We don't really think of it that way, but if you're familiar with D&D you'll feel right at home playing Arcana. Compared to D&D, Arcana is: • More exploration based. Other TTRPGs are basically about killing monsters and getting treasure. There's a place for that in Arcana, but the main focus is on exploring a fantasy world and using your findings to advance your own magical ability, and perhaps that of the entire academic field of spellcraft! • Way more customizable in terms of character options and abilities for both players and GMs. • Considerably crunchier than D&D for some gaming tables. If your table like to play with lots of crunch, the standard rules of the game will appeal greatly! If your table doesn't like crunching numbers, Arcana enables and encourages you to run it "on vibes". • Class-free! In Arcana, you don't pick a class that rigidly defines what your character can or can't do. You simply decide what you want your character to be able to do and then pursue that goal in-game! You can certainly take inspiration from classic fantasy tropes, but you get to decide how to do it. If you want to play a druid, you'll study plants and animals to incorporate them into your spells. If you want to play an eldritch knight, you'll study the blade and invent creative spells to enhance your combat ability. • In some ways deadlier than D&D. Hit points are much lower in Arcana compared to other TTRPGs, but character death is harder to achieve. You're far more likely to be injured than die from taking damage. It's up to you to use your magic to protect and heal yourself and others!