Are you looking for a tabletop roleplaying experience that strikes a great balance between mechanics and storytelling? While there are plenty of systems – and even more games – to play, one that should be on your radar is Year Zero Engine (YZE).
Originally developed by Free League Publishing, YZE has become one of TTRPG’s most accessible game systems and has helped power a pretty impressive array of titles across genres.
You could be exploring the irradiated wastelands of post-apocalyptic Sweden or investigating eldritch horrors in the void of space. Or if the American Old West is more your style, there’s a YZE game for that.
The system is built on a great foundation of player agency, and is made even more fun by how risks and narrative momentum play into the experience. So, how does YZE work – and what are the best games to play right now?
Find the top Year Zero Engine titles and more to play right now at DriveThruRPG – the top online destination for TTRPG resources!
What Is The Year Zero Engine?
Year Zero Engine is a tabletop RPG system that was initially built for Mutant: Year Zero (hence the name). Created by Free League Publishing, YZE has since been adapted for a wide number of award-winning games spanning genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, and more. YZE offers a relatively simple core mechanic system that’s combined with a modular design. This allows the game system to be easily tailored to different genres and settings. The system itself is built around fast, decisive gameplay and usually requires little to no bookkeeping, so it can be a great system for newer players or those looking to jump right into a campaign.
Two main iterations of YZE exist today: the original dice pool variant, which uses pools of six-sided dice, and the more recent step dice version, which employs different polyhedral dice to represent varying levels of skill and capability.
Both systems apply the same YZE philosophy: gameplay risks should be meaningful, a failure should be interesting rather than frustrating, and rules shouldn’t take away from the overall experience.
Core Mechanics of Year Zero Engine
Attributes & Skills
Your characters in YZE games are built with four primary attributes that represent their fundamental capabilities:
- Strength: Raw physical power and resilience
- Agility: Speed, coordination, and motor skills
- Wits: Intelligence, perception, and mental fortitude
- Empathy: Social skills and emotional intelligence
Each of these four attributes is paired with a set of around 12 skills that represent more specialized training and knowledge. The skill list varies depending on the YZE game you’re playing, but they typically include similar skills such as Melee, Marksmanship, Observation, Survival, and Persuasion.
Dice Pools & Success-Based Resolution
In the dice pool variant of YZE, your attributes and skills will determine how many six-sided dice you roll when attempting an action. For example, if you have a Strength of 3 and a Melee skill of 2, you would roll 5 dice when making a close combat attack.
The result is simple: each die showing a “6” counts as a success. If you roll at least one success, your action succeeds. Multiple successes can indicate a better outcome, increased damage in combat, or other beneficial effects.
The step dice variant is a bit different, in that you’ll roll one die each for your attribute and skill. The type of die (D6, D8, D10, D12) will correspond to your rating, with bigger dice representing greater proficiency. A result of 6 or higher on either die counts as a success, with results of 10 or higher counting as two successes.
The Push Mechanic: Risk & Reward
The push mechanic is one of Year Zero Engine’s most interesting system features.
If you fail a roll (or even if you succeed but want better results) you can choose to “push” by re-rolling any dice that didn’t show a 1.
This second chance to succeed comes at a cost. Pushing might cause damage to your attributes or inflict stress that can lead to panic. In some games, it can cause your character to become “Exhausted” or “Scared,” or provide the GM with “Doom Points” to use against you later.
Damage & Trauma
The YZE doesn’t use traditional hit points. Instead, damage and stress directly affect your attributes or give you conditions that impair your actions.
When any attribute is reduced to zero (or you accumulate too many conditions), your character is “broken”. This leaves your character incapacitated and possibly facing a critical injury that could prove lethal if not treated quickly.
Why Play Year Zero Engine Games?
Fast and Decisive Gameplay
YZE games move quickly, with minimal dice rolling and calculation. The system produces meaningful results that drive the story forward without getting bogged down in complex mechanics.
Player-Centric Design
In Year Zero Engine games, players are the protagonists of the story. The rules focus on the player characters and their actions, while NPCs are handled efficiently by the GM. This helps make sure that players are always at the center of the narrative and face meaningful choices throughout the game.
Adaptable to Multiple Genres
The YZE has become popular as it’s so adaptable to different settings and genres. YZE games can take place in space or across post-apocalyptic wastelands, and the core system remains recognizable. That means you’ll learn one system and play across tons of different adventures.
Top Year Zero Engine Titles to Try
ALIEN RPG
Set in the terrifying universe of the acclaimed film franchise, the ALIEN RPG perfectly captures the tension and horror of facing the perfect organism. The game introduces unique mechanics like stress dice, increasing success – but also risk triggering deadly panic.
The game supports both one-shot “cinematic play” that emulates the dramatic arc of an ALIEN film and longer campaign play that allows deeper exploration of the setting.
The Electric State Roleplaying Game
Based on Simon Stålenhag’s haunting art book, The Electric State RPG is set in an alternate 1997 America filled with the ruins of battle drones and a society in decline.
The game features a fascinating “Neuroscape” mechanic that balances your character’s hope for the real world against the blissful addiction of digital reality.
Tales of the Old West – Core Rules
For those seeking a more historical setting, Tales of the Old West brings the Year Zero Engine to the American frontier.
The game expands the YZE to allow players to build not just their characters, but also their homes, businesses, and community, creating deeper investment in the world.
Mutant: Year Zero
Mutant: Year Zero is the original Year Zero Engine game, and is still one of its best implementations. The game drops you into a post-apocalyptic Sweden, and you’ll take on the role of mutants venturing from their isolated Ark into the Zone.
The mutation system, which grants powerful abilities that can spiral out of control, perfectly embodies the push-your-luck philosophy at the heart of YZE.
Experience the Year Zero Engine
Year Zero Engine provides plenty of tools to create an engaging and immersive TTRPG experience. The minimal-yet-engaging rule system keeps things interesting, and the character creation is fun without getting too overwhelming.
At DriveThruRPG, you’ll find tons of great YZE titles – because the system is flexible enough to play across nearly any genre. Want to give YZE a try? Check out our complete collection of Year Zero Engine titles today and find your next favorite!
