Cortex Prime vs Risus
Compare Cortex Prime and Risus side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cortex Prime | Risus | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Beginner-Friendly, Comedy, Low-Prep, Narrative, Fiction-First, Freeform Magic, Tag-Based |
| 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. | Characters are defined by Clichés rated in d6s (e.g., Viking (4), Hacker (3)). Roll your Cliché dice vs. a target number or in opposed rolls where the low roller loses a die. |
| Dice | d4–d12 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Cortex Creator License | Free (non-commercial) |
| Cost | $$ | Free |
| Publisher | Dire Wolf Digital | Big Dice Games |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 |
| 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. | Pick-up games, emergency one-shots, comedy campaigns, or anytime you need a complete RPG in four pages that handles any genre. |
| 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) | Fits on four pages, broadly universal, character creation takes minutes, completely free |
| 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 | Cliché-based resolution can feel one-note over multiple sessions, limited advancement rules, team combat heavily favors larger groups, creating a strong incentive to always combine dice, comedy tone permeates all mechanical language |