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.

 

[Fenris-77]

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I'm just saying that a game based around D&D and its original Vancian casting would be a huge commercial failure and very unpopular. Wouldn't you rather be able to use all of your spells all the time?

I have no idea why you think that saying so makes it true. Vancian casting, and variants of it, have been aspects of some the most popular RPGs ever Old school and current). This leaves you still very much in the realm of opinion.

 

[Bill Zebub]

The Apple Newton proved that handheld computing devices were doomed to fail.

 

[Nightfly]

I'm just saying that a game based around D&D and its original Vancian casting would be a huge commercial failure and very unpopular. Wouldn't you rather be able to use all of your spells all the time?

I think I get your joke, although I never thought of Magic: The Gathering as being based on Vancian casting. More like you can only play the cards that are in your hand, which is true of basically every card game ever made. But I take your point.

It's funny that people are attacking you for this post. Perhaps your irony was a little too subtle? Either they're misinterpreting you or I am.

 

[aiouh]

I think I get your joke, although I never thought of Magic: The Gathering as being based on Vancian casting. More like you can only play the cards that are in your hand, which is true of basically every card game ever made. But I take your point.

It's funny that people are attacking you for this post. Perhaps your irony was a little too subtle? Either they're misinterpreting you or I am.

I’d say the gameplay loop of anticipating the spells needed and being limited to 60 is a bit more similar to how a Wizard prepares for an adventuring day than playing, say, poker

 

[aiouh]

Where do you guys think the trend will go? I feel like everyone who really really wanted Western Reaches has already done so by now. The highly engaged community backed Day 1, but it seems like the added exposure it created doesn't really translate well into more buzz. Which makes sense because this is a setting book.

I feel like this KS would've had more staying power if Arcane Library offered a Core Rulebook only option (but maybe would cannibalize Setting Book sales so YMMV). With GaryCon on the horizon, 1.8-2M for the total campaign sounds more realistic. 3xDay1 seems not like a good estimate for this project due to the nature of the product.

 

[mamba]

1.8-2M for the total campaign sounds more realistic. 3xDay1 seems not like a good estimate for this project due to the nature of the product.

3x day one has been off for a while, the first days have been getting bigger. Right now 2.25 to 2.5 times day one is probably a better factor, and I would not make an exception for this one either

 

[Scribe]

I dont see a huge jump coming. I think 2M is probably the cap here, unless it somehow gets signal boosted beyond even what the original KS was.

 

[Reynard]

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Where do you guys think the trend will go? I feel like everyone who really really wanted Western Reaches has already done so by now. The highly engaged community backed Day 1, but it seems like the added exposure it created doesn't really translate well into more buzz. Which makes sense because this is a setting book.

I feel like this KS would've had more staying power if Arcane Library offered a Core Rulebook only option (but maybe would cannibalize Setting Book sales so YMMV). With GaryCon on the horizon, 1.8-2M for the total campaign sounds more realistic. 3xDay1 seems not like a good estimate for this project due to the nature of the product.

I think it will continue to inch up, and then have a bump at the end where people on the fence finally break for it.

I do think that the continued discussion of Shadowdark as a great game during the KS will continue to push sales, though, since a lot of people (even here) have yet to give the game a god despite is initial and ongoing success.

 

[Parmandur]

3x day one has been off for a while, the first days have been getting bigger. Right now 2.25 to 2.5 times day one is probably a better factor, and I would not make an exception for this one either

The dollar amount is mostly a function of the number of backers: so far, this follow-up has brought in a shade under 2/3 of what the original did. Given the average pledge so far, the question is if this will reach the same number of backers, or maybe even grow the number by the end?

 

[Velderan]

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Where do you guys think the trend will go? I feel like everyone who really really wanted Western Reaches has already done so by now. The highly engaged community backed Day 1, but it seems like the added exposure it created doesn't really translate well into more buzz. Which makes sense because this is a setting book.

I feel like this KS would've had more staying power if Arcane Library offered a Core Rulebook only option (but maybe would cannibalize Setting Book sales so YMMV). With GaryCon on the horizon, 1.8-2M for the total campaign sounds more realistic. 3xDay1 seems not like a good estimate for this project due to the nature of the product.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but why would they offer a Core Rulebook only tier when you can go on their shop and buy a copy now?