ALIEN RPG vs Beam Saber
Compare ALIEN RPG and Beam Saber side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| ALIEN RPG | Beam Saber | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi, Horror | Scifi |
| Play Style | Horror, Survival, Deadly, Atmospheric, One-Shot Friendly, Gritty, Licensed IP | Mecha, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Narrative, Faction Play, Mission-Based, Character-Driven, Collaborative |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a d6 dice pool (attribute + skill). Each 6 is a success. Stress adds extra dice — better odds, but stress dice that roll 1 trigger panic. Push rolls to reroll failures but gain stress. Cinematic mode for one-shots, Campaign mode for long-form play. | Forged in the Dark — roll a d6 dice pool based on action rating and take the highest: 6 is a full success, 4–5 is a partial success, 1–3 is a bad outcome. Position (controlled/risky/desperate) sets consequences. Pilots and vehicles have separate action sets and stress tracks. Vehicles have Quirks — narrative traits that grant bonus dice when invoked. Progress clocks track complex obstacles. Missions follow a structured cycle of planning, engagement roll, action, and downtime. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | High | Medium |
| License | All Rights Reserved (20th Century Studios license) | Forged in the Dark |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Free League Publishing | Austin Ramsay Games |
| Year | 2025 | 2022 |
| Best For | Sci-fi horror campaigns and one-shots in the Alien universe, with a stress/panic system that mechanically drives tension. Supports both deadly cinematic one-shots and long-form campaign play. | Groups who want a mecha war drama where the pilot relationships, beliefs, and moral compromises matter as much as the vehicle combat — think Gundam meets Band of Brothers. |
| Highlights | Stress and panic system mechanically reinforces horror tension, two distinct play modes (Cinematic and Campaign), Evolved Edition streamlines rules and improves layout, well-supported licensed setting | Dual pilot/vehicle layer gives each character two distinct mechanical identities. Vehicle Quirks reward narrative creativity with mechanical bonuses. Faction system with supply points, trust, and entanglements models the politics of war. 10 pilot playbooks and 8 squad playbooks provide extensive starting variety. Includes a full default setting with factions, regions, and 24 vehicle models. |
| Considerations | Tightly bound to the Alien IP with limited genre flexibility, stress mechanics can feel punishing at high levels, Evolved Edition changes are modest over 1st edition | 438-page rulebook is dense for a FitD game and takes time to absorb. Vehicle and pilot systems are deeply intertwined, requiring players to track two character sheets. Setting-agnostic in theory but the default setting material is substantial and may overshadow custom worlds. |