ALIEN RPG vs Slugblaster
Compare ALIEN RPG and Slugblaster side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| ALIEN RPG | Slugblaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi, Horror | Scifi |
| Play Style | Horror, Survival, Deadly, Atmospheric, One-Shot Friendly, Gritty, Licensed IP | Narrative, Rules-Light, Cinematic, Fast-Paced, Gonzo, Character-Driven, Comedy |
| 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 and take the highest: 6 is a success, 4–5 is a partial success, 1–3 is a failure. No attributes or skills — instead, spend Boost to add dice. Kick lets you push your luck for Style Points by adding flair to any action. Style Points fuel advancement and reputation. Trouble tracks escalate consequences from parents, school, and interdimensional authorities. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Community | Medium | Low |
| License | All Rights Reserved (20th Century Studios license) | Forged in the Dark |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Free League Publishing | Wilkie's Candy Lab (Mikey Hamm) |
| 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 fast-paced, irreverent adventures about teenagers hoverboarding through alternate dimensions, doing tricks, getting sponsorships, and avoiding getting grounded. |
| 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 | Combines teen drama with dimension-hopping action sports, Kick mechanic adds dice for adding flair to actions, Indie Groundbreaker Game of the Year winner, Trouble tracks escalate consequences from parents and authorities without lethal combat |
| 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 | Narrow genre focused on teenage hoverboard adventures, no attributes or skills — characters differentiate through playsheet and narrative choices only, five playsheets (Grit, Guts, Smarts, Heart, Chill) limit build variety, tone is specifically absurdist teen action |