A very fun way for passing time. Nothing needed but some friends and imagination. Think up silly plots that can end in seemingly hopeless situations where a lovely twist can be given to get everyone laughing. I think everyone has seen enough B-movies to be able to participate in this game. Might even use it to think up masterful plots to entertain and use in other roleplaying platforms.

Very good sample. Single d10 system, with single digit numbers to work with. Based on semi-fantasy, semi historical Europe, with what appears to be a fantasy Catholic Church (Crosstian). Easy to play. The artwork seems to get better on later products.

This inspiring book describes a very rich world, that is a bit dark at times. Main focus is the city of Samaris, a great harbor. The city is occupied bij a powerful nation and resistance thrives. In this setting a lively mix of races and colorful characters is trying to get by. The book gives a lot of descriptions and drawings of these characters and of the different quarters of the city.

All trough the book are little ideas you can use while playing in this world. Not only for DM's, but for players as well: ideas for a dayjob or a favourite hangout, for example. Or you can pick some of these colourfull characters to be a rival, or maybe as a friend or patron for your character. It invites you to make your character not only an adventurer, but a real person.

Samaris is, just as the Dark Dungeon Starterkit (in wich the game system is explained), a lovely book to read, peppered with little stories, adventure ideas and a whole lot of beautiful drawings.

This is a friendly, easy to learn system that invites you to play more than hack'n slash. The book itself reads like a magic book: on every page there is a funny little story, an intriguing adventure seed or a beatiful drawing.

I especially liked the magic part: no fixed spells, but rather an appeal to your creativity, with a simple set of rules to make your own spells.

Disclosure: I received a free PDF of this product for review purposes.

About a decade ago, I first played Dark Dungeon at a Dutch convention. I was impressed by the game system, but moreso by the world of Dark Dungeon. A Dutch-made fantasy game, the game world has more similarities to the more low-fantasy bits of the Old World of Warhammer Fantasy than to the shininess of Dungeons & Dragons and similar games. It's a bit darker and more of a low-magic setting, inspired by classic fantasy novels and Europe's history.

General impression: This book is big. More than 300 pages of actual content, 322 pages total from cover to cover. There are multiple indexes, for Contacts (NPCs) and places but also for every type of skill in Dark Dungeon. In general, the book has an old-school and slightly eclectic feel, which I enjoy very much but may not be for everyone. Art is black & white throughout and doesn't distract from reading the book.

For gamemasters: Samaris is an island big and interesting enough to serve as a setting on its own. However, the setup also makes it easy to drop the island into any fantasy setting. What I like about this book as a GM is the huge amount of story hooks and characters. Even if you play other games, you'll be able to use a lot of the NPCs to enrich your story. Just leafing through Samaris when you're preparing for a session will probably give you a bunch of little or not so little additional ideas you can use to make your story shine that much brighter.

For players: Though there's a lot of general information for players that can be used with any game system, I must say that Samaris is most useful for Dark Dungeon players. There are additional careers and a lot of interesting information, not all of which converts easily to other game settings. The best part for me is the section which walks you through creating a character that ties into the setting. This should be mandatory for any player in any game because it promotes a focus on relationships with people in the setting who are not the PCs.

Conclusion: Samaris is more than a city book or setting, it's a companion volume. It's very useful for GMs who run any fantasy or semi-historical game up to (roughly) 7th Sea in timeline. It's even more useful if you want to give Dark Dungeon a try, where it's also a great resource for any player. For non-Dark Dungeon players, Samaris is less useful but still worth it.

The book has some rough edges in terms of art and isn't flashy and full of color like many RPG's are currently, which gives it an indie and old-school feel. I don't mind this, but I mention it because I realize that looks count for a lot. Samaris is a great book and I will be getting the print version ASAP.

This system is ideal for a group of people who are interested in a RPG which will allow you to quickly and adequately deal with the technical aspect of any RPG (i.e. the dice-throwing bit). It provides both players and DM's with an easy-to-grasp system and extensive backgrounds to base either characters or adventures on. And more is on the way! If you are more into roleplay and less in the realistic which-quadrant-of-my-chainmail-got-which-kind-of-dent-after-this-defensive-action, look no further. Here's the game for you. Also good to know: this system has been extensively tested by dozens of players over multiple years.