Daniel (@dungeondive) chronicles the remarkable transformations of three foundational indie RPGs: Into the Odd (2015), Knave (2018), and Cairn (2020). These slim, rules-light games ignited a renaissance of simple, collaborative tabletop design—and each has now received a substantial glow-up edition.
Knave’s second edition explodes with random tables for generating worlds and adventures on the fly. Into the Odd’s Free League publication is overflowing with hex crawls, dungeon examples, and the invaluable Oddpendium. But the crown jewel is Cairn’s complete second edition box set, which arrived with three player guides (possibly a manufacturing error, possibly brilliant generosity), a gorgeous GM screen, and dice-drop systems for generating both wilderness maps and dungeons.
Daniel also gives a nod to Vaults of Vaarn—though in a delightful contrarian twist, he prefers the original zine format over the collected hardback. And he expresses hope that Rogueland, another Knave-inspired gem, might someday receive its own second edition treatment.
Which indie RPG do you think deserves the glow-up treatment next?