Call of Cthulhu vs Red Markets
Compare Call of Cthulhu and Red Markets side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Call of Cthulhu | Red Markets | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Horror, Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Investigation, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Atmospheric, Roleplay-Heavy, Mystery, Horror, Corruption, Skill-Based | Horror, Gritty, Resource Management, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 equal to or under your skill percentage. Success tiers at half (Hard) and one-fifth (Extreme) of the skill value. Bonus and penalty dice adjust the tens digit. Failed rolls can be pushed for a second attempt at greater risk. | Roll 2d10 — one black (skill), one red (threat). Black higher than red means success; doubles are critical results. Characters track economic resources via Bounty (currency), gear with limited charges and upkeep costs, and a negotiation system using a Sway Tracker. Humanity erodes through Trauma, Stress, and Detachment tracks. |
| Dice | d100 | 2d10 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Medium | Low |
| Community | High | Low |
| License | Chaosium Fan Material Policy | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Chaosium | Hebanon Games |
| Year | 2014 | 2017 |
| Best For | Investigation-driven horror where combat is deadly and sanity is fragile. Great for one-shots. | Groups who want a zombie RPG that's really about economic survival — negotiating contracts, managing resources, and deciding what you're willing to sacrifice to keep your dependents alive. |
| Highlights | Sanity system mechanically reinforces horror tone. Intuitive percentile skill system with tiered success levels. One of the largest published scenario libraries in the hobby. | Economic focus makes every job feel high-stakes, negotiation mechanics add tension before combat even starts, humanity/trauma system creates character arcs, zombie threat serves a story about capitalism and survival |
| Considerations | Chase rules add complexity with limited payoff, 46-skill list requires point allocation across multiple categories, sanity spiral can remove player agency in extended campaigns | Heavy bookkeeping with multiple resource tracks, relentlessly bleak tone, steep learning curve for the Profit system, limited availability of the full rulebook |