Cypher System vs Risus
Compare Cypher System and Risus side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cypher System | Risus | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Toolkit, Modular, Character Building, Tactical, Theater of the Mind, Low-Prep, Strong GM Support, Narrative, Character-Driven, Resource Management | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Beginner-Friendly, Comedy, Low-Prep, Narrative, Fiction-First, Freeform Magic, Tag-Based |
| Core Mechanic | The GM sets a difficulty from 1 to 10. Skills, assets, and Effort ease that difficulty before players roll a d20 against three times the final rating. Effort costs points from the relevant stat Pool, reduced by Edge. | 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 | d20 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Very High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Cypher Open License 2026-07-15 | Free (non-commercial) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Cypher Open License | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Publisher | Monte Cook Games | Big Dice Games |
| Year | 2026 | 2021 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups building their own fantasy, science fiction, or modern campaigns who want varied character builds and meaningful resource choices with little mechanical preparation for the GM. | Pick-up games, emergency one-shots, comedy campaigns, or anytime you need a complete RPG in four pages that handles any genre. |
| Highlights | Descriptor, type, and focus choices combine into characters with distinct abilities across different genres. Character arcs award experience for pursuing personal goals and resolving their stories. One-use cyphers rotate situational abilities through play and encourage spending them freely. | Fits on four pages, broadly universal, character creation takes minutes, completely free |
| Considerations | Effort and special abilities draw on the same Pools, making stronger rolls compete with other resource uses. Blocking reduces wounds while dodging avoids them, requiring players to weigh armor benefits against mobility penalties. Genre options and focus abilities require the GM to decide which character choices fit the campaign. | 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 |