Darrington Press

Darrington Press is the tabletop game imprint for Critical Role Productions which launched in October 2020. Jeremy Crawford is the Game Director and Chris Perkins is the Creative Director, with Matthew Mercer as the creative advisor. The publishing label primarily produces board and card games along with role-playing games. It won two ENNIE Awards in 2022 – "Fan Award for Best Publisher" and "Best Setting Gold Award" for '' Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn''.

The publishing label is named after the fictional player character Taryon Darrington played by Sam Riegel in ''Critical Role'''s first campaign who, in-universe, published a book on his exploits with the adventuring party Vox Machina.

History

In October 2020, Critical Role Productions announced a "new board and card game" imprint called Darrington Press; it was led by Ivan Van Norman with Matthew Mercer as the creative advisor. ''ICv2'' commented that "Critical Role has broadly influenced tabletop gaming since splitting from Geek & Sundry in 2018". During the launch, Van Norman stated, "Darrington Press is not looking to utilize crowdfunding for any game releases". Darrington Press initially announced a slate of four upcoming games: ''Uk'otoa'', ''Critical Role Adventures'', ''Syndicult'', and ''Guardians of Matrimonia''. ''Uk'otoa'' released in May 2021 with mixed reviews; ''IGN'' called it a "solid first impression for what Darrington Press will offer in future games" while ''Polygon'' called it a "Critical Role bauble" with unfun gameplay.

In January 2022, Darrington Press released the campaign setting sourcebook '' Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn'' which is a revised edition of the out of print ''Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting'' sourcebook published by Green Ronin Publishing. In March 2022, the imprint released more development details on both ''Syndicult'' and ''Guardians of Matrimonia''. In June 2022, ''A Familiar Problem'' was released for Free RPG Day.

In March 2023, Darrington Press published the two player board game ''Till the Last Gasp'' which received mostly positive reviews. The label also announced that they would reprint two out of print ''Critical Role'' art books in 2023: ''The Chronicles of Exandria Vol. I: The Tale of Vox Machina'' (2017) and ''The Chronicles of Exandria Vol. 2: The Legend of Vox Machina'' (2018).

The imprint's first "State of the Press" in April 2023 released updates on previously announced games and revealed new games in development; this included two new roleplaying game systems – ''Illuminated Worlds'' for short campaigns and ''Daggerheart'' for longer campaigns – which were scheduled to have a public playtest during Gen Con in August 2023. The announcement stated that while ''Guardians of Matrimonia'', being redesigned by Banana Chan and Yeonsoo Julian Kim, and ''Syndicult'' are still in development, ''Critical Role Adventures'' is now on indefinite hold. Charlie Hall, for ''Polygon'', stated that "Darrington Press has had mixed success so far with its creations" and commented that ''Illuminated Worlds'' was "perhaps the most interesting of the three new products" announced given co-designer Layla Adelman's background as "an accomplished game developer" who is also a member of the Off Guard Games team which has produced titles such as "the well-regarded ''Band of Blades'' and ''Scum and Villainy''". Christian Hoffer of '' ComicBook.com'' called the announcement of new fantasy role-playing game systems "notable" since "''Critical Role'' has a massive built-in audience of TTRPG fans, so a good fantasy genre TTRPG offering could make a major splash in the ''Dungeons & Dragons''-dominated TTRPG market. Additionally, many have wondered whether ''Critical Role'' would potentially switch to an in-house TTRPG system for a future campaign, thus breaking away from ''Dungeons & Dragons'' altogether".

In May 2023, Critical Role Productions announced a new monthly horror–themed actual play web series titled '' Candela Obscura'' which will use the Illuminated Worlds System. Darrington Press released the ''Candela Obscura Quickstart Guide'' on May 25, the show's premiere date, which introduces both the Candela Obscura campaign setting and the game system. Darrington Press also ran gameplay sessions of ''Candela Obscura'' at Gen Con before the release of the ''Candela Obscura Core Rulebook'' in November 2023.

The open beta playtest of ''Daggerheart'' began on March 12, 2024; this playtest was made available at select game stores, as a PDF or on Demiplane via the ''Daggerheart Nexus''. The ''Nexus'' edition includes digital character creation tools. Hayley McCullough, for the ''American Journalism'', speculated that ''Daggerheart'' may allow ''Critical Role'' "to fully sever its connections to ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and allow Mercer and the other players to use ''Daggerheart'' as their go-to system going forward". She commented that the "potential rippling consequences of such a move" is worth keeping an eye on. ''Daggerheart'' was released in May 2025. The '' Age of Umbra'' limited series also started airing that month; the series features the cast of ''Critical Role'' playing ''Daggerheart'' in the "Age of Umbra" campaign frame created by Mercer for the system. Additionally in 2025, Darrington Press signed a sales and distribution agreement for U.S. and international markets with Macmillan Publishers to expand the release of their roleplaying game books in "the book channel, in addition to its existing distribution in the hobby channel". Lin Codega of ''Rascal'' noted this included both "their new fantasy heartbreaker, ''Daggerheart''," and "their backlist" titles.

In June 2025, it was announced that both Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins would be joining Darrington Press. Crawford became the company's Game Director while Perkins became the Creative Director which matches their former roles at Wizards of the Coast. Perkins succeeded Travis Willingham, who is additionally CEO of Critical Role Productions. Company Director Van Norman also announced his departure. Multiple outlets highlighted Perkins and Crawford's decades long careers at Wizards of the Coast. Benjamin Abbott of ''GamesRadar+'' noted that Perkins and Crawford "were heavily involved in the design and direction of ''D&D'' during that time, leading the charge for Fourth and Fifth Edition alongside the 2024 revamp. With that in mind, it's a significant coup for Critical Role". Similarly, James Whitbrook of ''Gizmodo'' commented that it is "a wild changing of the guard that will see one of the biggest examples of ''D&D'''s massive growth over the past decade take on Wizards of the Coast so directly by taking on two of its most prominent contemporary architects". Charles Harte of ''Game Informer'' stated while it was "an unexpected move" for these designers, "Darrington Press's pedigree increases significantly" by hiring them.

Games

Darrington Press games are set both inside and outside of ''Critical Role'''s Exandria setting.

Reviews

Charles Theel, in his review of ''Uk'otoa'' for ''Polygon'', wrote: "The good news is that, as a visually attractive curio, this product makes a great collector's item. The bad news is that the gameplay itself isn't all that much fun. ..I was hoping for a design that captured some of the feel of friction-heavy board game classics, such as ''Lifeboats'' or ''Survive: Escape From Atlantis'', dressed up in the trappings of Exandria. What I got was a Critical Role bauble which can chew up a half hour of time. Sadly, anyone seeking out a truly noteworthy tabletop experience is better off looking elsewhere". However, Tommy Williams of ''GeekTyrant'' viewed it as "a fun game" with "very interesting" gameplay; Williams called ''Uk'otoa'' "a great start to Darrington Press’ library". Theel, Williams and Jonathon Dornbush of ''IGN'' all commended the visual design of the game with Dornbush stating, "the card and box art offers a beautiful interpretation of the titular serpent and the nautical setting, the deck tiles offer a solid base that conveys a bit of the worn nature the ship is probably in, and the meeples, as mentioned before, offer a bespoke, adorable terror that suits the scene. And the game's centerpiece, the Uk'otoa mini, is impressively detailed".

''Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn'' was the Gold Winner for the 2022 ENNIE Awards in the "Best Setting" category. Chris King, for ''Polygon'', called the sourcebook "''The Silmarillion'' of campaign settings" and commented that the ''Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn'' is over 150 pages longer than the original edition; it includes updates to various factions in the world along with new threats and organizations. King concluded that "despite not being a truly system agnostic book, this is an incredibly well-realized world filled to the brim with interesting characters and stories to tell. Even if it just ends up sitting on your coffee table to peruse during regular Thursday-night livestreams, ''Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn'' is well worth the $49.99 price tag". Benjamin Abbott, for ''GamesRadar+'', commented that "Tal'Dorei Reborn reminds me of the lavish, encyclopaedic companion books for franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars that I used to obsess over as a kid". He wrote that the book is worth purchasing — "even if you're not a huge fan of Critical Role, it'll impress with its skillful worldbuilding and overall design-quality. Indeed, it's rather lavish and looks fantastic. Sure, I enjoyed our last look at the world of Exandria in ''Explorer's Guide to Wildemount''. But this is a step up in many ways, and I'm eager to dig in more".

''A Familiar Problem'', written by Grant Howitt and Marisha Ray, was included in ''Polygon'''s "Free RPG Day" roundup. Charlie Hall, for ''Polygon'', wrote: "now that I've had a chance to get a look at it I'm really impressed. It has all the charm I've come to expect of the crew of actual play stars, and all the randomness and open-ended design that Howitt's work is known for. It's the perfect ice breaker for an event like Free RPG Day, or perhaps for your next regular at-home game".

Theel, in his review of ''Till The Last Gasp'' for ''Polygon'', wrote that the game "bleeds potential. This is a singular design which offers a structured yet story-oriented tabletop experience that pulls from traditional board games as well as indie RPGs. ..After the misstep of ''Uk'otoa'', I'm frankly shocked at how effective and moving this game manages to be". Linda Codega of ''Io9'' stated that the game "is a well-designed, tightly focused two-person game that is a love letter to the most dramatic of showdowns across media. ..''Till the Last Gasp'''s greatest strength and greatest weakness is that it is exactly what you make it". They highlighted that "although the mechanics are what move the story forward, arguably the roleplaying is the far more important part of the game, even as it has no traditional mechanical value. And when ''Till the Last Gasp'' is played in earnest, it is a lively, low-pressure game that allows for immediate investment and clear resolutions". Andrew Stretch, for ''TechRaptor'', viewed it as both a "completely unique game" and "a fantastic game of short-form collaborative roleplay". However, James van Tonningen of ''Gaming Trend'' viewed it as "an empty shell of a game" that "fundamentally misunderstands why people enjoy roleplaying games". van Tonningen wrote that "what ''Till the Last Gasp'' has done is make a fighting game with no way to track damage done, a combat simulator where both players pause and soliloquise their intentions, and a roleplaying game where the dice are rolled, but have no impact. It’s a drama school assignment masquerading as a high-stakes duel".

In a review of ''For the Queen'' 2E, Jenny Melzer of '' CBR'' commented that "One thing that ''Critical Role'' and Darrington Press have always done well is work within the gaming community. Their respect for creators, including game designers and artists, shines through in this game, just as it has with each of the others they've produced since their founding in 2020". Melzer highlighted that "partnering with Darrington Press gives the game stunning new visuals, more question cards, and all new packaging that makes it perfect for grab-and-go games".

References

{{Critical Role

Card game publishing companies
Critical Role
Board game publishing companies
Book publishing company imprints
Publishing companies established in 2020
Role-playing game publishing companies