The Secret of Weepstone speaks to me on a deep level as a longtime Dungeons & Dragon player

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For nearly two decades, I’ve found an extraordinary charm in playing Dungeons & Dragons, where the thrill of tossing dice and navigating traps and beasts in eerie dungeons resonates deeply with me. The unique blend of uncertainty about what awaits around the next bend and the unpredictability of my dice rolls creates a palpable tension that few video games can emulate so effectively. At PAX West this year, I visited the DreadXP booth to explore one of their fresh releases, which not only embodies the essence but the stark, dark fantasy style reminiscent of Advanced D&D and other tabletop role-playing games from the 70s and early 80s.

The Enigma of Weepstone Stone is an immersive first-person dungeon explorer where your team comprises various residents from the village of Weepstone. Your task is to guide them through various adventures to uncover the mystery hinted at in the title, which is yet to be fully revealed.

Currently under development and slated for release in 2026, the game has only introduced a handful of villagers for players to choose from. Some of these characters include a robust blacksmith and a cunning young thief. These characters generally embody typical roles found in RPGs. Once my party was assembled, I ventured into the dungeon.

Weepstone originates from the 1981 publication of the Basic and Expert sets for Dungeons & Dragons, designed to simplify learning the tabletop game without overwhelming new players immediately. The accompanying demo, “The Depths of Weepstone Keep,” presented a mission for the party to explore the keep and uncover the cause of their local lord’s suffering. This tale was presented in an 80s-style module booklet filled with black and white illustrations, suggested character levels, and other familiar touches. From that moment on, my face lit up with enthusiasm, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off it throughout the entire gaming session.

As a devoted enthusiast, I’ve found myself captivated by an RPG that breathes life into an intriguing black and white art style. The main pops of color come from the dice rolled during skill checks, combats, or when you bring up the “map,” which is reminiscent of a page torn from the module we’re delving into. Everything appears hand-drawn and carries an old-book charm that I adore.

Initially, I thought it would be a typical grid-based adventure, but that notion was quickly shattered as we move in real time instead. Interacting with doors, switches, and the keep itself feels like playing a classic first-person shooter game. To be honest, given my expectations of something closer to Wizardry or Etrian Odyssey series, where you advance square by square, this unexpected twist was delightful, even if it didn’t quite feel as traditional tabletop RPG (TTRPG)-ish.

In contrast, the game offers an enjoyable dice-based battle system reminiscent of tabletop gaming. You and your team will take turns rolling dice to attack enemies, considering their armor class and types of damage. Additionally, managing the positioning of your villagers between the front and back lines adds a layer of strategy. Initially, every character starts as a level 0 villager, gaining unique skill trees only at level 1 – a design derived from the B/X edition of D&D. Consequently, the initial stages of gameplay can be perilous, with any character’s demise possible, whether by an enemy’s attack or, as in my experience, a fall into a latrine pit – quite an unfortunate way to meet one’s end.

It’s quite intriguing that occasionally, a character’s demise can turn out to be advantageous for the surviving members. Each character in this game possesses a special ability known as Mortal Favor, which becomes active after they perish. My character Starla, who unfortunately fell down a hole, had the power of Altered Destiny. This ability granted the party the privilege to re-roll a single attack roll result once during every combat. Given this free re-roll in combat, you can imagine my excitement! Furthermore, with these Mortal Favors at play, I find myself pondering over the possibilities of bizarre yet potentially game-changing combinations if only one character remains alive while possessing five of these abilities simultaneously!

In simpler terms, Hunter Bond, director at DreadXP (publisher of Weepstone) and one of its developers, shared that they decided to create Weepstone as a self-contained tabletop role-playing game (tRPG) story rather than a video game story. Originally, the plan was to write and design levels like modules for tRPGs, even using room descriptions and instructions similar to those found in such modules. During the project’s development, they discovered that running these old modules required substantial work, including creating interactions, dialogues, etc.

This discovery led them to realize that classic modules like Keep on the Borderlands or Palace of the Silver Princess were essentially frameworks meant for player creativity and fun. This realization influenced their decision to shift from adapting an existing module to using a story that Hunter and another developer, Sean, are creating together.

After completing development, I plan to use any extra time for writing additional content in module formats for the game. These modules will represent the adventures you’ve played, allowing you to experience them again with your own D&D group when Weepstone launches. This content may potentially be shared through various channels once the game is finished. In addition, I hope that having these usable modules could inspire players to explore and share classic tabletop RPG experiences using compatible OSR or OSR-adjacent rule sets like Old School Essentials or even the original Basic/Expert boxes with their gaming friends. So, in essence, not only will you be getting an engaging video game that doubles as a practical DM guide, but also another one to enjoy during your next tabletop RPG session with your friends!

Weepstone seems to align perfectly with many of my preferences in gaming, making it feel almost custom-made for me. Its dark art style, versatile character configurations, game mechanics inspired by tabletop RPGs, and detailed stats and equipment, have captured my attention. My initial playtime has already propelled it onto my list of most eagerly awaited games for next year. Currently, you can add Weepstone to your wishlist on Steam, with an estimated release date set for sometime in the upcoming year.

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2025-09-12 18:57