Cypher System vs WARDEN
Compare Cypher System and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cypher System | WARDEN | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Toolkit, Modular, Character Building, Tactical, Theater of the Mind, Low-Prep, Strong GM Support, Narrative, Character-Driven, Resource Management | Cinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support |
| 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. | 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. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Cypher Open License 2026-07-15 | ORC License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Cypher Open License | Commercial publishing allowed — ORC License |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | $ |
| Publisher | Monte Cook Games | Ghost Spark |
| Year | 2026 | 2026 |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | Classless 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. |
| 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. | Character 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. |