Cortex Prime vs Fate Core
Compare Cortex Prime and Fate Core side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cortex Prime | Fate Core | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based | Narrative, Rules-Light, Tag-Based, Freeform Magic, Social Combat, Improvisation, CC-Licensed Rules |
| 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 4 Fudge dice + skill vs. difficulty. Spend/earn Fate points to invoke aspects. |
| Dice | d4–d12 dice pool | 4dF (Fudge dice) |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Cortex Creator License | CC BY 3.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Cost | $$ | Free |
| Publisher | Dire Wolf Digital | Evil Hat Productions |
| Year | 2020 | 2013 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese |
| 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. | Narrative-focused groups who want to tell collaborative stories in any genre with minimal rules. |
| 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) | Genre-agnostic, encourages narrative play, free rules |
| Considerations | The game is not playable out of the box and requires significant GM assembly. There is a 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. | The aspect economy demands constant creative input that can exhaust players. Character differentiation can blur with freeform aspects. The game requires system mastery from the GM to run smoothly. |