D&D co-creator Gary Gygax is having a big week in crowdfunding

Two ongoing campaigns, one on Kickstarter and another on Backerkit, continue to emphasize the cultural footprint of Dungeons & Dragons, the seminal role-playing game now in its sixth decade of existence. With roughly $2 million earned between them, and weeks left on both campaigns, it’s clear that the tradition of old-school role-play is having a moment. Best of all, you’ve still got time to participate in both of these fascinating projects.

First up is the campaign for Gary Gygax’s Castle Zagyg, an ambitious five-volume series that explores one of the original Dungeon Master’s own homemade settings. The entirety of the project is being split into two campaigns, one running now and another planned for next year. Published by Troll Lord Games with the help of Gygax’s son, game designer Luke Gygax, it includes a 27-level dungeon, an above-ground castle, its grounds and towers, and even the nearby city of Yggsburgh. The epic module is being designed for Castles & Crusades, Troll Lord’s own proprietary TTRPG system.

What’s interesting here is that you can snag one of Castle Zagyg’s first three volumes for just $5, which nets you both a physical and a digital version by this time next year. The first three volumes together will run you $80. A second campaign for volumes four and five — one of which will include the actual 27-level dungeon — is expected in March 2026. The Backerkit campaign has earned more than $400,000 at time of publication, and ends on April 4.

The more successful of the two projects, however, is the award-winning Shadowdark, an old-school rules-light TTRPG that brought home the award for Best Game and three other gold medals at last year’s Ennie Awards. Titled Shadowdark: The Western Reaches, it’s a multi-volume set based on a series of zines published to support the game, which was first launched on Kickstarter.

Speaking with Polygon in 2023 after that first campaign, creator Kelsey Dionne, a Wisconsin native, mentioned how important the original D&D, its co-creator, and the other designers that lived in her neck of the North Woods were in her own growth as a player and a designer.

“They were around [while I was growing up], and so they were running D&D games for us at local game stores, and Gary Gygax would randomly appear at our game store every so often just to hang out,” Dionne said. “It was very special, and I only realized that in hindsight […] who these people were and how important they were and how much they shaped what I love about the game.”

The campaign for Shadowdark: The Western Reaches has earned more than $1.5 million at time of publication, and ends on April 9. The price point is a fair bit steeper, however. A digital copy will set you back $59, while the physical and digital bundle goes for $129.