''Donjon'' (French for "keep") is an independently published fantasy

tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...

Clinton R. Nixon Clinton R. Nixon is a designer and publisher of indie role-playing games. Career He is the designer and publisher of '' The Shadow of Yesterday'', ''Donjon'',Snow, Cason (2008). "Dragons in the stacks: an introduction to role-playing games and th ...

. It was published by Anvilwerks in 2002. It is a narrative

dungeon crawl A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...

game. ''Donjon'' is both a parody of and an homage to ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

''. Based on the results of die rolls in conflict resolution, players add new facts to the situation. This gives players power to steer the adventure in directions that the

game master A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, storyteller, or master of ceremonies) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer r ...

does not expect.

Reception

''Donjon'', '' InSpectres'', and '' Children of the Sun'' (2002) were finalists for the initial Indie Game of the Year award, but they lost to ''

Dust Devils A dust devil (also known regionally as a dirt devil) is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (18 in/half a metre wide and a few yards/metres tall) to large (more than 30 ft/10 m ...

'' (2002) by Matt Snyder.

References

Fantasy role-playing games Forge-era role-playing games Indie role-playing games Role-playing games introduced in 2002 {{rpg-stub