Announcing the 2026 One Page Dungeon Contest Theme:
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.
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.