Calibrating Dungeon World 2

"Let's push the game as hard and as far as we can. Whatever parts don't work out, we can always pull back later."

From the very start, this has been one of our core philosophies for the early stages of Dungeon World 2. While the core identity of DW2 has remained (and will remain) consistent, each alpha is a true test of the mechanical expression of that identity, throwing everything at a new wall to see what sticks.

Blue - Pushing the Bounds of Fantasy PbtA

Our first Alpha was released in late July 2025, and its main focus was the narrative conversational aspects of the game. It featured conditions instead of hp, Defiance (which was spent to resist consequences), and many group mechanics, conditions, and resources. Here is a quote from one playtester who submitted feedback.

"Blue gave me a glimpse of a new kind of approach to dw style play altogether. Not just a dw 1.5.  Not apocalypse-world-but-fantasy. Not combat fantasy ttrpg but in pbta. It truly felt like its own thing by focusing the play and conversation on the fiction and fictional positioning without having to drop half the mechanics to do it"

This person was excited to see where a game built on Blue's framework would