Apocalypse World vs Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
Compare Apocalypse World and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Apocalypse World | Fallout: The Roleplaying Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic | Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Narrative, Rules-Light, Collaborative, Improvisation, Low-Prep, Drama, Theater of the Mind, Roleplay-Heavy, Playbook-Driven | Tactical, Exploration, Combat-Heavy, Survival, Character Building, Cinematic |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + stat. 6−: MC makes a hard move, 7–9: succeed with cost or complication, 10+: full success. Playbook moves trigger from the fiction. The MC follows Agendas and Principles instead of plotting. | Roll 2–5d20 against a target number (Attribute + Skill). Each die at or under the target scores a success. Compare successes to difficulty (1–5). Extra successes become Action Points to buy bonus dice, extra damage, or information. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d20 + d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | High | Medium |
| License | CC BY 4.0 (Powered by the Apocalypse) | All Rights Reserved |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | lumpley games | Modiphius Entertainment |
| Year | 2016 | 2021 |
| Best For | Groups who want raw, character-driven post-apocalyptic drama where the fiction leads and the MC never plans ahead. | Fallout fans who want to explore the Wasteland at the tabletop with SPECIAL attributes, perks, Action Points, and the iconic post-apocalyptic setting. |
| Highlights | Genre-defining design that launched the entire PbtA movement, playbooks with built-in dramatic hooks, MC framework provides detailed GM guidance, highly hackable | Faithful Fallout experience with S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats and perks, Action Point economy creates tactical depth, Combat Dice handle damage cleanly, well-supported licensed setting |
| Considerations | Can feel directionless without strong character flags, 2nd edition layout is dense and hard to reference, move trigger ambiguity requires frequent MC judgment calls, harm mechanics can cascade quickly | Expensive to buy in — core book plus supplements add up, 2d20 system has a learning curve, tightly tied to the Fallout IP limits homebrew settings, can be crunchy for casual groups |