All Flesh Must Be Eaten vs Cortex Prime
Compare All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Cortex Prime side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| All Flesh Must Be Eaten | Cortex Prime | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Universal |
| Tags | Simulation, Modular, Character Building, Roleplay-Heavy | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d10 + attribute + skill vs a target number (typically 9). Characters are built with three power tiers: Norms (ordinary survivors), Survivors (action heroes), and Inspired (supernatural powers). The Zombie Master uses a detailed zombie creation system to customize the undead threat for each Deadworld setting. | Assemble a dice pool from trait sets (attributes, skills, relationships, etc.) rated d4–d12. Roll the pool, keep the two highest for your total vs. opposition, then choose an Effect Die from the remainder to determine magnitude. Plot Points let players add dice, activate abilities, or alter the narrative. Every mechanical element is a swappable mod. |
| Dice | d10 | d4–d12 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Proprietary (Unisystem) | Cortex Creator License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Eden Studios | Dire Wolf Digital |
| Year | 2004 | 2020 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want a zombie survival RPG with flexible character creation, customizable zombie types, and multiple campaign settings from Romero-style horror to wuxia undead. | GMs who want to build a custom system from modular parts: homebrew designers, genre-mixers, and groups tired of forcing their stories into a pre-built framework. |
| Highlights | Eleven distinct Deadworld settings in the core book, flexible Unisystem engine handles diverse genres, detailed zombie creation toolkit lets GMs craft unique threats, three character tiers support different play styles | Highly modular: 18+ mods for core rules alone, clear writing with worked examples, Plot Point economy creates dynamic give-and-take, powered well-known licensed games (Marvel Heroic, Firefly, Leverage) |
| Considerations | Character creation is point-buy across Attributes, Qualities, Drawbacks, Skills, and Metaphysics, which front-loads a long series of choices before play begins. Combat applies damage multipliers after the hit roll and then subtracts armor, so a single exchange runs through several steps. The book supplies eleven Deadworld settings as construction kits rather than one canonical premise, so a group must settle its own zombie rules and tone first. | The game is not playable out of the box and requires significant GM assembly. There is a steep learning curve to understand which mods fit your game. Every roll involves choosing which dice to keep plus an Effect Die, which slows resolution. |