World of Dungeons Fantasy; Rules Lite; Narrative-Driven; Quick-Play; Low Prep

At-a-glance: PbtA-adjacent • 2d6 moves • 2–5 + GM • Near-zero prep • Rules‑lite • 1–2h sessions

Theme and Setting

Classic dungeon-crawl vibes distilled to essentials—adventurers, hazards, treasure, and creative problem-solving. It’s setting-agnostic and thrives on prompts rather than canon.

Core Mechanics and Rules

Resolve risky actions with 2d6 + attribute: 10+ full success, 7–9 mixed, 6- miss. HP comes from rolling hit dice and keeping dice equal to level. Armor subtracts damage. Magic and monsters are intentionally under-specified to encourage rulings and hacks.

What Makes It Unique

A true “rules sketch”: minimal procedures that invite table judgment. It runs fast, converts OSR content on the fly, and teaches play through conversation rather than rule lookups.

Target Audience and Player Experience

Great for new players, busy GMs, and drop-in games. If you enjoy improvisation, rulings-first play, and speed, this hits the sweet spot.

Visit World of Dungeons

What do players think?

Widely praised as a laser-focused, ultra-lean dungeon-crawl ruleset. Veterans love the speed and rulings-first ethos; new players pick it up in minutes. Common asks: clearer guidance on monster conversion and spell rulings—by design, the game leaves room for table judgment.

New Read the full reviews on DriveThruRPG

Related TTRPG Games

Compare World of Dungeons with other great ttrpg games.

Dungeon World

Direct ancestor: DW formalizes PbtA moves and playbooks; WoD strips back to rulings-first minimalism for maximum speed. Pick DW for structured moves and playbooks; choose WoD for fast-and-loose dungeoneering.

Knave

Knave leans OSR with slot-inventory and gear-centric identity. WoD uses 2d6 moves and rulings-first play. Knave suits exploration pressure and loot-as-build; WoD maximizes teachability and fiction-first flow.

Cairn

Cairn’s OSR chassis (usage dice, inventory pressure) offers a procedural crawl; WoD pares mechanics down and relies on GM rulings. Cairn for clear procedures and gear pressure; WoD for ultra-light, conversational play.

Join Our Mailing List

Every week we send out a newsletter with last week's 10 best ttrpg games that have been added to the directory.