Draw Steel vs Hero Kids
Compare Draw Steel and Hero Kids side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Draw Steel | Hero Kids | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Tactical, Heroic, Cinematic, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Attacks Always Hit, Lore-Heavy | Beginner-Friendly, One-Shot Friendly, Grid-Based, Family, Low-Prep, Heroic |
| Core Mechanic | Power Roll: roll 2d10 + characteristic and check which tier the result falls into: Tier 1 (11 or less), Tier 2 (12–16), or Tier 3 (17+). Every ability describes three outcomes by tier, so rolls always produce an effect, with no whiffed turns. Edges and banes (+2/−2, or tier shift at double) modify rolls situationally. Each class builds a unique heroic resource during combat, unlocking increasingly powerful abilities as momentum builds. Victories earned from combat and noncombat challenges accumulate across encounters and convert to XP during respites. | Roll d6 dice pool (pool size from hero card stats). Attacker's highest die vs. defender's highest die: equal or higher hits. Ability tests roll pool vs. target number (4/5/6). |
| Dice | 2d10 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | High | High |
| License | Draw Steel Creator License | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$$ | $ |
| Publisher | MCDM Productions | Hero Forge Games |
| Year | 2025 | 2012 |
| Best For | Groups who want deeply tactical, cinematic combat where every ability matters and no turn is wasted. Ideal for players who love build variety and dramatic, heroic battles. | Parents introducing kids aged 4–10 to tabletop RPGs. Simple enough for young children, with grid combat and pre-made hero cards. |
| Highlights | Power Rolls resolve to one of three tiers, so every roll produces an effect and a turn is never wasted. Each of the nine classes builds a unique heroic resource during a fight, unlocking stronger abilities as momentum grows. A negotiation subsystem tracks an NPC's interest and patience, giving social scenes a structured back-and-forth like combat. | Genuinely playable by young children, print-and-play hero cards and stand-ups, included introductory adventure, lots of expansion adventures available |
| Considerations | Heroes start with many abilities and options even at level 1, creating a steeper initial learning curve. Each combat turn juggles heroic resources, conditions, and edges and banes at once, so play carries real tracking overhead. The system targets heroic tactical fantasy specifically, so it provides no rules for dungeon crawling, hexcrawl exploration, or survival play. | Too simple for older players, no character progression system, fantasy-only, requires printing materials |