Index Card RPG vs Into the Odd Remastered
Compare Index Card RPG and Into the Odd Remastered side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Index Card RPG | Into the Odd Remastered | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Fantasy |
| Tags | Fast-Paced, Dungeon Crawl, Low-Prep, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Combat-Heavy, Pulp Action, Ascending AC, Tag-Based | Rules-Light, Dungeon Crawl, Weird, Low-Prep, Attacks Always Hit, CC-Licensed Rules |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + stat vs. a single Target Number for the whole scene. On a hit, roll an Effort die (d4–d12 by type) to chip away at a task's Hearts (10 HP each). Timer dice count down each round to create urgency. | Three ability scores (STR, DEX, WIL) rolled on 3d6. No to-hit rolls: attacks always deal damage directly. Saves are d20 roll-under the relevant ability. Damage reduces HP first, then STR; at 0 STR you die. Arcana are unique magical objects that grant strange powers. |
| Dice | d20 + d4–d12 | d20, d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Low | Very Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 3 of 5 book tools |
| License | 3rd Party License | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Runehammer Games | Bastionland Press / Free League Workshop |
| Year | 2019 | 2022 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who love D&D's d20 feel but want something faster, lighter, and more improvisational. Excellent for high-energy dungeon crawls with minimal prep. | Groups who want an ultra-streamlined OSR game where character creation takes minutes, combat is fast and deadly, and strange Arcana replace traditional spell lists. |
| Highlights | Very fast play, extensive GM tools, five genre settings included, highly hackable, timer dice create real tension | Character creation in under five minutes, no wasted turns thanks to auto-hit combat, Arcana system offers wide creative options, fits in about 50 pages, spawned an entire design movement (Cairn, Liminal Horror, etc.) |
| Considerations | DIY philosophy can overwhelm new GMs, loot-as-progression feels punishing if gear is lost | Very swingy random ability scores at creation, tightly coupled to its Bastion/Underground setting, no structured advancement beyond finding Arcana, auto-hit combat removes tactical decisions around accuracy |