When the Light Goes Out

There’s been a lot of noise lately about the one-hour torch timer in Shadowdark, and most of it comes from people who haven’t actually played the game. I keep pointing this out because once you do, it becomes immediately clear that the torch rule is not arbitrary. It is essential to how the game creates tension, risk, and atmosphere.

In Shadowdark, darkness is not just mood lighting. It is danger. When the torches go out, the game enters the Deadly condition. That is a defined mechanical state where the GM begins checking for random encounters every crawling round. You are no longer just exploring. You are in survival mode, and every moment counts. 

What makes this even more powerful is that no one in Shadowdark has darkvision. There is no fallback. No elf cutting through the dark. No wizard spamming a Light cantrip for free. The Light spell does exist, but like a torch, it only lasts one hour of real time and takes a spellcasting check. You carry a torch or a lantern, or you are blind. That is it. Darkness is not an inconvenience. It is a countdown to danger.

This is why the real-time torch timer matters. It is a shared, objective measure that every player can see. You have one hour of light. When it ends, the Deadly condition begins. If torch duration were left up to the GM’s judgment, it would feel inconsistent or punitive. You might get ten minutes one session and twenty the next, all depending on how the GM is feeling. That kind of uncertainty makes the danger feel unfair.

With a set timer, the pressure becomes part of the game. Players make real decisions. Do we press deeper or turn back now? Do we use our last torch or save it for the way out? Time becomes a resource just like hit points or spells, and the looming threat of darkness shapes the entire dungeon experience.

This mechanic is not a gimmick. It is not nostalgia for the sake of it. It is good design. The torch timer gives structure to the danger. It supports the core loop of risk and reward. It turns exploration into a timed challenge without needing any extra mechanics. And most importantly, it makes the dungeon feel alive, hostile, and real. 

If you have only read the rulebook but never played with the torch burning down in real time, then you have not truly experienced what makes Shadowdark different. Let the light fade. Let the dungeon go Deadly. Only then will you understand why the torch timer is not just a rule. It is the heartbeat of the game.