Atomic Robo RPG vs City of Mist
Compare Atomic Robo RPG and City of Mist side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Atomic Robo RPG | City of Mist | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi, Modern, Historical | Modern |
| Tags | Pulp Action, Licensed IP, Investigation, Cinematic, Tag-Based, Fiction-First, Narrative, Collaborative, Improvisation, Superpowers | Narrative, Investigation, Mystery, Roleplay-Heavy, Fiction-First, Noir, Urban Fantasy, Drama, Tag-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll four Fate dice and add a skill rating, then compare the total against a fixed difficulty or an opponent's roll on the adjective ladder. Matching the opposition is a tie, beating it by one or two shifts is a success, and beating it by three or more is a success with style. Spend a fate point to invoke an aspect for +2 or a reroll. Accepting a compel earns a fate point in exchange for a complication. | Roll 2d6 + invoked tags. Characters have no numerical stats: instead they invoke narrative tags from their Mythos (legendary) and Logos (mundane) themes. 7–9 partial success, 10+ full success. Statuses replace HP on a 1–6 tier track. |
| Dice | 4dF (Fudge dice) | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | CC BY 3.0 or OGL 1.0a (SRD); core book All Rights Reserved | Community content (Cauldron of Mist) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Evil Hat Productions | Son of Oak Game Studio |
| Year | 2014 | 2019 |
| Languages | English | English, Italian, German, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want to play Action Scientists in pulp adventures against super-science conspiracies, jumping between eras of a century-long secret history. Its Brainstorms suit tables that like solving mysteries together during play. | Groups who want noir-style investigations in a modern city where characters channel mythological archetypes: balancing mundane lives with legendary powers. |
| Highlights | Brainstorms turn a mystery into a group procedure: each winning roll adds a fact as an aspect, and the final hypothesis must build on every fact. Invention rules build a gadget from a function aspect, a flaw aspect, and stunt benefits, then charge for it in narrative catches like rare materials rather than money. E-Z No-Math creation starts a character from a concept and three rated modes, so players can make characters on the fly and fill in aspects and stunts during play. | Tag system makes every character unique, investigation mechanics are well-designed, layered interplay between mythic and mundane identity |
| Considerations | Custom weird characters take longer to build, because modes and skill improvements are bought from a 30-point budget instead of picked from the E-Z options. The campaign rules assume the PCs belong to a faction, so a group playing freelancers has to build its own organization or run without the faction support and advancement rules. A Brainstorm's winning hypothesis becomes the truth of the situation, so a GM cannot count on a planned explanation for a mystery surviving play. | Tag-based resolution takes adjustment from traditional RPGs, heavily tied to its urban noir setting, two-book format can feel expensive, prep-intensive for the MC |