Shadowdark Reviews and Awards (2024 Product of the Year)

A list of notable Shadowdark RPG reviews, awards, and press mentions.

Reviews

YouTube

Professor Dungeon Master: Shadowdark Will Blow You Away! "This Grimdark dungeon crawler combines OSR goodness with new-school mechanics and is not to be missed. Believe the hype!"

Baron de Ropp: Shadowdark Fixes Everything Wrong With D&D. "Arcane Library's Shadowdark fixes everything about Fifth Edition that has frustrated me since its publication and has improved a number of issues in various retro-clones and older editions of the game, as well."

Sly Flourish: Shadowdark Deep Dive. A detailed page-through and commentary on Shadowdark RPG.

House DM: 10 Reasons To Play Shadowdark RPG. "...this game has everything from rules for 0-level play called The Gauntlet to simple character creation, to tons of random tables. As a 5e refugee, this has quickly become my go-to system and I haven't looked back since."

Dire Den: Shadowdark: A Great Way To Start D&D. "Shadowdark is exceptionally well-written. And when I say well-written, I don't mean wordy or flowery or overly academic. I mean concise and almost expertly executed in how succinct it is."

Indestructoboy: Making it harder on OSR-selves // ShadowDark Review & Analysis. "Every other aspect of the game is more accessible and intuitive than anything I could possibly compare it to in D&D 5E... Kelsey's twist on familiar concepts and the ability to present them with a concise package is something to be admired."

Scutifer Mike: I'M SWITCHING to ShadowDark RPG - Here's Why. "In this video, we'll explore its captivating gameplay, immersive storyline, and unique mechanics that have players buzzing about it being the best game ever."

Rob Necronomicon: Shadowdark RPG Review - Old School Meets The New. "Overall, I'm very impressed with it. I think it takes the best of both worlds, and not only that, Kelsey Dionne has offered some of her own magic that I kind of haven't seen before... The game overall feels very complete to me as well."

Blogs/Articles

Sly Flourish Blog: Delving Into Shadowdark. "If one wants to recapture the feeling of the way D&D felt, or we imagine it felt, back in the 80s – Shadowdark is an awesome RPG. I highly recommend it."

Forbes: My Favorite 2023 Role Playing Game Products. "[Shadowdark has] become my first choice for down and dirty dungeon crawls that gets characters into danger within a half hour of beginning play."

EN World: Plenty of Time To Die: A Shadowdark Review. "With a minimum of prep time, I feel like I could run everything from King’s Festival to The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho tonight for a mix of players who’ve never played and ones that have been around since the 80s. Shadowdark cuts most of the fat of other versions of D&D, leaving a lean, mean dungeon crawling machine."

DM David: How Shadowdark Delivers Old-School D&D Intensity With Modern Game Mechanics. "I played Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur, an adventure from the Shadowdark free quickstart set, and marveled at how well the game duplicated so much of the charm of D&D in 1974—except with zero confusion over inches, initiative, and what Gary Gygax meant by writing that elves could 'freely switch class whenever they choose.'"

Homicidally Inclined Persons of No Fixed Address: Shadowdark Review. "I have read the PDF and my bottom line is it’s a really great game that skillfully synthesizes many different ideas and mechanics."

Jeff's Game Blog: Shadowdark Review Part 1. "I love Shadowdark. It’s sleek, light, and easy to work with as a GM. I think it appeals to the old codger B/X crowd as much as it appeals to the 5E masses. It’s fun to run as it is to work with. I’m looking forward to getting my family away from 5E and into Shadowdark and eventually other games."

Jeff's Game Blog: Shadowdark Review Part 2. "This has been probably my favorite Kickstarter I’ve ever backed. I’m ecstatic to get the whole family into this game, possibly over the holidays. I think Shadowdark is what Basic D&D should look like in the modern age."

Rollstats.com: Shadowdark RPG Review: Old School Feel, Modern Mechanics. "The game’s intuitive design and immersive gameplay make every session exciting and memorable. With its unique real-time mechanics, flat math system, and a strong emphasis on exploration and resource management, Shadowdark RPG stands out as a must-play for anyone looking to experience a fresh yet familiar take on fantasy role-playing." 

DM Tales: Shadowdark, Part 1. "2023 saw a number of terrific fantasy games hit the market, and Shadowdark is right at the top."

DM Tales: Shadowdark, Part 2. "ShadowDark is a top of the class example of how design, layout, and game structure can all work together to create a compelling product. It’s one of the best TTRPG books on the market and if you haven’t checked it out, it’s well worth looking in to."

Awards

2024 Gold ENNIE for Product of the Year

2024 Gold ENNIE for Best Game

2024 Gold ENNIE for Best Rules

2024 Gold ENNIE for Best Layout and Design

2024 Three Castles Award for Best Role-Playing Game Product

Press

Forbes: Shadowdark Looks Back At Dungeon Crawls With An Eye To The Future. "The game scrubs away a lot of the rules that can make getting into role-playing games a challenge... Shadowdark is worth every penny."

Polygon: Old School Role-Play System Shadowdark Wins Top Honors at Gen Con’s Ennie Awards. "The Shadowdark tabletop role-playing game won the top prize in this year’s Ennie Awards. And that’s not all! A panel of experts gave the old-school-inspired RPG three other gold medals as well, including Best Game, Best Layout and Design, and even Best Rules. That gives creator Kelsey Dionne and her team at The Arcane Library about as clean a sweep you can get in Gen Con’s biggest awards program."

Gizmodo: The Gaming Shelf Ventures Into the Shadowdark. "Shadowdark is a completely unique, standalone system full of tables, spells, and stat blocks that makes it easy for people to pick up and play with minimal prep."

Dave Thaumavore: You've Got Shadowdark RPG All Wrong! Can Kelsey Dionne Set You Straight? An interview with Kelsey Dionne, creator of Shadowdark RPG.

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Learn more about Shadowdark RPG here.