Rob Zakes - Ramble On Games

My favorite OSR Dungeon Crawler, Shadowdark is the perfect game for a simplified, rules lite experience. With a streamlined system and a lot of cool mechanics thrown on top, the result is a pulse pounding experience that can draw you completely in. My one warning is: Prepare to Die. This game is deadly, but don't let it get you down. It can be a lot of fun if you don't get too attached to your hero.

There are many competitors, but this is still hands-down my favorite Official WOTC 5e storyline. It's a classic for a reason! I wish I could run it more frequently.

One of the best games for anyone trying to approximate Star Wars, Firefly, or any type of Space Western game. Built on the Forged in the Dark system, it does a good job of making those mechanics make sense in a science fiction setting (with appropriate amounts of fantasy thrown in for the Star Wars fans). I've run this game as is with its original setting, and have run it as Star Wars games. Each time, it has been a fun and rewarding experience. What makes this game great, just like its predecessor Blades in the Dark, is the tension of players having to push themselves past their limit to make it through. Every session is edge of your seat exciting. There's no messing around with clunky stat sheets, looking at you Star Wars FFG, which means you're free to push the story in any direction you wish. It's a game that's open for you to make your own. And my players love it! This would be my first recommendation to anyone looking for a fun science fiction game.

I'm genuinely surprised to see this module get such positive reviews on here, because I found my experience to be largely negative. I do think there's strengths, so I'll start there. There are 23 levels to this dungeon, and while most of them are disappointing there are many that are clever and with some ingenuity. If you're just looking for a dungeon maps to crib, and you don't mind doing the work to make them more satisfying to play, then the adventure is worth checking out. If you're looking for a complete in box Mega Dungeon that can be run as is, then look elsewhere. It's not the amount of floors that are the problem. The problem is that there's not much interesting to fill them. They get quickly repetitive, repeating the same encounters over and over again. My party got tired of fighting the same montsers. Honestly, half of the amount of floors with more memorable content would have gone a long to being a more compelling experience. As it is, I recommend skipping it.

Kevin was great!! He was patient and friendly while teaching the rules, and talked us through everything that he was doing. The adventure itself was fun. It was a solid mystery with a good twist that kept us engaged the whole session time. It’s definitely worth playing with Kevin!