Index Card RPG vs Tiny Dungeon
Compare Index Card RPG and Tiny Dungeon side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Index Card RPG | Tiny Dungeon | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Beginner-Friendly, One-Shot Friendly, Low-Prep, Fast-Paced, Dungeon Crawl, Theater of the Mind, Heroic, Tag-Based |
| 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. | Roll 2d6: if any die shows 5 or 6, you succeed. Advantage grants 3d6; Disadvantage drops you to 1d6. No attributes, no skill list: Traits grant situational Advantage, and weapon Mastery/Proficiency determines combat dice. |
| Dice | d20 + d4–d12 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Very Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 2 of 5 book tools |
| License | 3rd Party License | Proprietary (TinyD6) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Runehammer Games | Gallant Knight Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2018 |
| Languages | English | English, Spanish, French, German, Polish |
| 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 wanting fast, minimalist fantasy with almost zero rules overhead: character creation in minutes, core mechanic in one sentence, and tons of optional modules to bolt on. |
| Highlights | Very fast play, extensive GM tools, five genre settings included, highly hackable, timer dice create real tension | Entire core rules fit in ~20 pages, character fits on an index card, huge trait list for customization without complexity, 17 included microsettings, extensive optional rules (martial disciplines, magic schools, ship combat) let you dial complexity up |
| Considerations | DIY philosophy can overwhelm new GMs, loot-as-progression feels punishing if gear is lost | Binary pass/fail with no degrees of success, fantasy-only (other TinyD6 games cover sci-fi), no built-in advancement by default (optional), very light on tactical depth |