Shadowdark Setting Looks Set To Be 2025's First Million Dollar TTRPG Crowdfunder

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Just launched today, the new Western Reaches setting for the Arcane Library's popular Shadowdark roleplaying game (which itself raised $1.3M in 2023) has flown past half a million dollars in the first few hours, and looks certain to join the Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club imminently!

[[Edit/Update--and it's done it! $1M less than 12 hours into the Kickstarter campaign!]]

2025 has been quiet so far this year on the million-dollar crowdfunding front. This new setting is a sandbox environment with new classes and ancestries, and various areas such as the Gloaming Forest, Djurum Desert, and Myre Swamp. It comes in two 200-page digest-sized hardcovers. Also included are new issues of the game's Cursed Scroll zine. The full core set will cost you $129, or $149 for a premium version, with fulfillment expected in December 2025.

At $670K at the time of writing, just 3 hours into the campaign, The Western Reaches is already the 7th most first-day funded TTRPG ever, having just passed 2024's Terry Pratchett's Discworld RPG: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork. It looks set to pass 6th place very soon, which is 2023's Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms - A 5e Tome. Only five TTRPG crowdfunders (so far!) have ever hit the million-dollar mark on the first day. You can see the full ranking at the Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club.

The Western Reaches are an unexplored land of fragile civilizations, majestic landscapes, and forgotten horrors that lurk in the dark.

In the Reaches, you could play as:

• A painted witch from the steppes hunting for the secrets to deeper magic
• An armored knight from the City of Masks guarding frontier villages from attack
• A silent monk from the mountains searching for the assassin who killed his teacher
• A scarred pit fighter from the desert looking to make her fortune outside the arena
• A quick-witted explorer from the jungle who can find any artifact for the right price
• A seafaring warrior from the northern isles who fights for the glory of the Old Gods

This sandbox setting is fast, elegant, and flexible in the signature Shadowdark style. You don't have to memorize lore; you'll discover it as you go. The world moves and grows with you as you explore it.

 

[mamba]

I mean, keeping such a steady audience is pretty impressive. It's not like Shadpwdark is going to take over the TTRPG industry or anything, but that's not the threshold for success.

I agree, it is impressive and there definitely was growth. I don't think basically every backer of the original SD backed this one, and the higher price point is probably not helping attract backers either so getting almost the same number of backers is a great success.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I agree, it is impressive and there definitely was growth. I don't think basically every backer of the original SD backed this one, and the higher price point is probably not helping attract backers either so getting almost the same number of backers is a great success.

Yeah, I would have loved to have seen another tier at a lower price level.

You could have pledged $1 and gotten access to the Backerkit, but that wasn't explained on the campaign page that I saw. I suspect most would-be backers didn't know that was an option.

That said, Arcane Library already has to fulfill a huge number of pledges, so I suspect they're fine with not needing to handle another few thousand pledges.

 

[Reynard]

I wonder how played SD is. It feels like a lot, but that might just be my bubble.

Would looking to see how many events are at GenCon give some insight, I wonder.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder how played SD is. It feels like a lot, but that might just be my bubble.

Would looking to see how many events are at GenCon give some insight, I wonder.

According to Questing Beast, I believe it was, a huge proportion of the non-5E games at GenCon and GaryCon were Shadowdark. They were the most of any OSR game, even beating out OSE, which had held the crown in recent years.

I think there's good evidence that it's getting played a ton.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I wonder how played SD is. It feels like a lot, but that might just be my bubble.

Would looking to see how many events are at GenCon give some insight, I wonder.

One data point that I actually find to be very telling is that @Micah Sweet was won over. We've been sparring with each other for a long time, and I don't think Micah gets excited about a new system very lightly.

 

[Micah Sweet]

One data point that I actually find to be very telling is that @Micah Sweet was won over. We've been sparring with each other for a long time, and I don't think Micah gets excited about a new system very lightly.

The last time was the Without Number series. Really like those. Before that, Level Up. All quite different games, funnily enough, though there are similarities in places.

 

[darjr]

At GaryCon I believe there were 300 some odd 5e games and 117 Shadowdark games. Then 116 DCC games followed by everything else.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

At GaryCon I believe there were 300 some odd 5e games and 117 Shadowdark games. Then 116 DCC games followed by everything else.

And Goodman Games has an extremely robust organization supporting con games -- I just got an ad offering tickets and a cash stipend to run 5E games at GenCon -- so what's happening with Shadowdark is much more grassroots.

 

[darjr]

And Goodman Games has an extremely robust organization supporting con games -- I just got an ad offering tickets and a cash stipend to run 5E games at GenCon -- so what's happening with Shadowdark is much more grassroots.

It is. Note there are a ton of pickup games at GaryCon too, a lot of older D&D editions it Shadowdark follows that tradition so a lot of games are not counted as well.

 

[Scribe]

And Goodman Games has an extremely robust organization supporting con games -- I just got an ad offering tickets and a cash stipend to run 5E games at GenCon -- so what's happening with Shadowdark is much more grassroots.

You love to see it. Late pledging has this up to 2.4 million now.

I really think Shadowdark hits on a balance that just works for a lot of people in a bunch of different ways.