Dungeon World Gets New Owners, Second Edition Planned

Luke Crane has purchased Dungeon World from its original creators and has plans to make a new edition of the game. Earlier this month, Crane, who previously designed The Burning Wheel and Mouse Guard Roleplaying Games, announced on the Dungeon World+ discord that he had "bought the game from the original creators" (Adam Koebel and Sage LaTorra) with a business partner and was preparing to work on a new edition. Crane did not specify whether either Koebel or LaTorra would be involved in the new edition.

Dungeon World's first edition won several awards when released in 2012, including the 2012 Golden Geek RPG of the Year and the Ennie Awards for Best Rules Gold Winner in 2013. The game was a Powered by the Apocalypse system in which players gained experience points when rolling a 6 or below on a check (which resulted in "trouble" occurring on the check and the opportunity for the DM to make a DM move. The game's co-creator Adam Koebel was a prominent creator and early TTRPG personality until accusations emerged of poor behavior by former partners.

Crane was previously the head of community at Kickstarter and attempted to run a campaign for The Perfect RPG zine back in 2021. He cancelled the campaign after it emerged that Koebel was involved with the project and later resigned from his job as a result of the backlash.

 

[Aldarc]

There is already an spiritual successor for Dungeon World, called Chasing Adventure:

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

There is also a free version available here:

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

The creator seems a really nice person, and the game looks great. I liked DW 1e, but not sure a cleanup DW is going to offer anything better than Chasing Adventure.

There's not just one. But none of them have the same level of public awareness or availability as Dungeon World. Moreover, Chasing Adventure was created at a time when Dungeon World was increasingly treated by its own community as an unsupported product line in a desperate need of a patch update.

 

[Vicente]

There's not just one. But none of them have the same level of public awareness or availability as Dungeon World. Moreover, Chasing Adventure was created at a time when Dungeon World was increasingly treated by its own community as an unsupported product line in a desperate need of a patch update.

It also doesn't have all the issues associated with Dungeon World or Luke Crane. I had waited for a new DW like game for a long time, and Chasing Adventure delivers that. If this 2e had happened some years ago, maybe? But now it's just too late.

 

[Aldarc]

It also doesn't have all the issues associated with Dungeon World or Luke Crane. I had waited for a new DW like game for a long time, and Chasing Adventure delivers that. If this 2e had happened some years ago, maybe? But now it's just too late.

But now realistically speaking, Chasing Adventure risks being a Dungeon World heartbreaker that is forgotten whenever Dungeon World 2e comes out. I say this as someone who appreciates what Chasing Adventure does for DW but who has also seen similar heartbreakers brushed aside for updated editions of the original game.

 

[Vicente]

But now realistically speaking, Chasing Adventure risks being a Dungeon World heartbreaker that is forgotten whenever Dungeon World 2e comes out. I say this as someone who appreciates what Chasing Adventure does for DW but who has also seen similar heartbreakers brushed aside for updated editions of the original game.

Could be, but you can play Chasing Adventure today. This DW 2e is still at least a year in the future, if not more. And who knows how it will be received (too few changes, too many changes, other stuff...?).

I mean, you can wait if you want. But you don't have to if what you are searching for is a better Dungeon World, because it is already out there. I know that at least for me, that is the case, so sharing this game because maybe it is the case for more people.

 

[Aldarc]

Could be, but you can play Chasing Adventure today. This DW 2e is still at least a year in the future, if not more. And who knows how it will be received (too few changes, too many changes, other stuff...?).

I mean, you can wait if you want. But you don't have to if what you are searching for is a better Dungeon World, because it is already out there. I know that at least for me, that is the case, so sharing this game because maybe it is the case for more people.

I didn't even have to wait for Chasing Adventure, Vincent. I generally play Strandberg's Homebrew World when I want a shorter form of Dungeon World, though it can be tweaked for longer play time. I also sometimes play Lutes's Freebooters on the Frontier, and I have even playtested a bit of Freebooters on the Frontier 2E. When I want a high quality longer form game, then I play Strandberg's Stonetop, which is among my favorite games. Not only that, but there was also Fantasy Adventure out there, which moves the game in a more traditional PbtA direction. I have a copy of Chasing Adventure. I am still excited about Dungeon World 2E.

 

[Von Corellon]

Edit: realized I don’t want to join in this discussion.

 

[Vicente]

I didn't even have to wait for Chasing Adventure, Vincent. I generally play Strandberg's Homebrew World when I want a shorter form of Dungeon World, though it can be tweaked for longer play time. I also sometimes play Lutes's Freebooters on the Frontier, and I have even playtested a bit of Freebooters on the Frontier 2E. When I want a high quality longer form game, then I play Strandberg's Stonetop, which is among my favorite games. Not only that, but there was also Fantasy Adventure out there, which moves the game in a more traditional PbtA direction. I have a copy of Chasing Adventure. I am still excited about Dungeon World 2E.

Good for you!

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Stonetop and FotF aren't really games that would replace Dungeon World for me, since the aforementioned games move Dungeon World into more specific niches than Dungeon World.

This is my big problem with all the alleged "improvements" on DW. Every single one I've seen is far too specific, thematically/mechanically, for what I want to do. Either it goes overboard for being ultra ultra brief (not my taste, overly generic and IMO uninspiring mechanics and thematics result from minimalism), or focuses far too much on one really specific thing (e.g. all heisting all the time, all survival all the time, etc.), or pushes into a theme I'm just not that interested in.

Meanwhile, at least the idea of a DW that still does what the old one does, but even tighter, even more efficient, does sound somewhat appealing. I don't know Mr. Crane, I don't know any of the drama surrounding him. So I'm cautious. I've heard statements like the ones he's making before, for other games, and they haven't turned out well. But perhaps this time will be different; I try not to let past bad experiences permanently sour me on the possibility of things getting better.

So I will watch and wait. In theory, it costs me nothing, since I assume Mr. Crane will not make the mistake of trying to make DW 2e not have a CC license of some kind.

 

[M.T. Black]

@Christian Hoffer - its wonderful to see you writing here!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Key thing - my t-shirt from the original kickstarter is getting a bit frayed at the seams. I look forward to the new edition to get a new DW shirt