Shadowdark Review: Where AD&D’s Grit Meets Modern Elegance (And Why Your Torches Matter)

Greetings all,

Let’s cut through the fog of war: Shadowdark isn’t a game. It’s a lit fuse. A Molotov cocktail hurled at the cozy, well-lit safe spaces of modern RPG design—and I’m here to fan the flames.

Created by Kelsey Dionne (the mad genius behind The Arcane Library), this rules-light beast straps Advanced D&D’s tooth-and-nail survival to Dungeon Crawl Classics’ gleeful brutality, then cranks the tension to 11. Forget “balanced encounters” or “player safety nets.” Shadowdark wants you scared. It wants you desperate. It wants you to earn every damn copper piece—preferably while fumbling for a torch as the darkness licks at your heels.

This is a love letter to the days when “darkvision” wasn’t a racial coupon for free parking, when dungeon crawls reeked of sweat and spilled Mountain Dew, and when heroes clawed their way to glory… or died trying.

So does it stick the landing? Let’s venture into the depths.

The Good, The Brutal, and The Gloriously Simple

Rules-Light, Imagination-Heavy

Forget feat trees and spreadsheets. Shadowdark runs on duct tape, prayer, and player ingenuity. No skills? No problem. Want to rappel down a spike-lined pit using a dead goblin’s intestines? Roll a d20 and pray. The lack of crunch isn’t laziness—it’s liberation. Combat snaps like a whip, and sessions feel less like tax audits and more like stories.

Death Waits in the Dark (And It’s Not Blinking)

This game hates your character. AD&D’s specter looms large: split the party? Enjoy your TPK. Charge blindly into the gloom? Hope you packed extra torches. And speaking of light—torches matter. No darkvision. No exceptions. That flickering flame isn’t ambiance; it’s a timer (literally). Every second in the dark cranks the tension until even a rustle of rats feels apocalyptic.

Spells That Crackle, Monsters That Bite

Spellcasting here is Russian roulette. Roll a check. Succeed? The goblin explodes. Fail? The goblin laughs. No slots, no saves—just raw, chaotic magic. And the monsters? They’re not stat blocks. They’re nightmares with teeth. A “basic” ghoul might've sprouted spider legs. A simple kobold might breathe fire. Players never know what’s coming….

XP for Gold (RIP Murderhobos)

Finally—a game that rewards brains over bloodlust. XP comes from loot, not slaughter. Suddenly, your fighter’s debating diplomacy. Your rogue’s calculating risk vs. reward. Want to avoid that ogre? Good call. Steal its treasure instead. This is how you kill murderhobo culture.

Cheap Thrills

At 60 for the corebook and free quickstart rules, Shadowdark feels like a middlefinger to RPGs that demand a second mortgage just to play.No $300 trio of tomes (looking at you, Player’s Guide/GM Guide/Monster Manual industrial complex). Just one book, one price, and enough gas money left over to buy pizza for the table.

The (Few) Thorns in the Dark

Four Classes to Rule Them All… For Now

Fighter, Thief, Priest, Wizard. That’s it. Want a brooding ranger or a berserker who headbutts dragons? Homebrew it or wait for Cursed Scrolls expansions. It’s a minor gripe—the simplicity’s part of the charm—but a few more options would’ve been nice.

“Wait, How Do I…?”

The book’s brevity is a double-edged sword. I can see new or less experienced GMs might crave more guidance on adjudicating “anything goes” actions, but the book does a fairly good job of explaining how to handle most situations.

The Verdict

Shadowdark isn’t for everyone. If you need character-building apps, safety rails, or a 50-step guide to petting a dire wolf, look elsewhere. But if you miss the days when RPGs felt like exploring a haunted house with a flashlight and a shaky grip? When danger wasn’t a risk but a promise?

This is your game.

Light a torch. Grab a d20. And remember: The dark is always listening.