Kids on Bikes vs Masks: A New Generation
Compare Kids on Bikes and Masks: A New Generation side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Kids on Bikes | Masks: A New Generation | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Modern, Superhero |
| Tags | Mystery, Worldbuilding, Collaborative, Narrative, Character-Driven, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Superpowers, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Beginner-Friendly | Narrative, Rules-Light, Character-Driven, Drama, Beginner-Friendly, CC-Licensed Rules, Superpowers |
| Core Mechanic | Assign a different die from d4 to d20 to each stat. Roll the relevant die against a GM-set difficulty. A maximum result lets you reroll and add the new result only while the unmodified total remains below the difficulty. Resolve these explosions before adding bonuses or spending Adversity Tokens to meet or beat the difficulty. Failed checks earn Adversity Tokens that can boost later rolls or activate strengths. Planned actions can use half the die’s maximum instead of rolling. | PbtA moves: roll 2d6 + Label. 10+ = strong hit, 7–9 = hit with complications, 6− = miss (GM makes a move). Five shifting Labels (Danger, Freak, Savior, Superior, Mundane) represent how the hero sees themselves, and others can shift them. Influence and team mechanics drive interpersonal drama. |
| Dice | d4–d20 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | CC BY 4.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | No verified route found | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Hunters Entertainment / Renegade Game Studios | Magpie Games |
| Year | 2018 | 2016 |
| Languages | English, Italian, Spanish | English, French, German |
| Best For | Groups who want to build a small-town mystery together and share control of its supernatural companion alongside their own everyday characters. | Teen superhero drama where identity, relationships, and emotional stakes matter more than punching villains. |
| Highlights | Shared town-building and relationship questions give the GM player-created hooks for the mystery. Each player controls aspects of a shared supernatural character, distributing its choices across the table. Failed rolls earn tokens that can turn later setbacks into successes. | Labels system makes identity the core conflict, 10 distinct playbooks, low prep for GM, encourages drama and character growth |
| Considerations | Combat can kill a character outright when the attack roll greatly exceeds the defense roll. Players must help narrate outcomes beyond their own characters under the default shared-control approach. Character growth is negotiated from events in play rather than governed by levels or an experience-point track. | Labels shifting can frustrate players who want a stable character identity, Influence mechanic requires careful tracking, adult moves can overshadow teen PCs, limited mechanical growth beyond Label shifts |