The Arcane Library

Preview page for our next Kickstarter is up! kickstarter.com/projects/shado…

Mice of Legend: Shadowdark Edition keeps growing! 34 backers, $1,884 = only $116 to our first stretch goal. Featured this week in @arcanelibrary newsletter - Tysm for the shoutout. ❤️ At mouse scale, everything is a monster. @Kickstarter > bit.ly/4sZV7Zr #ttrpg #osr

Iykyk @arcanelibrary

Updated scan of the 1985 Madeera Valley Community College Winter Games Day fantasy scenario: DOOM-DUST OF THE DISINTEGRATOR. cc @d20play @arcanelibrary #shadowdark sersavictory.itch.io/doom-dust-of-t…

The Western Reaches Kickstarter's late pledges close forever tomorrow, Feb. 28, at 11:59pm PT! Last chance to get the free stretch goals & access to exclusive add-ons. Thank you SO much to the incredible 17k backers who made this project a reality! 🙏 kickstarter.com/projects/shado…

WE ARE LIVE! 😱 My next 3rd party zine for @arcanelibrary's smash hit #Shadowdark RPG is now up on Kickstarter. 🚀 Back ☄️ GG#2: The Colour Out of Space ☄️today! 🔸Features amazing art from @AlexeyGorboot and @KiratiSatt 🎨 🔸New classes: Alchemist and Barbarian 👩‍🔬💪 🔸New class abilities for Fighter and Thief, gained on even levels. ⚔️🗡️ 🔸A zero-level gauntlet adventure that provides 2 opportunities for ascension to level 1. 🔸Maps for your VTT 🔸Printed locally in my neighborhood print shop! 🇺🇸 🔸And much more! Consider supporting this indie project using the link below. 🔗 👇🤗

@Prof_Grimwald @KiratiSatt This couldn't have come with better timing! 🤘

Bro can cook! 🔥 Highly recommend you commission @KiratiSatt for your custom illustrations. His work fits perfectly in the OSR #ttrpg vibe you are looking for! 😍 This section will be featured in my next zine. The Murderous Mercs will try and hunt the party down and loot their corpses! Better watch out!😱 @arcanelibrary I think you'd find some great custom work for future #Shadowdark content from him! 👍

@CrusaderCool It’s our next big effort once we ship the Western Reaches Kickstarter! No major updates yet, but soon enough…

Have there been any updates regarding the Shadow League for Shadowdark? I'm looking forward to learning more about it.

@WardukeAtHome @TheEclecticGoat @SavageBruski @EveraeGames @trolllordgames It'd be very expensive to own the printing and production machines, buy the materials, and pay printing technicians to operate them (a trade and skill set that is uncommon in the USA nowadays). I work with a printing company that does this for me.

@TheEclecticGoat @SavageBruski @EveraeGames @trolllordgames @arcanelibrary I would think almost no self-publishing novelists print in house.

Indie Game Spotlight is what we are doing to give something back to this amazing community we have become a part of. Dean & I were discussing the other day… how do we define Indie? We went through number of people working on game, level & sources of funding - we even asked Grok. Our definition of Indie is… games that are independently designed, published, and creatively controlled, rather than produced by large, established companies. What is your view? How would you define an indie?

@hyperborea576 @EveraeGames @TheEclecticGoat Same! I'm going direct wholesale to stores, no distribution. I think that's a very indie thing to do! :)

@arcanelibrary @EveraeGames @TheEclecticGoat I've been selling the Hyperborea RPG since 2012, and it's my full-time job, supporting my family modestly. The success level of my game is unknown to number-crunchers, because I am not in the distribution network. I sell direct to customers, and wholesale direct to hobby shops.

We are kicking off 2026 with a prison break! The Glass Cannon Podcast: Shadowdark Episode 8 airs tonight at 8PM ET on YouTube. hubs.li/Q03Zk76C0

@EveraeGames @TheEclecticGoat To me, a game's indy status is entirely separate from its success level. Indy is a set of qualities relating to the game's creation and ownership. For instance, Stardew Valley is an indie game, and also wildly successful. Not mutually exclusive.

That’s what I love about defining Indie games. At what point does indie become not indie and as you say, if you have a small group working on it but you’ve managed to secure crowdfunding… that doesn’t change your creative vision, or your passion. Why would success change what you are?

@TheEclecticGoat @EveraeGames When one says, "All games with these qualities are old-school games EXCEPT Shadowdark," or, "Companies with these qualities are indies EXCEPT the company that publishes Shadowdark," it's obvious they have an ulterior motive.

@TheEclecticGoat @EveraeGames Hehehe, thank you! I wonder why folks would say my work isn't independent... it's a textbook example of a self-published indie writer. Some have tried to de-link me from the Old School/indie space using carveouts in their definitions that exclude my work only. It's very odd.

@TheEclecticGoat @EveraeGames We have one part-time employee (I’m the only person who works full time in the business, and my wife helps as needed). We do also contract with independent artists and legal and tax professionals. But even a local ice cream shop has more employees than me.

@EveraeGames Is ShadowDark still “indie” with a full team at work and having fundraised millions? Kelsey is still the single, driving vision behind the game and all the money was raised via crows funding, but many would say a successful indie is no longer indie. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@EruditeDM @dungeoncraft Hahahahaaa! Jingle Hells! That’s perfect 🤣

@arcanelibrary @dungeoncraft Jingle Hells! Jingle Hells! Crit 20’s all the way!

Happy Darkest Day!

The heroes are thrust into the limelight and forced to perform for the goddess. The Glass Cannon Podcast: Shadowdark Episode 6 airs tonight at 8PM ET on YouTube. hubs.li/Q03XWKYN0

@greg_brayton We regularly post updates on the project page, and they are also sent out via email! Worth checking out: kickstarter.com/projects/shado…

@arcanelibrary Hello! What is happening with Shadowdark? When are we getting our backed materials? I spent a lot of money in April (which you collected) and have not received any updates.

Preview page for our next Kickstarter is up! kickstarter.com/projects/shado…

They just crossed it!!

The DarkSpace Kickstarter is 4 hours from ending and only $50 shy of their final stretch goal where I get to design a legendary monster… THE SUSPENSE!! 😱 kickstarter.com/projects/dming…