Stoneburner

Stoneburner is a rules‑lite sci‑fantasy survival game using the Breathless step‑die engine. Solo‑friendly and classless kits drive quick, low‑prep play focused on demon‑haunted delves, resource juggling, and colony growth. Ideal for short, high‑stakes sessions where choices about light, tools, and risk define whether your dwarves rebuild—or burn.

At-a-glance

Science Fiction • 1-1 players • 3/5 complexity • One-shot friendly • Low prep

Stoneburner

It’s sci‑fantasy with grime under the nails—part Deep Rock Galactic, part Dwarf Fortress, with a vein of doom‑hunting heroics. The game runs on Breathless, a rules‑lite step‑die engine that models exhaustion and risk.

Theme and Setting

Actions use dice that degrade (d10 → d8 → d6 → d4) as the delve wears on; careful resupply and clever play restore your edge. Kits (like Striker, Sinker, Spellwinder, Stanchion) give immediate identity without build crunch.

How Play Feels

Procedures cover delving, crafting, looting, and community management, keeping turns snappy and fiction‑first. Player‑facing rolls, clear clocks and tracks, and simple opposition make it ideal for solo or GM‑light tables.

What Makes It Distinct

You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table You want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support. You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table You want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support.

Where It May Not Fit

You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table You want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support.

Decision guide

What this game is about

Key facts
Players
1-1 players
Session
60-180 minutes
Prep
Low
Play profile
Complexity
3/5
New GM Fit
4/5
Roleplay Focus
3/5
Combat Focus
2/5
Tactical Depth
2/5
Campaign Depth
5/5
Who it suits
Best for
Players who want science-fiction ideas to shape the actual play experienceGroups that want place, travel, and discovery to stay centralLong-form campaigns with room for the table to build momentum
Avoid if
You want the system to stay almost invisible at the tableYou want a much breezier tone than this game is built to supportYou want the rules to solve every table decision for you

A strong fit for groups that want science-fiction ideas to shape the actual play experience, with exploration-Driven helping define the experience.

Agent data

Structured data and an explicit decision profile JSON document are available for remote agents.

Open agent JSON