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Dungeon Gig: designer notes/choices/inspirations


You may have noticed that I recently released a mini dungeon game. I never talked about my design choices for any of my games (except for a few podcasts/interviews), but here I will try to take a short look on my thoughts and intentions on Dungeon GiG. Let’s go by Topics:

  • Single stat, lots of meanings:

I don't like tracking a lot of things in character sheets, as it usually makes the players think about action options through it and don't really interact with the fictional space. A single stat that means a lot of the things you can do, synthesised in a single number, easily remembered and weighted for the choices to be made, making the interaction with the fictional space, or the game itself, more fluid.

This was heavily inspired by Fighting Fantasy (FF), and the brilliance behind it. I only expanded it by taking some B/X choices in HP, damage, etc., so that these stats could modulate even more things in the game. 

Magic powers over stat is  what magic represents in the game, something that corrupts and drains vital energy from the character and the setting itself. This leads us to the next topic.

  • Magic: 

As stated before, the stat entwines magic in such a way that it needs to be sacrificed. But it doesn't stop there, any learned spells’ effects still continue to degrade the characters through their HP. 

Monsters and characters in the dungeon gig have low HP, combats are ephemeral and fast. Thus, spells at the beginning of the game are very important and powerful. But the cost is also quite significant, when and how to use them can mean party survival or their demise.

Obviously this is all very inspired by white hack and derivatives.

  • Combat and tests: 

DMs don’t roll dice, and defense is not always passive. 

In solo mode, with multiple combatants, it can make the combat a bit more tactical, but it is functional. If this game makes it to a second edition this aspect will likely be rethought.

The good news is that overall: a target number, fixed damage, and just one roll for defense and attack make combats quick and easy.

Another choice that makes me proud is: stat also means target numbers for monster’s difficulty. Also, challenges have stats, which can mean several things, such as narrative aspects that might actually please me.

  • Solo mode

It got harder than I expected. We need resilience to keep going. Surely the first gigs will easily die, don’t give up, roll another one and go back to the dungeon.

HP is the main resource to get out of the dungeon, choose wisely the challenges you will face, and avoid the most difficult ones using HP.

d20 combat and low HP characters make them extremely unpredictable, dangerous and chaotic.

Handy characters with good stats are very important to disarm traps, stealth through impossible challenges and get treasure.

In combat, not all characters need to engage, mages should have healing and buff spells. Scrolls and wands are very precious because they don’t cost HP to the conjurer.

The boss fights are fast but extremely lethal, a long and careful exploration greatly increases the party’s chances.

Taking all that into consideration, modesty aside, it makes it, for sure, the most osr-ish solo game I’ve ever played. 


These are my main thoughts about the game, if I think of more notes and inspirations I can update the post or make another one. If anyone gets some thoughts, would love to read them, hit me in the comments, Twitter or anywhere you want. 

You can get Dungeon gig here, a srd will be set up, the license is open for hacks and expansions. 

Thanks for reading.


Edited by the amazing C.A. Berlitz

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