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Cypher System vs WARDEN

Compare Cypher System and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.

Cypher SystemWARDEN
GenreUniversalUniversal
TagsNarrative, Low-Prep, Exploration, Cinematic, Collaborative, Theater of the Mind, Roleplay-HeavyCinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support
Core MechanicGM sets difficulty 1–10, multiply by 3 for target number. Players spend Effort to reduce difficulty.Roll a d20 plus a relevant Proficiency and modifiers against a Difficulty Value. Natural 20s and 1s shift the result tier, while a result at least 10 above or below the difficulty is critical. In Conflict, characters have three Action Points and one Reaction each round.
Diced20d20
ComplexityLowMedium
AccessibilityVery HighMedium
RunnabilityVery HighMedium
LicenseCypher System Open LicenseORC License
Third-Party PublishingNot yet researchedCommercial publishing allowed — ORC License
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
CostFree$
PublisherMonte Cook GamesGhost Spark
Year20192026
Best ForGMs who want minimal prep and players who enjoy spending resources to shape the story.Groups who want a tactical, classless engine for genre-spanning sandbox campaigns. It suits Game Wardens who want campaign maps, setting alterations, and procedures for custom material.
HighlightsVery easy GM prep, flexible character descriptors, XP for discoveryClassless characters combine Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats across their paths, letting builds develop without fixed classes. Campaign Maps use places, secrets, threats, and clocks to structure an open-ended campaign around player choices. Setting Alterations and Game Warden creation rules provide procedures for adapting the game to a chosen genre.
ConsiderationsPlayers track most complexity, limited tactical combat, can feel same-yCharacter customization spreads choices through multiple chapters, so players compare a large catalogue of Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats. Conflict procedure is dense: action costs, reactions, conditions, attack penalties, and effect rolls all matter during a turn. Game Wardens make choices about campaign maps and setting alterations when preparing a campaign.