Fate Core vs Savage Worlds
Compare Fate Core and Savage Worlds side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Fate Core | Savage Worlds | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Narrative, Rules-Light, Tag-Based, Freeform Magic, Social Combat, Improvisation, CC-Licensed Rules | Cinematic, Fast-Paced, Tactical, Pulp Action, Heroic, Miniatures |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 4 Fudge dice + skill vs. difficulty. Spend/earn Fate points to invoke aspects. | Roll trait die + wild die (d6), keep the highest. Target number 4. Raises every +4. |
| Dice | 4dF (Fudge dice) | d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | CC BY 3.0 | Savage Worlds Adventurer's Guild |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Cost | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | Evil Hat Productions | Pinnacle Entertainment |
| Year | 2013 | 2018 |
| Best For | Narrative-focused groups who want to tell collaborative stories in any genre with minimal rules. | Fast-paced pulp action across any genre. Great for large groups and mass combat. |
| Highlights | Genre-agnostic, encourages narrative play, free rules | Fast resolution, genre-flexible, handles large groups well |
| Considerations | The aspect economy demands constant creative input that can exhaust players. Character differentiation can blur with freeform aspects. The game requires system mastery from the GM to run smoothly. | Exploding dice can produce extreme variance in outcomes, setting books vary in depth: some provide minimal mechanical content beyond a genre frame |