Lasers & Feelings vs Troika!
Compare Lasers & Feelings and Troika! side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Lasers & Feelings | Troika! | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Fantasy, Scifi |
| Play Style | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Beginner-Friendly, Low-Prep, Comedy, Collaborative, Fiction-First, Open Source, Tag-Based | Rules-Light, Weird, Random Character Creation, Low-Prep, Improvisation, Deadly, Random Tables |
| Core Mechanic | Pick a number from 2–5. Roll 1–3d6 depending on preparation and expertise. Rolls under your number succeed at Lasers (science, tech, reason); rolls over succeed at Feelings (intuition, diplomacy, passion). Rolling exactly your number triggers Laser Feelings: a special insight where you can ask the GM one question. | Three stats: Skill, Stamina, Luck. Roll 2d6 under Skill + Advanced Skill to succeed. Initiative uses a random token-draw stack: unpredictable turn order. Luck is a consumable resource that depletes with each test. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very Low |
| Accessibility | Very High | Very High |
| Runnability | Medium | Low |
| License | CC BY 4.0 | Open (Troika! SRD) |
| Cost | Free | $ |
| Publisher | One Seven Design (John Harper) | Melsonian Arts Council |
| Year | 2013 | 2019 |
| Best For | Quick one-shots with zero prep: the crew of the interstellar scout ship Raptor must save the day while the captain is out of commission. | Fast, surreal science-fantasy adventures with minimal rules and random character generation. Ideal for one-shots and improvisational play. |
| Highlights | Entire game fits on one page, zero prep needed, character creation takes seconds, free and Creative Commons licensed | Simple rules, creative backgrounds double as setting material, chaotic token-draw initiative creates unpredictable turn order, consumable Luck depletes with each test |
| Considerations | GM carries most of the creative and structural load, single stat means characters can feel mechanically identical, no structured scenario framework beyond the initial hook | Initiative stack can leave players unable to act for long stretches, mixed roll-under/roll-over mechanics confuse new players, setting is implied rather than described, minimal tactical depth |