The tile reads: Lanternlight a setting-neutral tabletop roleplaying game for players as young as 8

Lanternlight grew out of the games that we played as a family. It’s designed to be flexible, creative, narratively-focused, and quick to learn.

I have been playing TTRPGs with my kiddo for as long as I can remember. About a year ago, when they turned eight, they wanted to create their own game. A year later, we are proud to share Lanternlight with other young gamers.

A hand-drawn drawing of a silly fox with moth wings. Their name is Lucky, and they were Anika's first character in Lanternlight.

If you’re looking for a game that you can play as a family, Lanternlight is a great place to start.

The lead designer of this game was nine years old when it was published. With the support of their parent, it has all the polish you’d expect in a commercial product.

Design credits

The system was developed through a process of iteration and collaborative play, with Anika (age nine) deciding what was working and what was not. 

Other lightweight d6 systems that Anika had played (like Atlas Games’ Magical Kitties Save the Day and Michael Low’s Stories RPG) were influential in its foundational design.

  • Andrew (Anika’s parent) articulated the rules that Anika developed through play. Anika, in turn, edited and revised the written rules until they were satisfied with the result.
  • Anika created all of the artwork in the book and had the final say on layout decisions. 
  • The example of play was a retelling of an adventure that was undertaken by Anika, their mother, Monique, and Andrew.
An excerpt from the book reads: Anika imagines what drives Lucky - what makes her do hard things or not give up? She decides that Lucky really values her friends and wants to support them and keep them safe. They helped her when she needed it, and she wants to be there for them too. Anika discusses this with her Storyteller and they agree that Lucky’s Heart will give bonuses when she is helping her friends, but not when she is doing something for herself or for strangers. She might even get a penalty when she tries to do something that would endanger or upset one of her friends. Anika writes “friendship” next to “Heart”.

What makes this game great for kids?

  • uses only six-sided dice (d6) and only requires counting (no sums)
  • has no game terms to memorize
  • can be adapted to any setting or genre on the fly
  • has no distinct rules for combat 

Players describe their characters without jargon, choosing adjectives and verbs to paint a picture of their capabilities.

What is this project’s status?

The rulebook is complete and available to purchase now! We’re excited to share that other families in our region are already enjoying their own adventures in Lanternlight!

Physical copies

The first physical copies of Lanternlight were sold at Anika’s elementary school winter marketplace in 2025. They’ll be for sale at PAX East in 2026. The book can also be purchased online!

Digital copies

Lanternlight is available for download online from Andrew’s itch.io page.

How can we support Lanternlight?

We’d love to continue to develop Lanternlight! We have three guest writers and artists who we will invite to create settings (with small rules augmentations) for Lanternlight games.

We hope these editions of the game will inspire folks because they are excited about the setting or give folks new ideas for their already existing Lanternlight games.

Community copies

In collaboration with Lyndhurst Free Press and the Lyndhurst Education and Advocacy Foundation (LEAF), we’re thrilled to offer free community copies of Lanternlight. If you work in a school or community setting and want to bring games to the folks you work with, you are welcome to download a community copy of the game. 

If the cost of the game is prohibitive and a barrier to enjoying it with your family, you are also welcome to download a free community copy of the game.

Printable character sheets

Download and print these character sheets or make your own!

Character Sheet
Color Character Sheet

Thank you to LEAF

A portion of all sales will be donated to the Lyndhurst Education and Advocacy Foundation.

Lyndhurst Education and Advocacy Foundation supported the development of Lanternlight by providing support with editing, layout, publication, and web-hosting at no cost.

Media Kit

You can find our media kit online here.