Inspirisles vs Shadowrun
Compare Inspirisles and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Inspirisles | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Collaborative, Beginner-Friendly, Family, Narrative, Rules-Light, Low-Prep | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Leader rolls 3d6 against target 11. Party members assist by describing how they use elemental Shaping (sign language-based magic), adding bonuses. Roll 17–18 is automatic success; 3–4 is automatic failure. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | 3d6 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | High |
| Runnability | Low | Very High |
| License | Proprietary | No open license |
| Cost | $ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Hatchlings Games | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2021 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups wanting a family-friendly cooperative fantasy RPG that introduces sign language (ASL/BSL) and Deaf awareness through an enchanting Celtic-inspired setting. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Teaches real sign language (ASL and BSL) through play, strong safety tools and consent framework, inclusive and family-friendly, unique cooperative focus where every player contributes to tests | The setting fuses megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races, so a single team mixes street samurai, mages, and deckers. Distinct subsystems model Matrix hacking, spellcasting, drone rigging, and astral space, each carrying its own rules depth. The Edge economy converts situational advantages into a spendable resource for rerolls, extra hits, or penalties on opponents. |
| Considerations | Very narrow appeal, minimal mechanical depth beyond the core roll, tightly bound to its specific setting, sign language component may not suit all groups | Matrix hacking runs on its own timescale and can leave non-decker players idle during a run. Character creation spreads across attributes, skills, magic or resonance, gear, and lifestyle, making the first build long. Dice pools grow large at high skill, so counting hits on a fistful of d6s slows resolution. |