsmiter. For me it means the nineteen twenties. Maybe even in to the thirties, though the eras are quite different in tone.

But all normal, real world stuff.

In reply to liblarva (msg # 3):

Thanks for your suggestions. I am in a CoC game right now, and I find the character sheet too daunting for what I have in mind. I would like a game that comes with the flavor of the twenties though.

In reply to Piestar (msg # 4):

Literally in the Modern AGE system context.

In reply to steelsmiter (msg # 6):

Oh, did not know that was a system. It's called AGE?

I found it on DriveThru, but it seems to push magical stuff. One of the books even has a demon of some kind on the cover. Looking for more real-world stuff.

There is Gurps it might be a tad bit complicated for new dm's though.
d20 modern it has a noir setting I think ?
Mean Streets
Savage Worlds
Powered By The Apocalypse

all of these have potential I think.

Sounds like you're aiming more for noir than pulp. Pulp = Indiana Jones or John Carter of Mars. Noir = Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade. Do you want your game to center around investigation? If so, choose rules which have a laser focus on that... something like Grey Cells, Noir World, or Gumshoe.

 ~ https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/307617/Grey-Cells
 ~ https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/263170/Noir-World
 ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumshoe_System

In reply to Alyse (msg # 10):

Okay, I will look in to those, thanks.

Gumshoe or Window might work for what you want.

There's also Pulp Cthulu. It's for the Indiana Jones type heroes and detective chase scenes. Never played it, but Seth Skorkowsky on youtube has a couple of good reviews.

Wow, thanks everyone for the great ideas. Mods, please close this thread.