Apocalypse World vs Monsterhearts
Compare Apocalypse World and Monsterhearts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Apocalypse World | Monsterhearts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic | Horror, Modern |
| Tags | Narrative, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Collaborative, Improvisation, Drama, Playbook-Driven, Gritty, Weird, Strong GM Support | Narrative, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Drama, Roleplay-Heavy, Playbook-Driven, Player-Only Rolls, Theater of the Mind, Collaborative, Atmospheric |
| Core Mechanic | When the fiction triggers a move, roll 2d6 plus the specified stat. A 10+ is a strong hit, 7–9 is a weak hit, and 6 or less is a miss. The move defines its outcomes; a miss usually lets the MC introduce consequences. | When a move calls for dice, roll 2d6 plus Hot, Cold, Volatile, or Dark. A 10+ is good, a 7–9 is complicated, and a 6 or less lets the MC introduce unpleasant consequences. Strings represent emotional leverage that characters can spend during interactions, while the MC never rolls dice. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Paid | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Publisher policy for original inspired games | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | lumpley games | Buried Without Ceremony |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 |
| Languages | English, Italian, Portuguese | English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want an unfolding post-apocalyptic campaign built around unstable alliances and struggles over scarce resources. | Groups who want collaborative teen-monster horror driven by desire, social leverage, and messy relationships. It suits an MC ready to discuss boundaries and facilitate safety practices. |
| Highlights | Shared-history ratings make changing relationships feed directly into assistance and advancement. Threat types and countdowns give the MC procedures for escalating pressures without scripting a plot. Battle moves let players weigh control of an objective against harm inflicted and suffered. | Strings turn emotional leverage into a spendable resource, so relationships mechanically shape influence and risk. Every Skin carries distinct moves and an economy that gives each monster archetype a different mechanical focus. A fifth advance unlocks Season Advances for everybody, then the current session plus one more session take the campaign toward its close. |
| Considerations | The campaign is designed to develop over several sessions rather than conclude in one sitting. The MC must interpret fictional circumstances and turn move results into concrete consequences. Sex-triggered moves make intimacy a mechanical topic unless the group agrees to remove them. | The game addresses sex, abuse, and trauma, and it calls for upfront conversations about boundaries. Physical violence uses the Lash Out Physically move, resolving harm through immediate consequences rather than a separate combat procedure. Strings and Conditions shape social interactions, while Skin-specific resources add extra tracking. |