Ashes Without Number vs Mutant: Year Zero
Compare Ashes Without Number and Mutant: Year Zero side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Ashes Without Number | Mutant: Year Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic | Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Sandbox, Deadly, Gritty, Exploration, Survival, Faction Play, Ascending AC | Sandbox, Survival, Exploration, Character-Driven, Worldbuilding, Narrative |
| Core Mechanic | 2d6 + skill + attribute modifier ≥ target for skill checks; d20 + modifiers for combat. Edges and Foci customize survivors. Enclave turn manages settlement-level play. Mutation system for mutant wasteland campaigns. | Roll a pool of d6s (attribute + skill + gear). Each 6 is a success; one success is enough. You can push your roll to reroll failures, but 1s on attribute dice cause trauma and 1s on gear dice cause damage to equipment. Mutations cost Mutation Points and can misfire with unpredictable side effects. |
| Dice | 2d6 / d20 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Community | Low | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Cost | Free / $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Sine Nomine Publishing | Free League Publishing |
| Year | 2025 | 2014 |
| Best For | Sandbox post-apocalyptic campaigns — nuclear wastelands, zombie deadlands, or societal collapse — with the same incredible GM tools as Stars Without Number. | Post-apocalyptic campaigns where mutant survivors explore a deadly Zone, build up their home settlement, and search for the mythical Eden — with the Year Zero Engine that spawned a family of games. |
| Highlights | Three apocalypse flavors (mutant wasteland, zombie deadlands, after the fall), comprehensive sandbox GM tools with encounter site and enclave generators, mutations and cybernetics, compatible with other Without Number games | Push mechanic creates tough choices, Ark development gives players a shared home to build, Zone exploration is tense and rewarding, eight distinctive roles with built-in relationships and dreams, launched the Year Zero Engine family |
| Considerations | OSR combat can feel flat, dense 294-page rulebook, requires GM comfort with sandbox play | Mutation randomness can frustrate planners, metaplot requires significant GM commitment, Ark development bookkeeping adds between-session overhead, Zone travel can feel repetitive without varied encounters |