GURPS vs WARDEN
Compare GURPS and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| GURPS | WARDEN | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Crunchy, Simulation, Character Building, Classless, Skill-Based, Modular, Toolkit, Tactical, Grid-Based, Strong GM Support | Cinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 3d6 at or below a modified attribute or skill to succeed. Quick contests compare margins of success or failure. | Roll a d20 plus a relevant Proficiency and modifiers against a Difficulty Value. Natural 20s and 1s shift the result tier, while a result at least 10 above or below the difficulty is critical. In Conflict, characters have three Action Points and one Reaction each round. |
| Dice | 3d6 | d20 |
| Complexity | Very High | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | SJ Games Online Policy | ORC License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Noncommercial only — SJ Games Online Policy | Commercial publishing allowed — ORC License |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Steve Jackson Games | Ghost Spark |
| Year | 2004 | 2026 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese | English |
| Best For | Groups who want detailed character customization and consistent simulation across different genres. | Groups who want a tactical, classless engine for genre-spanning sandbox campaigns. It suits Game Wardens who want campaign maps, setting alterations, and procedures for custom material. |
| Highlights | Point budgets let players build characters around chosen strengths and limitations. Optional rules let the GM tune the level of detail for a campaign. Maneuver choices give combatants trade-offs between attacking, moving and defending. | Classless characters combine Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats across their paths, letting builds develop without fixed classes. Campaign Maps use places, secrets, threats, and clocks to structure an open-ended campaign around player choices. Setting Alterations and Game Warden creation rules provide procedures for adapting the game to a chosen genre. |
| Considerations | Selecting and modifying character traits takes time during character creation. Detailed combat can require several rolls to resolve one attack. The GM must establish which abilities and optional rules fit the campaign. | Character customization spreads choices through multiple chapters, so players compare a large catalogue of Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats. Conflict procedure is dense: action costs, reactions, conditions, attack penalties, and effect rolls all matter during a turn. Game Wardens make choices about campaign maps and setting alterations when preparing a campaign. |