Grimdark is the way of the world in many sci-fi TTRPGs. After all, every adventure needs conflict, so why not make conflict the entire theme? Warhammer built a megafranchise off that fact. Still, there's only so much dakka one can stand before wanting to try something new. Fortunately, there's tons of grimdark sci-fi to try out in the wake of 40k's success. The Shadowdark TTRPG would have fit the bill had it been dark sci-fi instead of fantasy. Fortunately, this rules hack may be the solution.
DarkSpace turns Shadowdark into the sci-fi TTRPG of your nightmares. 200 pages of brand new lore and mechanics await in this rules hack. For those unfamiliar, Shadowdark is an RPG inspired by classic D&D books, both mechanically and flavorfully. That means fast and brutal games where adventurers aren't expected to survive. So as you'd expect, a dark sci-fi twist seamlessly blends into the game.
Additions include one-page settings from cyberpunk to cosmic horrors, brand new vehicles, hundreds of named NPCs, and of course, adventures. Everything you need to run a DarkSpace game is already included in the base book. As with any Kickstarter, the more stretch goals are reached, the more additions to the final product.
I actually did some playtesting with the free quickstart rules for DarkSpace. Shadowdark, and by extension DarkSpace, feels much simpler than other OSR games thanks to modern inspirations. Since the foundations are malleable, DarkSpace's additions felt very natural. I'm especially fond of the species traits and backgrounds. Galaxies just don't feel right when there's nothing trying to eat my face.
The Kickstarter campaign has already achieved its goals, but there's still reward tiers worth gunning for. In particular, I'd love to see more of the so-called "Legendary Denizens", as I'm a sucker for cool original characters made by cool writers.
The DarkSpace Kickstarter campaign ends on December 12, 2025.
Check out the Wargamer Discord if you'd like more indie TTRPG recommendations. If you'd rather stay grimdark, the Warhammer 40k codex releases guide will keep you that way.