ALIEN RPG vs Mothership
Compare ALIEN RPG and Mothership side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| ALIEN RPG | Mothership | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi, Horror | Sci-Fi, Horror |
| Tags | Fear & Stress Mechanics, Survival, Deadly, Atmospheric, One-Shot Friendly, Gritty, Licensed IP | Rules-Light, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Survival, Atmospheric, Low-Prep, Cinematic, Fast-Paced |
| 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. | Roll d100 under stat/skill. Stress and panic mechanics escalate tension. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved (20th Century Studios license) | 3rd Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Free League Publishing | Tuesday Knight Games |
| Year | 2025 | 2022 |
| Languages | English, Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese | English |
| 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. | Terrifying sci-fi horror one-shots and short campaigns. Panic table creates unforgettable moments. |
| 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 | Rules-light, well-regarded module library, panic system creates mechanical tension |
| 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 | Panic table can cascade and end sessions abruptly, limited long-campaign support in core rules, stress mechanics can feel repetitive over extended play |