Goodman Games

Goodman Games is an American tabletop game publisher founded by Joseph Goodman in 2001. The company emerged during the expansion of the d20 System licensing environment, initially publishing role-playing game material compatible with the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Its first role-playing game was Broncosaurus Rex, followed by a series of Complete Guides that explored character races and fantasy subjects that were comparatively underrepresented by other publishers, including drow, doppelgangers, rakshasas, treants, and wererats. The company became particularly associated with Dungeon Crawl Classics, initially a line of fantasy adventure modules designed for dungeon-focused play. The label emphasized adventures with distinctive settings, unusual premises, and a deliberately old-school sensibility. Goodman Games positioned these products toward players who appreciated the origins of fantasy role-playing while still seeking professionally produced modern material. The publisher generally relied on freelance writers, artists, and designers rather than maintaining a large in-house design staff. In 2012, Goodman Games released Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, an original role-playing game derived from the company’s earlier adventure line. The game uses an Open Game License-based rules framework and intentionally draws on concepts associated with early fantasy role-playing, including dangerous exploration, eccentric magic, memorable adventures, and a strong role for the referee. Dungeon Crawl Classics subsequently became the company’s central intellectual property and product ecosystem. Goodman Games has expanded the DCC approach into several settings and related games. Mutant Crawl Classics, released in 2018 after a successful crowdfunding campaign, applies the rules engine to a post-apocalyptic science-fiction setting inspired in part by classic mutant-survival role-playing games. Dungeon Crawl Classics: Lankhmar, released in 2019, adapts Fritz Leiber’s Nehwon setting and its characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Dungeon Crawl Classics: Dying Earth, released in 2023, adapts Jack Vance’s setting with additional rules and adventures intended to reflect its distinctive blend of fantasy, science fiction, wit, and literary magic. Another important line is Original Adventures Reincarnated, which updates, annotates, and expands notable classic role-playing adventures and supplements, particularly material associated with TSR’s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons era. The company has also published or licensed products connected with settings and properties such as Call of Cthulhu, Xcrawl, Judges Guild, Iron Heroes, Castles & Crusades, Death Dealer, and Wicked Fantasy Factory. Its wider catalog has included card games such as Geek Wars, World Championship Dodge Ball, and Scavenger Hunt, as well as the science-fantasy setting Amethyst. Goodman Games maintains a visible community presence through Free RPG Day, convention activity, retailer programs, and DCC Day. It has participated in Free RPG Day since 2007, often supplying exclusive or newly created adventures and supplements for distribution through local game stores. DCC Day, introduced as an annual community event, encourages public play and retailer engagement around Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, and related games. The company also received industry recognition, including a 2006 Gold ENnie Award and a 2013 Silver ENnie Award. In 2023, it joined the ORC License Alliance after controversy surrounding proposed changes to Wizards of the Coast’s Open Game License. The company stated that the proposed changes would not affect its product lines, while also reporting unusually strong January sales during the broader market reaction.

Joseph Goodman founded Goodman Games in 2001, during a period when the d20 System license enabled independent publishers to produce material compatible with the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The company’s first role-playing publication was Broncosaurus Rex. It then developed the Complete Guide line, beginning with Complete Guide to Drow in 2002 and continuing with books on subjects such as doppelgangers, rakshasas, treants, and wererats. These books helped establish Goodman Games as a publisher willing to focus on unusual fantasy concepts and player options that were not always central to larger publishers’ catalogs. The company subsequently moved toward fantasy adventure publishing, particularly through the Dungeon Crawl Classics label. The original DCC modules were designed as dungeon-centered adventures but were intended to offer more characterization, atmosphere, and unusual situations than a purely generic dungeon product. The line benefited from the growing interest of older role-playing players in material that recalled early fantasy gaming while using contemporary production standards. Goodman Games continued to work extensively with freelance creators rather than building a large permanent design department. Goodman Games broadened its range during the 2000s and 2010s. Its catalog included d20-compatible supplements, licensed adventures, card games, and settings from other publishers and rights holders. The Amethyst setting was released by Goodman Games in 2010 as a science-fantasy world for fourth-edition Dungeons & Dragons under the Game System License. It combined fantasy and modern or futuristic elements, including firearms, vehicles, altered class options, and a setting in which magic was less dominant. A major turning point came in May 2012 with the publication of Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Rather than being only an adventure brand, DCC became a complete rules system. Its design aimed to evoke foundational fantasy role-playing concepts while adding decades of accumulated experience with role-playing game design. The system’s identity was reinforced by a broad adventure catalog, distinctive art and presentation, and a community culture built around conventions, demonstrations, and local game stores. Mutant Crawl Classics followed in April 2018 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. It is a standalone post-apocalyptic role-playing game using the DCC rules engine, allowing the company to apply its established mechanical and aesthetic approach to a different genre. In 2019, Goodman Games released Dungeon Crawl Classics: Lankhmar, which brought the DCC system to Fritz Leiber’s Nehwon setting and its famous sword-and-sorcery protagonists. In 2023, Dungeon Crawl Classics: Dying Earth expanded the line into Jack Vance’s literary world through a boxed core set and a group of new adventures. Goodman Games also created Original Adventures Reincarnated, a line that revisits influential older role-playing adventures. These books generally combine newly prepared versions of classic material with annotations, commentary, additional content, and expanded presentation. The line connects the company’s old-school positioning with archival interest in the history of fantasy role-playing, especially products associated with TSR and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The publisher has maintained an active relationship with the hobby retail and convention ecosystem. It has participated in Free RPG Day since 2007, distributing specially prepared products through participating local game stores. In 2009, it organized a contest recognizing America’s Favorite Game Store, with Yottaquest receiving the award. Goodman Games also sponsors DCC Day, an annual event built around in-store play, community gatherings, and exclusive products connected with its role-playing lines. These activities support a business model based not only on book sales but also on recurring engagement among referees, collectors, retailers, and organized play communities. The company’s awards include the 2006 Gold ENnie Award for the Grognard Award and the 2013 Silver ENnie Award for Fans’ Choice for Favorite Publisher. In January 2023, the company became involved in the tabletop publishing industry’s response to proposed changes to Wizards of the Coast’s Open Game License. Goodman Games said the changes would not affect its own lines and joined the ORC License Alliance, an initiative intended to provide an open, system-neutral licensing alternative. The company also described January 2023 as its best sales month in two decades, reflecting heightened consumer interest in alternatives to Dungeons & Dragons during the dispute.

• 2023

  Dying Earth and ORC developments

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The company joins the ORC License Alliance and releases Dungeon Crawl Classics: Dying Earth.

• 2019

  Dungeon Crawl Classics: Lankhmar launches

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Goodman Games publishes a DCC-based adaptation of Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar and Nehwon setting.

• 2018

  Mutant Crawl Classics is released

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The post-apocalyptic Mutant Crawl Classics role-playing game launches after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

• 2012

  Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game launches

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The company releases a complete original role-playing game based on the DCC rules concept and old-school fantasy design goals.

• 2010

  Amethyst reaches fourth-edition Dungeons & Dragons

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Goodman Games publishes Amethyst as a science-fantasy setting for fourth-edition Dungeons & Dragons.

• 2007

  Free RPG Day participation begins

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Goodman Games begins participating in the annual Free RPG Day program with free adventures and supplements distributed through game stores.

• 2002

  Complete Guide line begins

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The company publishes Complete Guide to Drow and develops further books focused on unusual fantasy races and creatures.

• 2001

  Goodman Games is founded

  [1]Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Goodman establishes Goodman Games as an independent tabletop game publisher.

A specialist tabletop publisher centered on old-school-inspired fantasy role-playing, distinctive adventure design, licensed literary settings, and direct engagement with hobby retailers and gaming communities.

• Fantasy tabletop role-playing game · 2012

  Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game

  Released in 2012, Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game is Goodman Games’ core original role-playing system. It uses an OGL-based rules framework and deliberately recalls the formative period of fantasy role-playing while presenting a complete modern game. Its design emphasizes dangerous adventures, memorable characters, unusual magic, and a strong referee role. The system is supported by a large catalog of adventures, settings, supplements, conventions, and retailer events.

• Role-playing adventure modules

  Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure modules

  The Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure line predates the standalone DCC rules game and remains one of Goodman Games’ defining product families. These adventures focus on fantasy exploration and dungeon crawling, but commonly add distinctive settings, unusual threats, strong narrative hooks, and memorable encounters. The line helped establish the company’s old-school-inspired identity and continues to support play with the DCC rules and related systems.

• Post-apocalyptic tabletop role-playing game · 2018

  Mutant Crawl Classics

  Mutant Crawl Classics is a standalone post-apocalyptic role-playing game released in 2018 after a successful crowdfunding campaign. It uses the Dungeon Crawl Classics rules engine and translates the company’s old-school adventure approach into a world of mutation, lost technology, dangerous ruins, and post-collapse exploration. The game is presented as fully compatible with DCC at the rules level while having its own setting and genre identity.

• Classic adventure reprint and expansion line

  Original Adventures Reincarnated

  Original Adventures Reincarnated revisits influential classic role-playing adventures and supplements, especially material associated with TSR’s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons era. The books combine reproduced or revised historical material with annotations, commentary, expanded encounters, new illustrations, and additional content. The line serves both as playable campaign material and as a preservation-oriented examination of important products from tabletop role-playing history.

• Licensed fantasy role-playing game setting · 2019

  Dungeon Crawl Classics: Lankhmar

  Released in 2019, Dungeon Crawl Classics: Lankhmar adapts Fritz Leiber’s Nehwon setting for the DCC rules. It focuses on the urban and sword-and-sorcery environment of Lankhmar and provides setting-specific material for adventures involving the world of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The product extends Goodman Games’ approach into licensed literary fantasy while retaining the mechanics and play style associated with DCC.

• Licensed literary fantasy role-playing game · 2023

  Dungeon Crawl Classics: Dying Earth

  Released in 2023, Dungeon Crawl Classics: Dying Earth adapts Jack Vance’s Dying Earth stories through the DCC rules engine. The line includes a boxed core game and nine new adventure modules, with setting-specific additions intended to reflect Vance’s distinctive treatment of magic, language, decadence, and far-future fantasy. It is one of Goodman Games’ major literary-setting expansions.

• Science-fantasy campaign setting · 2010

  Amethyst

  Amethyst is a science-fantasy campaign setting published by Goodman Games in 2010 for fourth-edition Dungeons & Dragons under the Game System License. It combines fantasy with modern and futuristic technology, including vehicles and firearms, and modifies aspects of standard fantasy character design. The setting also gives a larger role to fey characters and treats magic differently from conventional high-fantasy campaigns.

• Fantasy role-playing supplements · 2002

  Complete Guide series

  The Complete Guide series began with Complete Guide to Drow in 2002 and expanded into books about unusual fantasy races and creatures. These supplements were created during the company’s early d20 publishing period and offered additional lore, character options, and game material for subjects that received less attention in mainstream role-playing catalogs.

• 2020DCC Day

  United States · International tabletop game retail

  Goodman Games established DCC Day as an annual event encouraging players to visit local stores for public games of Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, and related products.

  Outcome. Beginning in 2020, participating stores received access to exclusive Goodman Games products.

  Source
• 2009America’s Favorite Game Store contest

  United States

  Goodman Games organized a contest recognizing a local game store, with the award intended to celebrate the role of specialty retailers in tabletop gaming.

  Outcome. Yottaquest received the award.

  Source
• 2007Free RPG Day participation

  United States · International tabletop game retail

  Goodman Games began taking part in Free RPG Day by preparing free adventures and supplements for distribution through participating local game stores. The program connects the publisher with retailers and introduces players to DCC and related products.

  Outcome. The company continues to use Free RPG Day as a recurring community and retailer-engagement program.

  Source

• 2023

  Join the ORC License AllianceStrategy

  Background

  A leaked Wizards of the Coast document indicated that the company was considering changes to the Open Game License that many third-party publishers viewed as potentially restrictive.

  Action taken

  Goodman Games joined the ORC License Alliance on January 13, 2023, while stating that the proposed OGL changes would not affect its product lines.

  Aftermath

  The company reported exceptionally strong January sales, including record online-store performance and rapid movement of DCC rulebooks, accessories, and adventure modules.

  • Paizo — Paizo announced the development of the Open RPG Creative License and described it as an open, perpetual, irrevocable, system-agnostic alternative.

  Source

1. 1Goodman Gamesen.wikipedia.org