Cypher System vs The Elf Game
Compare Cypher System and The Elf Game side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cypher System | The Elf Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Narrative, Low-Prep, Exploration, Cinematic, Collaborative, Theater of the Mind, Roleplay-Heavy | Rules-Light, Beginner-Friendly, Hackable, Descending AC |
| Core Mechanic | GM sets difficulty 1–10, multiply by 3 for target number. Players spend Effort to reduce difficulty. | Assign six ability scores rolled on 3d6, then resolve any uncertain action by rolling a D20 and subtracting your adjustments. A result at or under the relevant Ability Score succeeds, and a higher result fails. A natural 1 always succeeds and a natural 20 always fails. Attacks use the same roll-under method, subtracting a Melee or Ranged score and comparing the total to the target's Armor Class. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Low | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Very High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Cypher System Open License | Public Domain |
| Cost | $$ | Free |
| Publisher | Monte Cook Games | S&A Baudelaire |
| Year | 2019 | 2025 |
| Best For | GMs who want minimal prep and players who enjoy spending resources to shape the story. | Groups who want a free, pick-up-and-play system for a first RPG or a one-shot, especially tables happy to supply their own spells or borrow rules from other old-school games. |
| Highlights | Very easy GM prep, flexible character descriptors, XP for discovery | Ability tests and attacks both roll a D20 under a target number, so players learn a single resolution method and apply it to skills, combat, and saving throws alike. A character picks a class and a stance independently, so Fighter or Tradesman combined with Magical or Mundane yields several distinct builds from a tiny ruleset. Characters advance only from Level 0 to Level 3 by Referee fiat, so there is no experience economy to track. |
| Considerations | Players track most complexity, limited tactical combat, can feel same-y | Advancement caps at Level 3, so extended campaigns quickly run out of mechanical growth. Spells are named but never detailed on the rules sheet, so magical characters draw their actual spell effects from the Referee or compatible outside material. Every uncertain action is a single Ability Test with no fixed difficulty tiers, so how hard a task is depends on which ability the Referee calls for rather than a set target number. |