What is this game?
Shadowdark is a complete fantasy roleplaying game by Kelsey Dionne (The Arcane Library), all in one book. It brings back the dangerous dungeon crawls of old, streamlined and modernized. You roll up a character quickly, descend into forgotten ruins and lost kingdoms, and fight for every torch. Its most famous mechanic: a torch burns for one real-world hour, after which the darkness threatens to swallow you whole. Old-school tension, modern playability.

Why do we love it?
We love how Shadowdark makes tension tangible. That real-time torch transforms the table: no endless rules debates, just quick decisions while the light ticks down. Characters are fragile, random tables give every adventure something unpredictable, and you even earn experience partly by blowing treasure on wild nights at the tavern. For us it is the perfect bridge: 5e players feel right at home, while OSR fans recognize that old-school bite. Clear, deadly and addictive.

Why is it our game of the month?
Shadowdark earned four gold ENNIEs, including Product of the Year, plus the Three Castles Award - and not by accident. It raised 1.3 million dollars on Kickstarter and grew into a full line of zines and adventures. We distribute The Arcane Library ourselves, so we know the quality up close. For anyone ready to descend into the depths this month, there is no better way in. Grab your torch and plunge into the Shadowdark.