Cortex Prime vs Everywhen
Compare Cortex Prime and Everywhen side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cortex Prime | Everywhen | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based | Rules-Light, Pulp Action, Heroic, Fast-Paced, Sandbox, Low-Prep |
| Core Mechanic | Assemble a dice pool from trait sets (attributes, skills, relationships, etc.) rated d4–d12. Roll the pool, keep the two highest for your total vs. opposition, then choose an Effect Die from the remainder to determine magnitude. Plot Points let players add dice, activate abilities, or alter the narrative. Every mechanical element is a swappable mod. | Roll 2d6 + attribute + career (or combat ability) vs. 9+ to succeed. Bonus/penalty dice add extra d6s, keeping the best or worst two. Hero Points let you bend the rules. Careers replace skill lists: your background defines what you can do. Mighty Successes and Calamitous Failures add dramatic swings. |
| Dice | d4–d12 dice pool | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Cortex Creator License | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Dire Wolf Digital | Filigree Forge |
| Year | 2020 | 2018 |
| Best For | GMs who want to build a custom system from modular parts: homebrew designers, genre-mixers, and groups tired of forcing their stories into a pre-built framework. | Groups who want a fast, career-based universal system with tons of optional rules switches: run weird westerns, cyberpunk, age of sail, high fantasy, or anything pulp and heroic. |
| Highlights | Highly modular: 18+ mods for core rules alone, clear writing with worked examples, Plot Point economy creates dynamic give-and-take, powered well-known licensed games (Marvel Heroic, Firefly, Leverage) | Career system eliminates skill lists, fast-playing 2d6 core, large optional rules toolkit (resolve, psionics, arcana, vehicles, mass battles, investigations), two included settings with more published separately |
| Considerations | Not playable out of the box: requires significant GM assembly, steep learning curve to understand which mods fit your game, every roll involves choosing which dice to keep plus an Effect Die which slows resolution | Requires GM comfort with rulings over rules, BoL veterans may find overlap confusing, no free quickstart |