Fate Core vs GURPS
Compare Fate Core and GURPS side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Fate Core | GURPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Narrative, Rules-Light, Collaborative, Cinematic, Improvisation, Theater of the Mind, Low-Prep, Roleplay-Heavy, Drama, Freeform Magic, Open Source, Tag-Based | Crunchy, Simulation, Sandbox, Character Building, Tactical, Realistic, Grid-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 4 Fudge dice + skill vs. difficulty. Spend/earn Fate points to invoke aspects. | Roll 3d6 under target number. Advantage/disadvantage system via character traits. |
| Dice | 4dF (Fudge dice) | 3d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Community | High | Medium |
| License | CC BY 3.0 | SJ Games Online Policy |
| Cost | Free (SRD) | Free (Lite) / $$$ |
| Publisher | Evil Hat Productions | Steve Jackson Games |
| Year | 2013 | 2004 |
| Best For | Narrative-focused groups who want to tell collaborative stories in any genre with minimal rules. | Groups who want a single system for every genre with granular simulation and deep customization. |
| Highlights | Genre-agnostic, encourages narrative play, free rules | Highly customizable point-buy system, simulation-focused, one system for any genre |
| Considerations | Aspect economy demands constant creative input which can exhaust players, character differentiation can blur with freeform aspects, requires system mastery from the GM to run smoothly | Character creation requires significant point-budget planning, combat rules are granular with many modifiers to track, full system spans two 576-page core books plus supplements, GM prep is substantial for campaigns using multiple sourcebooks |