Apocalypse World vs Rifts
Compare Apocalypse World and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Apocalypse World | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Narrative, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Collaborative, Improvisation, Drama, Playbook-Driven, Gritty, Weird, Strong GM Support | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| 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. | Combat and saving throws use a d20 plus bonuses, with high results overcoming a target number or opposing roll. Skills use d100 and succeed when the result is at or below the character's percentage. |
| Dice | 2d6 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Proprietary | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Publisher policy for original inspired games | Noncommercial only — Palladium Books Internet Policy limited license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | lumpley games | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2016 | 2005 |
| Languages | English, Italian, Portuguese | English |
| Best For | Groups who want an unfolding post-apocalyptic campaign built around unstable alliances and struggles over scarce resources. | Groups who want long-form science-fantasy campaigns that move from a ruined Earth to other dimensions. The game suits tables whose GM will decide which parts of the broad setting a campaign uses. |
| 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. | Occupational and racial class packages assign distinct abilities and advancement tracks, giving each archetype a different role in the party. Mega-Damage places many supernatural creatures and war machines on a separate durability scale beyond the reach of ordinary Structural Damage Capacity attacks. Rifts and ley lines make dimensional travel a standing feature of the setting, letting campaigns move between devastated Earth and other worlds. |
| 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. | Character creation combines rolled attributes with extensive skill selection, making first-time preparation lengthy. Combat asks each player to track an action economy, active defenses, and which damage scale applies. Magic and psionics use separate point pools and power procedures, adding class-specific rules to the shared system. |