We talk with Derek White, one of the minds behind DarkSpace, a science fiction rules hack for Shadowdark. Together with his co-creator Than Gibson, they created and released the basic rules through DMing the World and DriveThru RPG
Now they’ve got a Kickstarter for an expanded version that quickly blew past their $15,000 goal and just crossed the $70,000 threshold. Join us to learn more about the 200+ page Shadowdark hack, new sci-fi rules and options, and the Kickstarter.
DMing the World - DarkSpace homepage
Kickstarter: DarkSpace - Sci-Fi Rules for Shadowdark
New to Shadowdark? Get the free Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set from the Arcane Library.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to DarkSpace and Its Inspiration05:42 Design Philosophy: Rules Light and Player Collaboration11:16 Archetypes vs. Classes: A New Approach to Character Creation16:41 Psionics and the Triad Powers19:52 Kickstarter Success and Future Plans23:00 Challenges in Running Sci-Fi Games25:42 Kickstarter Stretch Goals and Community Engagement28:13 The Role of Light in Gameplay32:09 Surprises in the Kickstarter Journey
Listen to the Episode
Watch to the Episode
Watch DarkSpace Interview: Sci-Fi for Shadowdark on YouTube.
Show Notes
Intro to DarkSpace and its pitch: “Rules light. Play sci-fi your way.”
Derek’s motivation: burnout from fantasy and a return to sci-fi roots
Challenges with other sci-fi RPGs and love for risk and danger in space
Why species and archetypes replaced traditional races and classes
Collaborative worldbuilding through trait-based character creation
Triads: body/mind/soul psionic system and Force-like mechanics
Expansion content teased: GM guide, monsters, hacking rules, chase mechanics, and ship building
Use of timers and light mechanics adapted from ShadowDark for sci-fi tension
Kickstarter surprises, stretch goals, and community engagement
Legendary contributors: Mörk Borg creators, Ed Stark (Star Wars RPG), Mark Miller (Traveller), Kelsey Dion (ShadowDark)
Unique add-ons: glow-in-the-dark premium edition, custom dice, merch
Featured Image Meta
Black-and-what cover art for the DarkSpace rules hack.
