Cypher System vs Microscope
Compare Cypher System and Microscope side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cypher System | Microscope | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Toolkit, Modular, Character Building, Player-Only Rolls, Theater of the Mind, Low-Prep, Strong GM Support, Narrative | Narrative, Worldbuilding, GM-Less, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Fiction-First, Collaborative |
| Core Mechanic | The GM rates each task from 1 to 10 and multiplies that difficulty by 3 to set the target number. Players roll a d20 and succeed on a result equal to or above the target. Skills, assets, and Effort ease the task before the roll, with Effort paid from the relevant stat Pool after Edge reduces the cost. | No dice, no GM. Players take turns adding Periods (eras), Events, and Scenes to a shared timeline. A rotating Lens player picks a thematic Focus each round. A Palette of Yes/No elements sets boundaries. Scenes are role-played to answer a specific question about the history. Play jumps freely across time. |
| Dice | d20 | Diceless |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Very High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Low |
| License | Cypher Open License 2026-07-15 | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Cypher Open License | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | $ |
| Publisher | Monte Cook Games | Lame Mage Productions |
| Year | 2026 | 2011 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups building genre-spanning campaigns who want broad character customization, player-facing resource decisions, and little mechanical preparation for the GM. | Groups who want to collaboratively create vast histories spanning centuries or millennia: perfect for worldbuilding sessions, one-shots, or as a campaign-creation tool for other RPGs. |
| Highlights | Player-only rolls keep the GM focused on adjudication and scene management. Descriptor, type, and focus choices support broad customization across multiple genres. One-use cyphers continually rotate situational abilities through play. | Flexible across any setting and genre, zero prep required, no GM needed, useful as a worldbuilding tool for other campaigns, simple rules anyone can learn in minutes, generates unexpected creative results |
| Considerations | Players manage Pool spending for abilities and Effort, so pushing a roll competes with other resource uses. Abstract distances and level-based NPCs leave many tactical details to table rulings rather than map procedures. The broad toolkit asks the GM to select genre modules and character options before play. | Can produce incoherent timelines without group alignment, one player can dominate if others are less assertive, no mechanism to resolve creative disagreements, sessions can stall without a facilitator |