Mothership vs The Walking Dead Universe RPG
Compare Mothership and The Walking Dead Universe RPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Mothership | The Walking Dead Universe RPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi, Horror | Horror, Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Rules-Light, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Survival, Atmospheric, Low-Prep, Cinematic, Fast-Paced | Survival, Narrative, Deadly, Character-Driven, Gritty, Licensed IP |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 under stat/skill. Stress and panic mechanics escalate tension. | Roll a d6 dice pool (attribute + skill). Each 6 is a success. Push your roll to reroll failures, but gain 1 stress and add a stress die. Stress dice that roll 1 cause bad things — attracting walkers, panic, or worse. Only 3 HP means every fight is dangerous. Anchors (named NPCs) relieve stress. Breaking Points track psychological damage; cross too many and your character is Shattered. |
| Dice | d100 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Community | Medium | Low |
| License | 3rd Party License | All Rights Reserved (AMC Networks license) |
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | Tuesday Knight Games | Free League Publishing |
| Year | 2022 | 2023 |
| Best For | Terrifying sci-fi horror one-shots and short campaigns. Panic table creates unforgettable moments. | Groups who want tense, character-driven survival horror in the Walking Dead universe — where stress, difficult choices, and human drama matter more than combat. |
| Highlights | Rules-light, well-regarded module library, panic system creates mechanical tension | Stress dice create constant tension, push mechanic forces difficult decisions, only 3 HP makes combat highly consequential, Anchor system ties survival to relationships, well-integrated licensed IP |
| Considerations | Panic table can cascade and end sessions abruptly, limited long-campaign support in core rules, stress mechanics can feel repetitive over extended play | Tightly bound to the Walking Dead IP with limited homebrew flexibility, limited character options in starter set, stress mechanics can cascade into unavoidable spirals, Anchor system penalizes character growth through loss |