Amazing Tales vs GURPS
Compare Amazing Tales and GURPS side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Amazing Tales | GURPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Beginner-Friendly, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Narrative, Family, Fiction-First, Low-Prep, Theater of the Mind | Crunchy, Simulation, Sandbox, Character Building, Tactical, Realistic, Grid-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Each character has 4 skills the child invents. Each skill is assigned a die (d12, d10, d8, d6) — bigger die = better skill. Roll 3+ to succeed. That's the entire system. | Roll 3d6 under target number. Advantage/disadvantage system via character traits. |
| Dice | d6–d12 | 3d6 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Community | Low | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | SJ Games Online Policy |
| Cost | $ | Free (Lite) / $$$ |
| Publisher | Martin Lloyd | Steve Jackson Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2004 |
| Best For | Parents playing with kids aged 4+ who want collaborative storytelling with the simplest possible rules — one die roll, no math, any setting. | Groups who want a single system for every genre with granular simulation and deep customization. |
| Highlights | Genuinely playable by 4-year-olds, genre-agnostic (pirates, space, fairy tales, anything), child creates their own character skills, four ready-to-play settings included, encourages collaborative storytelling | Highly customizable point-buy system, simulation-focused, one system for any genre |
| Considerations | Far too simple for older kids or adults, no combat system or advancement, GM (parent) does all the heavy lifting narratively, extremely limited mechanical depth | Character creation requires significant point-budget planning, combat rules are granular with many modifiers to track, full system spans two 576-page core books plus supplements, GM prep is substantial for campaigns using multiple sourcebooks |