Apocalypse Keys vs Candela Obscura
Compare Apocalypse Keys and Candela Obscura side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Apocalypse Keys | Candela Obscura | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Horror |
| Tags | Playbook-Driven, Mystery, Investigation, Corruption, Drama, Fiction-First | Investigation, Mystery, Corruption, Mission-Based, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Resource Management, Atmospheric, Character-Driven, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 and spend Darkness Tokens (up to 3) to add to the result instead of a fixed stat modifier. 7 or less is a miss, 8–10 is a complete hit, and 11+ is a catastrophic success: you achieve your goal but your monstrous power causes collateral damage. Bonds with other characters add +1 or −1. Darkness Tokens accumulate through roleplaying triggers specific to each playbook; exceeding 5 tokens forces a crisis that costs either a Bond or advances your Ruin track toward becoming a Harbinger of the apocalypse. | Roll d6s equal to your action rating and take the highest result: 1–3 is failure, 4–5 is success at a cost, and 6 is full success. Multiple 6s give a critical success. Spend drive to add dice, up to six total. With no dice, roll two and take the lower result. Taking a gilded die’s result restores one drive point. Burn resistance to reroll only your action dice. The GM sets stakes and expectations before the roll. |
| Dice | 2d6 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | CC BY-SA 4.0 (text) | Darrington Press Community Gaming License 2.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Community gaming license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Evil Hat Productions | Darrington Press |
| Year | 2023 | 2023 |
| Languages | English | English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want emotionally intense, mystery-driven play as monstrous agents investigating apocalyptic threats: where the real tension comes from relationships and the risk of losing yourself to your own power. | Groups who want episodic occult investigations with lasting injuries and shared recovery resources. Character-specific goals reward taking risks during assignments. |
| Highlights | Darkness Token economy replaces static stats with a dynamic risk/reward resource that escalates tension throughout play. Catastrophic success mechanic means the strongest rolls carry the most dangerous consequences. Seven playbooks built around emotional wounds rather than combat archetypes. Five pre-assembled mysteries plus detailed guidance for creating custom ones. | Gilded dice let investigators accept a worse outcome to recover resources. Character-specific goals contribute to shared advancement after each assignment. The assignment framework identifies essential reveals that keep investigations moving. |
| Considerations | Requires buy-in for emotionally vulnerable roleplay: characters are designed to hurt and be hurt. No tactical combat system; conflict resolution is narrative. Mysteries have no pre-written solutions, which demands improvisational confidence from the Keeper. Mature themes including body horror, mind control, and moral degradation are baked into the core premise. | Recovery draws from a limited pool shared by the whole circle. Scars usually persist throughout a campaign and can force a character out of play. Combat uses narrative judgment rather than initiative or fixed enemy health. |