Microscope vs Savage Worlds
Compare Microscope and Savage Worlds side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Microscope | Savage Worlds | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Narrative, Worldbuilding, GM-Less, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Fiction-First, Collaborative | Cinematic, Fast-Paced, Tactical, Pulp Action, Combat-Heavy, Heroic, Miniatures |
| Core Mechanic | No dice, no GM. Players take turns adding Periods (eras), Events, and Scenes to a shared timeline. A rotating Lens player picks a thematic Focus each round. A Palette of Yes/No elements sets boundaries. Scenes are role-played to answer a specific question about the history. Play jumps freely across time. | Roll trait die + wild die (d6), keep the highest. Target number 4. Raises every +4. |
| Dice | Diceless | d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Community | Low | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | Savage Worlds Adventurer's Guild |
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | Lame Mage Productions | Pinnacle Entertainment |
| Year | 2011 | 2018 |
| Best For | Groups who want to collaboratively create vast histories spanning centuries or millennia — perfect for worldbuilding sessions, one-shots, or as a campaign-creation tool for other RPGs. | Fast-paced pulp action across any genre. Great for large groups and mass combat. |
| Highlights | Flexible across any setting and genre, zero prep required, no GM needed, useful as a worldbuilding tool for other campaigns, simple rules anyone can learn in minutes, generates unexpected creative results | Fast resolution, genre-flexible, handles large groups well |
| Considerations | Can produce incoherent timelines without group alignment, one player can dominate if others are less assertive, no mechanism to resolve creative disagreements, sessions can stall without a facilitator | Exploding dice can produce extreme variance in outcomes, setting books vary in depth — some provide minimal mechanical content beyond a genre frame |