Aurora vs Thrive to Survive
Compare Aurora and Thrive to Survive side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Aurora | Thrive to Survive | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Horror, Modern, Post-Apocalyptic |
| Tags | Crunchy, Combat-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Base-Building, Deadly, Random Character Creation, Superpowers | Survival, Tactical, Crunchy, Resource Management, Base-Building, Character Building, Simulation, Skill-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 equal to or under skill value for a standard success. Degrees of success scale with the margin: standard (full value), difficult (half value), very difficult (quarter value), legendary (01 only). Misfortune triggers on rolls of 96+ (99+ for skilled characters). Combat uses initiative based on Dexterity, with major actions, minor actions, and reactions (number limited by Dexterity / 30). Defenders choose to dodge, parry, counterattack, or maneuver as reactions. Superpowers cost energy points and risk destabilizing the dimension when used in front of witnesses. | Roll d20 + skill ranks + the related attribute and meet or beat a difficulty set by the Apocalypse Master. An untrained skill adds half its attribute, while opposed checks compare totals. |
| Dice | d100 | d20 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | GrubyBang | Caden Humpherys |
| Year | 2024 | 2026 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want a crunchy BRP-based sci-fi game where superpowered agents travel to other dimensions on tactical missions, build up a shared base between operations, and face detailed combat with location-based wounds. | Groups who want a long-form modern zombie-survival campaign built around tactical grid combat, body-location injuries, detailed crafting, and turning scavenged materials into a defended settlement. It suits an Apocalypse Master who wants tools for custom infections, encounters, and campaign goals. |
| Highlights | Dimension-hopping premise supports any genre or historical period within a single campaign. 16 superpowers with leveled upgrades and a risk-reward discretion system. Base-building expands Facility 13 with modules like the Isomer Forge (iconic weapons) and Nanite Workshop. 120+ weapons spanning primitive, modern, and futuristic eras. Detailed wound tables by body location and weapon type. | Attacks pair maneuver-specific hit numbers with 2d10 location rolls, so armor, crippling injuries, and targeted strikes make each body part matter. Crafting links designs, material types, construction, generators, and storage, turning scavenged supplies into weapons and a working refuge. The Apocalypse Master chooses an infection model and modifies zombie templates, allowing campaigns to shift from base defense to a cure hunt without changing the core rules. |
| Considerations | 11-step character creation process is detailed but lengthy. Translated from Polish: occasional language inconsistencies. No free rules or SRD available. | Combat resolves attacks through hit checks, location rolls, armor reduction, location health, and injury effects, creating multiple steps for every successful strike. Characters track food, water, sleep, fatigue, carry weight, ammunition, and ten crafting materials, making resource bookkeeping a central part of play. The system assumes a modern zombie apocalypse, so adapting it to other settings requires replacing much of its equipment, infection, and campaign material. |