# Dungeons & Dragons

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/dungeons-dragons/

7 people recommended Dungeons & Dragons in Hacker News comments, 5 had mixed feelings and 16 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 8 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Criticized more than recommended: critics say it is combat-heavy and rules-bound; those who recommend it cite strong rules, character progression, and the friendships formed through play.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## What people warn about

- Rules-heavy, clunky and complex (4 comments in the sample): "very rules heavy and opinionated to the point it makes adapting it to other genres awkward at best" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017344)) "its rules are this awkward hybrid of legacy cruft and some modern ideas" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49983008)) "Dungeons & Dragons fails fundamentally as a rules/rulings-bound game." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49548186))
- Too combat-focused (3 comments in the sample): "5e also assumes pretty high amount of combat encounters per day to keep all classes in balance" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47724082)) "It is way too combat focused and video gamey." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47718053)) "D&D is better as a video game." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47719411))
- Company stewardship and ownership concerns (3 comments in the sample): "companies seem to use D&D as a base not because it serves the game, but because it has lower "buy-in" for customers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49087115)) "trying to take ownership over everything players create in the D&D universe" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47926381)) "has been a horribly short-sighted steward of Magic and DND" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47926294))
- Other systems seem better (2 comments in the sample): "D&D is the most popular system while inferior imho to a lot of others" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49787597)) "I have tired of the modern 5e/Pathfinder type games" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49087390))

## Why people recommend it

- Clear rules and ability progression (2 comments in the sample): "D&D’s rules are very strongly laid out; it rule books spend lots of time on combat, looting, and buying." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017642)) "DnD has both and that combined with ability progression I think really locks people in to the system" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49091518))

## What people recommend instead

- [Pathfinder 2e by Paizo](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pathfinder-2e/): 3 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Dungeons & Dragons", https://hackerapproved.com/p/dungeons-dragons/ (7 recommend, 5 mixed, 16 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.