Neon lights, arcade games, adventure movies, horror flicks, summer camps, unlikely heroes, and inevitably VHS tapes: that was the 1980s. Now, we can experience (or re-experience) that era through a D&D lens, thanks to ‘80s Adventures, the latest brilliant sourcebook from Dice Dungeons.
Your first impression is inevitably that you are looking at a massive tribute to a decade that has evolved into a narrative genre all its own. All the era’s signature elements blend seamlessly with character classes, monsters, magic items, and dungeons. ‘80s Adventures doesn’t just slap a few pop-culture references onto standard fantasy; it aims to transform the 1980s aesthetic into genuine, playable concepts for the gaming table.
The new subclasses, magic items, monsters, and spells—all inspired by 80s pop culture—are unabashedly over-the-top. ‘80s Adventures isn’t trying to be subtle, but it wants to make players smile when they spot a reference while simultaneously offering Dungeon Masters something fresh to bring to the game.
Naturally, this is also its main limitation. If 80s pop culture doesn’t resonate with you, some of the charm might quickly fade. Certain ideas rely heavily on nostalgia and work best when used sparingly across a campaign or in a one-shot adventure.
‘80s Adventures is a supplement full of ideas, homages, and neon colors that is at its best when the group decides not to take itself too seriously. After all, that is its true promise: not just playing D&D, but playing D&D as if it were the movie we wished we were watching on VHS back in 1987.
