# Dungeon crawl

- Term: Tabletop term
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/dungeon-crawl/

> An adventure in which characters explore a confined labyrinth of rooms and corridors, fighting monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and hauling out treasure. It is the oldest scenario in roleplaying and the template for countless board and video games, from Dungeon! to Diablo.

An adventure in which characters explore a confined labyrinth of rooms and corridors, fighting monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and hauling out treasure. It is the oldest scenario in roleplaying and the template for countless board and video games, from Dungeon! to Diablo.

**Origin:** The underground expeditions of Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign (early 1970s), published with Dungeons & Dragons (1974).

## Quick answers

**What does "Dungeon crawl" mean?**
An adventure in which characters explore a confined labyrinth of rooms and corridors, fighting monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and hauling out treasure. It is the oldest scenario in roleplaying and the template for countless board and video games, from Dungeon! to Diablo.

**Where does the term "Dungeon crawl" come from?**
The underground expeditions of Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign (early 1970s), published with Dungeons & Dragons (1974).

---
From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.