Genesys vs Microscope
Compare Genesys and Microscope side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Genesys | Microscope | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Toolkit, Narrative, Career-Based, Social Combat, Modular, Hackable, Character Building | Narrative, Worldbuilding, GM-Less, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Fiction-First, Collaborative |
| Core Mechanic | Assemble a pool of custom narrative dice: positive dice (Boost, Ability, Proficiency) from character ability and skill, negative dice (Setback, Difficulty, Challenge) from task difficulty and circumstances. Roll all dice and cancel opposing symbols: Success vs. Failure determines if the task succeeds, Advantage vs. Threat determines beneficial or harmful side effects, and Triumph/Despair trigger powerful narrative outcomes. All three axes resolve independently, so a check can succeed with complications or fail with a silver lining. | No dice, no GM. Players take turns adding Periods (eras), Events, and Scenes to a shared timeline. A rotating Lens player picks a thematic Focus each round. A Palette of Yes/No elements sets boundaries. Scenes are role-played to answer a specific question about the history. Play jumps freely across time. |
| Dice | Custom dice | Diceless |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Low |
| License | Genesys Foundry (community content program) | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Fantasy Flight Games | Lame Mage Productions |
| Year | 2017 | 2011 |
| Best For | Groups who want a genre-flexible system where every dice roll generates narrative texture beyond pass/fail, and who enjoy interpreting results collaboratively at the table. | Groups who want to collaboratively create vast histories spanning centuries or millennia: perfect for worldbuilding sessions, one-shots, or as a campaign-creation tool for other RPGs. |
| Highlights | Every roll produces multiple axes of outcome, creating layered narrative results beyond binary success/failure. Full social encounter rules give non-combat interactions the same mechanical depth as combat. The GM Toolkit provides structured guidance for creating custom settings, species, talents, and gear. Six example settings (fantasy, steampunk, weird war, modern, sci-fi, space opera) included in the core book. | Flexible across any setting and genre, zero prep required, no GM needed, useful as a worldbuilding tool for other campaigns, simple rules anyone can learn in minutes, generates unexpected creative results |
| Considerations | Requires proprietary narrative dice or the Genesys Dice App: standard polyhedral dice cannot be used without conversion charts. Interpreting multiple symbol types on every roll can slow play for groups unfamiliar with the system. No free quickstart or SRD available. | Can produce incoherent timelines without group alignment, one player can dominate if others are less assertive, no mechanism to resolve creative disagreements, sessions can stall without a facilitator |