Genesys vs The Elf Game
Compare Genesys and The Elf Game side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Genesys | The Elf Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Toolkit, Narrative, Career-Based, Social Combat, Modular, Hackable, Character Building | Rules-Light, Beginner-Friendly, Hackable, Descending AC |
| 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. | Assign six ability scores rolled on 3d6, then resolve any uncertain action by rolling a D20 and subtracting your adjustments. A result at or under the relevant Ability Score succeeds, and a higher result fails. A natural 1 always succeeds and a natural 20 always fails. Attacks use the same roll-under method, subtracting a Melee or Ranged score and comparing the total to the target's Armor Class. |
| Dice | Custom dice | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Medium | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Genesys Foundry (community content program) | Public Domain |
| Cost | $$ | Free |
| Publisher | Fantasy Flight Games | S&A Baudelaire |
| Year | 2017 | 2025 |
| 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 a free, pick-up-and-play system for a first RPG or a one-shot, especially tables happy to supply their own spells or borrow rules from other old-school games. |
| 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. | Ability tests and attacks both roll a D20 under a target number, so players learn a single resolution method and apply it to skills, combat, and saving throws alike. A character picks a class and a stance independently, so Fighter or Tradesman combined with Magical or Mundane yields several distinct builds from a tiny ruleset. Characters advance only from Level 0 to Level 3 by Referee fiat, so there is no experience economy to track. |
| 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. | Advancement caps at Level 3, so extended campaigns quickly run out of mechanical growth. Spells are named but never detailed on the rules sheet, so magical characters draw their actual spell effects from the Referee or compatible outside material. Every uncertain action is a single Ability Test with no fixed difficulty tiers, so how hard a task is depends on which ability the Referee calls for rather than a set target number. |