# Retro-clone

- Term: Tabletop term
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/retro-clone/

> A game that uses open game content to restate the rules of an out-of-print edition, usually early D&D, so it can be legally published and played again. Retro-clones such as OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry powered the [Old-School Renaissance (OSR)](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/old-school-renaissance/).

A game that uses open game content to restate the rules of an out-of-print edition, usually early D&D, so it can be legally published and played again. Retro-clones such as OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry powered the [Old-School Renaissance (OSR)](https://www.lanternhall.org/atlas/old-school-renaissance/).

**Origin:** The term is usually credited to Goblinoid Games, publisher of Labyrinth Lord (2007); the movement depended on the Open Game License of 2000.

## Quick answers

**What does "Retro-clone" mean?**
A game that uses open game content to restate the rules of an out-of-print edition, usually early D&D, so it can be legally published and played again. Retro-clones such as OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry powered the Old-School Renaissance (OSR).

**Where does the term "Retro-clone" come from?**
The term is usually credited to Goblinoid Games, publisher of Labyrinth Lord (2007); the movement depended on the Open Game License of 2000.

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