Tabletop RPG · since 2023 · #10 most discussed

Shadowdark

Fast, deadly dungeon delving by real-time torchlight, with simple d20 rules and experience earned from treasure.

Old-school (OSR)Fantasyd20classesdungeon crawlXP for treasurerandom generationhigh lethalityAny lengthNeeds a GM

6.2

Geek rating

From 19 firsthand play reports in 6 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 6.8.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion7.7 / 10

519 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 7.7 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate Shadowdark from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

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What players say

At the table

Firsthand Shadowdark reports in these threads are thin, and most commenters were discussing other systems. Those who ran it describe a light OSR game that is quick to learn and run. Tables disagree on tone: some run it as survival horror, some find it a middle ground between heroic and lethal, and some can't make it feel heroic.

What works

Easy to run, with fast mid-game lookups. One GM converts B/X modules on the fly. (thread)
New players picked it up after a heavier system overwhelmed them. (thread)
Fighters felt distinct at the table through talents and playstyle, and the four core classes were enough for one GM. (thread)
Prep is light: simple monster stats, treasure tables and roughly five-minute character creation. (thread)
The Cursed Scroll hexcrawls gave one group plenty of play outside dungeon crawling. (thread)

What tables struggle with

The torch and light-tracking rules can overload a newbie one-shot, and one GM ignored them. (thread)
A GM ended a four-month campaign bored. They found few tools for the GM and added many houserules. (thread)
Heroic play is a stretch. Spells and talents read dark, and softening lethality felt bland. (thread)
Luck tokens let players undo most rough outcomes, which one commenter says softens the danger. (thread)
The official bestiary is small and character builds are limited. (thread)

Who it suits

GMs who want low prep and fast, simple turns.
Groups new to tabletop games or coming from 5E who want a familiar feel with less overhead.
Tables happy with a gritty tone, rather than those after heroic high fantasy or deep build options.

In players' words

"I'd say shadowdark is as gritty as you make it, you can absolutely run it as a survival horror game" (thread)
"Then we moved to shadowdark and everything clicked!" (thread)
"I ran a four-month campaign using Shadowdark and went from similarly excited to incredibly bored." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.0

Shadows of the Demon Lord V Shadowdark (From a Grimdark perspective)

The thread is mostly a debate over whether Shadowdark and Shadow of the Demon Lord count as grimdark, and most commenters talk about SotDL or genre labels. The few people who ran Shadowdark call it easy to run, quick to reference and flexible enough to run gritty or as survival horror, though it is standard OSR-style D&D rather than grimdark. One player found the system boring beyond its random tables. 6 firsthand · 44 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

Should I run 5E, Knave, or Shadowdark for a one-shot with brand-new players? (Details inside.)

The thread is mostly advice about which system to pick, and much of the actual play experience described is about Knave 2e. The few Shadowdark players say it is easy for new players, with a familiar 5E-like feel and quick character creation, and one suggests dropping the torch rules for a first one-shot. 3 firsthand · 42 comments

Open on Reddit

5.5

I just can’t get into Shadowdark or OSR style games no matter how much I’ve tried. Am I alone?

The thread is mostly about a Kickstarter backer who couldn't get into Shadowdark or OSR games, and it drifts into recommendations for Mothership, Dragonbane, DCC, PF2e and others. Only a few commenters report actually running Shadowdark: two had a good time and say the classes feel distinct at the table, and one ran a four-month campaign that ended in boredom and heavy houseruling. 3 firsthand · 207 comments

Open on Reddit

6.5

Rules-Lite Like Shadowdark, Heroic High Fantasy Like D&D 5e?

The thread is mostly about alternatives to Shadowdark (Nimble, Dragonbane, Weird Wizard and others). The few firsthand Shadowdark reports say the rules are fast and easy to run, but the game's grim tone resists heroic high-fantasy play, even with pulp-mode tweaks. 3 firsthand · 106 comments

Open on Reddit

7.0

World Without Numbers vs Shadowdark vs something else?

The thread is mostly about Worlds Without Number, and only a few commenters describe actually playing Shadowdark. Those reports are mildly positive: one group has run it since release and gets a lot of use out of the Cursed Scroll hexcrawls, and another finds it a happy medium between heroic and lethal, though luck tokens soften bad outcomes. 3 firsthand · 94 comments

Open on Reddit

7.0

Looking for a new TTRPG system similar to PF2e and Shadowdark

The thread is mostly about alternative systems (Weird Wizard, Dragonbane, Nimble, Fate and others) for someone leaving PF2e. The one comment that reads like real Shadowdark experience says turns are short, the game is fast and easy to learn, and encounters are easy to balance, but the bestiary and character options are limited. 1 firsthand · 59 comments

Open on Reddit