Strings
How will your dungeon string everything together, or has the fraying already begun?
Submissions are in!
Now organizing and preparing for Judges.
The red thread of fate, the sound of a lute, the tool of the puppetmaster, the lure to a trap. Strings connect us, bind us, and unravel. Your dungeon contains a string (perhaps tangible, perhaps not) that will guide or mislead adventurers into rewards or peril.
As always, use of the theme in the One-Page Dungeon Contest is optional, but we hope it gives you inspiration for a great dungeon in the One-Page Dungeon Contest this year.
2026 Entries
In the order received - Updated Every Weekend Through July
1
Thread of Darkness
Martin A. Cubas
In Thread of Darkness, a missionary vanishes down a remote river in a Heart of Darkness-inspired D&D hexcrawl. With empty boats returning and guides refusing the route, your party must venture from a tense settlement into the wild to uncover his grim fate.
Weird Adventures by Martin A. Cubas
2
Septembra's Silk Cavern
raza6
Dive into Septembra’s Silk Cavern, follow the silky thread and discover what threatens nearby villagers.
3
Cobwebs and Tripwires
Robert Jarrell
The Tunnels of Drahgran has become home to a tribe of kobolds and their spider allies in recent years. kobolds have dug an interconnected network of murder holes along the tunnels used by the defenders to flee, snipe or ambush intruders and filled the dungeon with traps
4
Earl Lang’s Oodles of Oddities
Sam George
Shrink to the size of a bee and hide from raccoons while searching an eccentric hoarder's manor for its deed
5
Theseus Is Dead
laumry
FelineAvian - Playtester
SullyTames - Playtester
wil - Playtester
(from the OSR, NSR and Terra Discord servers)
Deep within the labyrinth: an agonised scream, and a bestial roar of triumph. Woe, woe, direst woe: Theseus is dead. Theseus had a sword in his hand and divine blood in his veins. You have the clothes on your backs and your bare mortal wits. How will your group of sacrificial offerings survive?
6
The Loosest Thread
Senator Bix
City detectives investigate a murder by a magical poison.
7
Up The Threaded Tree
Willem-Jan
Pepijn - Co-writer
Douwe - Playtester
Denise - Playtester
Teuntje - Playtester
Caitlin - Playtester
Mathijs - Playtester
Lonneke - Playtester
Farmer Johnson is losing his “special” sheep; a strangely woven tree seems to be related. Fight, sneak or deceive your way through the branches in a desperate attempt to save the flock!
8
Threads of the Golden Goat Giants
Dylan Barker
Far above the valleys, where only goats and clouds wander, stands a lonely stone dwelling. To its owners, it is simply home. The Golden Goat Giants spin the finest thread from the hair of their mountain goats. Kings covet it. Priests wear it. Merchants pay fortunes for a single bobbin.
9
Hillside Grist Mill of Doom
John Budzien
The mill holds the answer to a local mystery. People have gone missing, and the miller's family seems very suspicious.
10
Old Tangle: A Folk Horror One Page Dungeon
Roger Alton Speer Jr
After the county fair, people begin disappearing from Bellwether. Their trail leads to Widow Mercy’s cabin, where Old Tangle has woven each captive’s pain into a false memory. Can your Characters free the missing townsfolk before the Heart Loom finishes its perfect prison?
11
Gretel's Labyrinth
Gweneth Malmquist
Gretel's Labyrinth is a whimsical delve into the mazelike extradimensional home of the powerful and paranoid Magus Gretel. With magic yarn, she never loses her way… but the same cannot be said of her visitors. Intruders (even accidental ones) seldom escape the twisting halls. Will you?
gwenverbsnouns
12
Against the Spider Lair
Matamagos
Merchants vanish on web-choked roads. Descend into a procedurally generated spider lair with modular tiles: wandering broods, cave goblin allies, cocooned survivors and a fiery climax in the Brood Cavern. Bring torches, burn webs, burn eggs!
13
The Circus of St. Ring
James McGrath
Carla Norfolk - Artist
Steal through the Circus of St. Ring, full of the most daring performers in the land, as you look to take back the magic scroll powering his automatons!
14
M.E.C.H.A. - Magic-Enhanced Clockwork Humanoid Automaton
David Doughty
Channon Doughty - Editor
After almost a century of peace, the daikaijū (“giant monsters”) have once again risen from the sea to threaten our island home! Your party must find the ancient M.E.C.H.A., fire up the magical engine that powers it, then pilot it out into the ocean to defeat the daikaijū!
15
Bugbears in the Bardroom
Jeff McKelley
A small Bardic College was once a thriving academy, but those days are long gone. The former college is now the lair of a bugbear tribe who frequently attack neighboring villages. It is rumored that an instrument of great power can be found within the lair.
16
The Wandering Loom
Shawn Connor
Julia Nelson - Editor
Drawn into a pocket workshop, the party must unravel the history of an arcane loom, overcome enchanted creations, and prove themselves worthy before being allowed to weave a masterpiece. Intended for a group of level 3-5 adventurers.
17
The Wheel Reversed
Will West
Venture into this tarot themed dungeon to encounter elemental traps, familiar faces, and thematic treasure. This dungeon is inspired by the tarot card, The Wheel of Fortune. When pulled upright it predicts fair fortune, but when reversed, it forebodes a foul cycle from which there is no escape!
18
Follow the Clew?
Seth Patterson
Autumn Patterson - Illustrator and Writer
The door to the Maze slams behind you. Follow the Clew if you trust it or find your own way out. Collect treasure for your patrons along the way, but avoid hungry flora and fauna. Don’t anger the Minotaur.
19
The Sinister Studio of Sadtar Khan
Hugo Vesper
In a remote village or a forsaken suburb, ethereal sitar music drifts from a peculiar house. Within, Sadtar Khan plucks at a Cursed Sitar, with which he has enslaved the locals. Rumours of sleep-walking bandits, or the rescue of a local warrior-poet, may lure heroes to explore this sinister studio!
20
Electrogunner Batterman 3: Tin Soldiers Strike Back!!!!
Klondika
EGBM3TSSB is a mascot SF dungeon that forces players to make at least 2 PCs. Confront Batteryman and the Tin Soldiers with wits and brute, and end misery of this sad ex-emporium for good!
21
The Narrator's Secret
Casey 'Basic Does' Tran
Richelle Peryea - Editor
There's a mystical theater that entertains Critters from all over. A party of mouse adventurers, a Mischief, are hired by Mrs. Thimble to investigate this place for her missing son, who disappeared after their last visit. Can the Mischief find her son amidst the tangled strings of web bound puppets?
22
Threads of Evil
Rhy Henderson
A crypt beneath burnt out ruins of a once wealthy tailor’s family home. Taken over by a cult of stolen secrets. What treasures hide within?
23
Mystery of the Old Bell Tower
Zephyr Barker
The town of Glakonville has heard haunting music coming from the old bell tower. People are frustrated and frightened by the music. The mayor asks the adventurers to investigate what is going on.
24
Hunt of the Cartomancer
Eric Oliva
A DM-less co-op vampire hunt where a single poker deck deals the lair, wakes the thralls, and plays the vampire against you.
25
Catgut
Tomas Gestinger
Mar von Zellen - Writing and Art
A beast is wreaking havoc in Maestro Ludovico's music shop, but not all is as it seems. His workshop holds dark secrets just below the stone floor. The Maestro is a fiend in disguise, hunting and using magical creatures to create his famous enchanted strings.
26
The Silkworks
Grace A
Delve into an ancient underground silk mill that hangs off the precipice of a dizzying abyss. Rediscover a forgotten shrine with the power to tug at the strings of fate. But extinguish your torches and step lightly, lest you draw the hungry ire of the slinking Nether Princess.
27
Intwangled
Ryan Moore
Being pro-small business can get convo-lute-d.
28
Puppet of Dragonlings
Karl Bogtsberg
A massive cave entrance holds an odd construct; lifeless, yet huge, and crawling with the dragonlings that constructed it. Soon, they will wage war on the cities of the surface, the Puppet at their forefront, powered by the soul of the ancient dragon, T'Kaa.
https://krummholzbaronygames.itch.io/ Krummholz Barony Games
29
All hail the flail!
Vincent Bettenfeld
Wielding a huge magical flail is all fun and games! Until, of course, someone fumbles and crushes their own head.
https://scotaire.itch.io/ Scotaire
30
A Mermaid's Thanks
Olesia K
As a thanks for saving her, a mermaid has given you directions to her old underwater home and treasures. She can't promise you it's still uninhabited, though.
31
Dinosaur Egg Hunt
Olesia K
You've been tasked by an archeology professor to explore a newly discovered island and bring back any live specimens (especially eggs) back for the university's new exhibit.
32
String Cheese
Jon P. (Gwion's Mistake)
Trapped in a pizza world while stealing from a giant. Escape or get eaten!
https://gwions-mistake.itch.io/ Gwion's Mistake
33
The Patchwork Bridge
Vansoul - Higor
Nubia Altina - Revisor
Carry the sacred Ark of Breath across a failing bridge before dawn. Six distinct spans react to weight, impact, wind, and movement as rising Tension triggers collapses, ambushes, and the attention of the tentacled Fisher.
34
Cat's Cradle
Jeremy Jaureguy
Joe Jaureguy - Graphic Designer
Meow! Welcome to Caitwaith Castle, I hope you enjoy all the Cat’s Cradles I have strung around for you to play with, maybe we can meet later for lunch? And don’t mind the Spider Cats, they're harmless… mostly. - His Gloriousness, Lord Chester Cat
The Brothers Guy
35
Survey of Chthonic Structures below Spiegelberg Cathedral
Gottfried Neuner
A short survey of the ancient chthonic temples below Spiegelberg Cathedral, their features and inhabitants, both dead and alive, as well as short notices on the secret night market held therein ever new and full moon
36
Conjunction
Josh Domanski
Gabriel Reich - Editor
A post-apocalyptic point crawl. It's been three years since the first victims were turned to monstrosities and civilization fell. Survivors persist, clustered in isolated communities. Its down to the Runners to connect the strands and save this region from certain doom.
37
The Pirate Queen's Lute
Eliezer Roller and Avi Fienstein
Long ago a Pirate Queen used her magic lute to make a place to hold her loot. Many dangers guard her treasure.
38
Character Strings
Steve Kilian
N/A
Arcane tiles have been discovered in the ore of a mine. During extraction the miners and equipment were exposed to magical flux. Many fell victim to these forces; others fled deep into the mine. Those who escaped tell conflicting tales of horrors in the dark and great magic stored in the tiles.
Steve Kilian
39
Mausoleum of the Hanged Woman
Paul Penna
When the hero Drustan arrived on the Isle of the Damned to defeat the necromancer Morholt, he was aided by the wizard’s sister Isolde. But Drustan failed to rescue her and she took the only escape left, the hangman’s rope. Now her spirit entreats adventurers to enter her mausoleum and free her soul.
40
The Last Concert
Merack & Marcus Martins
Rene Hendrick & Rick Troula - Playtesters
Legend tells of Arion, a bard driven mad while seeking the perfect melody. He sealed himself away with the Trumpet of Walls, an instrument that can shatter fortifications with a single blast. Only those who understand his music can claim it.
41
Deckrix Prison
Redwyrmling
Goblins have prisoners in their floating jail cells hanging precariously by ropes hundreds of feet above Deckrix Canyon and the raging river far below. Do the heroes have what it takes to traverse the dangerous ropes and wood plank bridges to rescue the innocent townsfolk?
42
String Theory
P. J. England
none
String Theory is a fun dungeon based on how much cats love string and playing with string. A Warlock believes all magic is composed of strings, he is almost right. The truth is he has a patron, a cat elder-god: Mew Del Gato, who loved the strings and yarns he uses, as so imbues them with magic...
43
Web Of Deceit
William D Renninger
Characters have been transported into a tapestry and must find their way out of the scenes.
Dungeondrafter.substack.com
44
Stringing up the conspiracy board
Marginalius
There's been a murder! Your brother lays dead, in the lobby of his detective firm. Can you solve his murder connecting the strings on his conspiracy board?!
45
Sandkill Canyon
Tony Pisculli
Rathgar gave up adventuring for the quiet life. Or so he says. He runs a small shop, just outside of town, equipping parties bent on tackling the mysteries of Sandkill Canyon. His true business model is killing adventurers and looting their corpses.
https://marginalius.itch.io/ marginalius
46
Side Quest: Murder Board!
Adam Myers
Alas. The Duke has been murdered! His magical ring is missing! In the wrong hands the ring's arcane power can be used to unleash untold evils. Find the killer, retrieve the ring and bring peace to the lands.
47
Sine Sino Frustra
Jacob Cordeiro
The heroes hack together a Reformation-era rack-and-pinion robot, and the players explore and join in the history of computational devices, in a setting inspired by the 1594 contract between John Napier and Robert Logan for a treasure hunt in Fast Castle.
48
ADVENTURER AFTER STRINGS
J. Ryan MacKenzie
none
Loose threads get tangled as the economic and political landscape will never be the same now that the mega dungeon has been cleared and the heroes have left town. That's when the players enter the scene.
49
Through The Twilight Miasma
Tatu Niittykangas
For as long as the villagers remember the mist has risen at dusk and preyed on their children. Follow the crimson thread through the mist and put an end to the curse plaguing these lands.
50
Strings of Thought
Sarah Morris
Dana Floberg - Editor
Where would we be without our calendars and reminders? Well, wizard Thunderbrook the Kind has discovered this very thing when his mobile trunk (with all his reminders inside) wandered off to listen to bird song.
Banananomicon
51
The Liberation of Aldora Morana's Crypt
Ariel Dacunha
Greg Stella - Character Creator
HEROES WANTEDT! The skeletons of late necromancer Aldara Morana have spun out of control, invading Arvoredo County's farms. We, the local farmers, need urgent help to destroy them. We pay well.
52
Wreck of the Damocles
Alexander Bero
For decades, the ancient trireme 'Damocles' has been a wreck, trapped on the rocks at the cusp of a waterfall. Legend says the Captain is still alive inside, and hiding from the Fates themselves. What treasures of ancient times await inside? Can this knot be untangled? Fortune favors the bold!
53
The Fandom of the Orchestra
Joe Rood
The orchestra has been taken over by The Fandom. With the performers and patrons held hostage under the theater, it'll take you and your crew to rescue them.
54
Keith's Incredible Contraption Conniption
Matthew Patrick
A friendly crayfish the size of a school piloting a mech shaped like him the size of a warship has run into the staffing issues. Its up to the party to get the mech back up and running and maybe explore the oceans!
55
Monastery of the Dead Jewel
LaffRaff of ORANGEeyes
Help a bargainer of bones rescue their macabre mentee from cyclopean priests. A small ShadowDark adventure site for levels 3-5
56
Temple of the Obsidian Goddess
Eugen Canic
Deep in the Amazonian jungle, a group of adventurers have discovered a long forgotten temple. Delve into the depths of this temple in this short and fun cat themed dungeon.
57
Quest for Merlin's Bow
Mister Rees
An Arthurian quest. The party are knights searching a forest for three components to craft a legendary bow.
58
Moirai's Strings
The Dungeon Archive
Vaank - Designer Sygdom - Illustrator
The Moirai can control creatures like a puppeteer and decide their fate, releasing and cutting thread with their scissors when their time is over. Open your way through many enemies controlled by the Moirai, make sacrifices of the past, present and future, and face the Moirai in the amphitheater.
59
No Strings Attached
Chris Johnson
Brennan Kelly - Layout
You awaken on a stage, an audience of shadows looms silently. A lantern hangs above. You recall stumbling across painted puppets hanging from strings in the backroom of the abandoned dollmakers’ shop. The lantern flickers, with each sputtering of the flame the shadows creep closer...
https://www.patreon.com/TheDungeonArchive The Dungeon Archive
60
Labyrinth in D Major
Karin Christiansen
Karin Christiansen - Kid, Sole Author Keaton Christiansen - Proud Dad, OPD Awareness Officer, Playtester, Idea Bouncer-Offer, Guy with Scanner and Email Address.
Legend has it that a noted bard's mystic harp rests hidden in these caverns. Who knows, though, what dangers, what puzzles, lie beneath the mountain? Use your wits to pluck the chords of musical adventure.
https://oneiromancypress.itch.io/ Oneiromancy Press
61
Mine Over Matter
Adam Shari'ati
Search for some lost gold in your great-great-grandpa's mine!
62
Escape from the Wizard's Garden
Siddiqua Haswarey
You are a rabbit and find yourself in a walled wizard's garden from which you must escape before you are baked in a pie!
63
The Time Lady's Last String
byMarcolino
The characters arrive at the foot of this strange tower precisely on the last day of the Time Lady's life. They can assume responsibility for the strings of time—either sacrificing themselves to maintain temporal cohesion or condemning the world to a chaotic time.
64
Edmund's Rock
David Stucker
Austin Rode - cowriter
Noelle Voglewede - artist
On a remote, rarely-traveled stretch of coastline near the fishing village of Holmchester, a ruined tower rises from the surf. Isolated on a small island offshore, the ruins are said to be unspoiled and unexplored.
bymarcolino.itch.io byMarcolino
65
Extraction!
MooseCastleMedia & Horrorseed
James - Writer/Editor Horrorseed - Artist
Explore the fossilized ruins of the Protodragon.
66
The Shrine in the Ashes
Austin Rode
David Stucker - Coauthor
Some neglected ruins dating to the sack of an ancient city, walled off in the vineyard belonging to prefect Quintus Plinius Valgus, are thought to hold a great treasure untouched for centuries.
67
The Bitter Sinking
Edwin Charoenpitaks
N/A
A sunken tide-cult shrine is rising back out of the sea. Grip the sacred Drowned Line to move safely through the flood, outrace a rising Water Log, fight the waterlogged dead, and crack a sealed vault before the tide reclaims it all.
68
The Lost Ruins of Ephyra
Corbin Dawkins
Legend says the City of Ephyra fell in a single day. Venture into the ruins if you dare!
https://kaizenstudio.itch.io/ Kaizen Studio
69
The Purloined Pie
Yusef A Shari'ati
The King's royal birthday pie has been stolen! Can it be recovered or is it already too late? Fear not! For the brave and stout of heart, ancient magics may yet save the day.
70
FEE FI FISHING FO MANFLESH
Roy Hornstra
A small floating island disguised by magical clouds is THE spot for these giants' leisure activity. Its alo the spot for YOUR DOOM!
71
Three Strings of Mother Weaver
Pedro "do Braseiro" Ferreira
Gabriely Montaño Rey
Mother Weaver spun three strings of web so her young could have a safe home. This creates three different environments within the same dungeon. There's plenty of adventure packed into just a few rooms.
72
VHS:RPG
Devin Orlando
Sean Meyer - Art
You are sucked into the movies! Battle other Cinemancers who harness the power of Movie Magic! Do you have what it takes to defeat the Video Hunter Society before you end up on the cutting room floor?!
https://torre-do-braseiro.itch.io/ and @torredobraseiro on Instagram.
73
In The Cat's Cradle
Joshna Lohaan
Akarsh Sharma - Creator Shashi Azad - Advisor
Just a bunch of fleas on the hunt for shots of toxoplasmosis so they can join their cat-crazy neighbors in a danse macabre. We've all been there.
https://ateamrpg.itch.io/ A-Team RPG
We're excited for another year of the One Page Dungeon Contest. We're getting our ducks lined up now and will be announcing the theme in June. Stay tuned for more updates coming your way soon!
-Todd
May 17, 2026
DUNGEON CONTEST 2025
RESULTS ARE IN
It has happened to every band of adventurers before: A fork in the forest road, two diverging treks in the cavern, a choice to join the king or the rebellion. Do you pick a path together, or do you separate, hoping to find double the spoils? Will you be rewarded for your ingenuity, or punished for your disunity?
For your one-page dungeon, your party will face important choices and decisions. Do you make the choice together, or choose multiple paths? Will independence and separation be rewarded, or will the warning of old once again be written on your tombstone?
NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY
While use of the theme is not required to enter the contest, we hope it inspires you to make your next great dungeon. Take the theme and apply it any way you wish. I am stoked to see the creative quandaries you put the players through. Submissions open on July 1, 2025!
-Todd
June 1st, 2025
The 2025 Dungeon Contest is approaching!
Greetings Adventurers!
The One-Page Dungeon Contest is coming back for another year! For the 17th year running, your challenge is to design a playable, fun dungeon that can fit onto a single page. Every submission that meets our submission rules will be available in a compendium for everyone to share and enjoy!
Each year, the contest features an open-ended theme to help you get inspired to craft your next dungeon masterpiece. For example, a previous theme of “And Still They Rise” inspired dungeons filled with undead, but also baking bread! This year we’ll have a theme that’s a play on a classic trope, it should create some exciting and dramatic situations. Use of the theme is always optional and won’t affect your score, so you are still free to craft the bespoke dungeon of your dreams. Just keep it to one page!
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Theme Reveal on June 1st
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Contest submissions open on July 1st
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Contest submissions close on July 31st
Get ready to showcase your creativity and compete for glory! This year’s One-Page Dungeon Contest features a panel of seasoned judges who will review entries for creativity, design, and playability. Prizes await the top dungeons, including publishing opportunities and fun surprises! Don’t forget: the theme will be revealed on June 1st, so mark your calendars and start brainstorming. In the meantime, join our Discord community to connect with fellow dungeon designers, swap ideas, and get inspired as you prepare your entry.
-Todd
May 12, 2025
Looking for some inspiration? We encourage you to explore entries from previous years' contests. You'll find a wealth of creativity that can spark your own ideas and help you elevate your submissions.
The 2024 One Page Dungeon Compendium
Our contest is open to anyone, anywhere, and submissions are completely free.