Monday, January 27, 2025

How Shadowdark Won

Is it easy to invite players to play this game?

This is all I needed to answer. D&D isn't easy to get started with; there is a high initial cost, you need to sign up for a website, and even though most players "don't have to buy the books," - to have a full-featured set of options on D&D Beyond, you need to buy at least one. Not to mention, the rules for D&D are heavy. I am explaining subclasses, bonus actions, free actions, and other minutiae to a new player.

I have an online game where the following are true:

  • I want to give someone a character sheet and have them play off that.
  • No purchases or website sign-ups are needed. Zero cost.
  • If they are familiar or not familiar with 5E, they can play.
  • Class and race choices are elementary and straightforward.
  • One choice per turn. Ticking clock to actions.
  • Players can instantly feel like they are playing well and contributing.
  • The game has a strong pedigree, won awards, and is popular.

Shadowdark checks all those boxes.

And it is hackable to no end.

I ran into a situation like this: I have this fun little side game. Would you like to come play with me? No one in their right mind will say yes since "selling a PnP game to nonplayers" is the equivalent of getting someone to go along with you to a timeshare presentation. So we start an entire city block, not one or two steps backward.

Any other game? Sure, I will just play by myself and enjoy it solo. GURPS, Traveller, OSRIC, and any of those others I will just play myself since I am no longer interested in the game when I find players and a few months have passed. I can talk about Rolemaster, given I am playing solo.

Shadowdark is the iPhone to D&D's Blackberry keyboard phone.

It is also an easy sell to people who want nothing to do with pen-and-paper games or feel they are a waste of time. I can't sell D&D to people since there is too much involved: books, subscriptions, many rules, endless references of powers and spells, and character builds.

It turns D&D into a boxed game, like Monopoly or Clue.

Here is your character sheet.

You move this many squares on a turn and can do one thing.

Start the torch timer.

Let's play Shadowdark.

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