All Flesh Must Be Eaten vs Shadow of the Demon Lord
Compare All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Shadow of the Demon Lord side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| All Flesh Must Be Eaten | Shadow of the Demon Lord | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Fantasy, Horror |
| Play Style | Simulation, Modular, Character Building, Roleplay-Heavy | Grimdark, Fast Sessions, Beginner-Friendly, GM-Friendly |
| 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. | Roll d20 + modifier vs. target number 10. Boons and banes (d6s) add or subtract from the roll, canceling each other out. |
| Dice | d10 | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | Proprietary (Unisystem) | Forbidden Rules SRD |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Eden Studios | Schwalb Entertainment |
| Year | 2004 | 2015 |
| 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. | Groups who want fast, dark fantasy with streamlined d20 mechanics and a sense of impending doom. |
| 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 | Fast character creation, quick sessions, single boon/bane mechanic replaces most modifiers, 11 levels keep campaigns short |
| 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. | Dark horror tone limits genre range, setting tightly coupled to core rules |