Shadowdark vs Old-School Essentials: which TTRPG fits your group?
Shadowdark and Old-School Essentials side by side: dice, rules weight, prep, playstyle and what each game is about. Still split? Put both to a group vote.
| Shadowdark | Old-School Essentials | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | The Arcane Library | Necrotic Gnome |
| Dice | d20 + modifiers | d20 + modifiers |
| Players | 3–6 | 2–6 |
| Complexity | ||
| Prep | ~15 min | ~10 min |
| Foundry VTT | Community | Community |
| Free version | No | Yes |
| Playstyle | Exploration Combat Survival | Exploration Survival Sandbox Combat |
| Setting | Fantasy | Fantasy |
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
What Shadowdark is
A bridge between OSR and modern RPGs. Uses familiar d20 mechanics (attributes, AC, saves) but with old-school lethality and sense of danger. Its 2023 Kickstarter raised about $1.3 million. If D&D feels bloated — Shadowdark is the cure.
- you want deadly dungeon crawls where the torch burns in real time
- your players know D&D and want old-school danger without new rules
- you want characters ready to play in five minutes
- your players love planning character builds in advance
- your group dislikes a real-world clock pressuring every decision
- Real-time torch timer
- Random talents
- D&D compatibility
- Easy to learn
What Old-School Essentials is
Old-School Essentials is the gold-standard retroclone of the 1981 B/X Dungeons & Dragons rules. Designer Gavin Norman took those rules and made them even clearer: reorganized, cross-referenced, and laid out so precisely that any rule you need is findable in seconds. This is not a nostalgia trip. It's the best version of a brilliantly simple game that was already perfect.
- you want classic B/X D&D with rules you can find in seconds
- your group enjoys torch-tracking dungeon crawls and reaction rolls
- you want to run decades of old-school modules with little conversion
- you want the extra detail of 1e AD&D like weapon speeds (see OSRIC)
- your players want rich character builds and feats
- you want a modern rule set with story mechanics
- Dungeon Procedures
- Reaction & Morale Rolls
- Ascending & Descending AC
- Modular Design
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
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