[1] TSR hired outside writer John Eric Holmes to produce the Basic Set as an introductory version of the D&D game.

[2] The rulebook is intended for characters of levels one through three, with rules for adventuring in dungeons, and introduces the main concepts of the game;[2] it explains the game's concepts and method of play in terms that make them accessible to new players ages twelve and older who might not be familiar with the rules and structure of tabletop miniatures wargaming.

Although the Basic Set was not fully compatible with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, players were expected to continue play beyond third level by moving to AD&D,[2][3] which was released beginning later that year.

Holmes preferred a lighter tone with more room for personal improvisation, while Gary Gygax, who wrote the Advanced books, wanted an expansive game with rulings on any conceivable situation which might come up during play, and so could be used to arbitrate disputes at tournaments.

[7] Peterson wrote "as Arneson's lawsuit loomed, TSR made a very pointed substitution to the contents of the Basic Set: they rotated out the Dungeon Geomorphs and Monster & Treasure Assortment booklets, replacing them with Mike Carr's In Search of the Unknown module.

Previously, when Arneson sought a 5% royalty on the whole contents of the Basic Set, he was effectively asking for money that was going into Gygax's pocket.

[2][12] Peterson commented that "because Keep on the Borderlands would ship with the Moldvay Basic Set, at the height of the D&D boom in 1981, it became one of the most widely known modules in D&D history, selling 750,000 copies a year.

[2]: 147 In 1991, TSR released a new version of the Basic Set, labeled The New Easy-to-Master Dungeons & Dragons Game and nicknamed the "black box".

Inspired by the SRA reading program,[19] the front of each card features a discussion of a single facet of the rules, such as non-player characters, hit dice, or initiative rolls.

[20] The set also includes a Dungeon Master's Screen which doubles as a folder for the cards, fold-up cardboard pawns, a color map sheet, and dice.

Edited by Doug Stewart, it removed the tutorial cards of the "black box", incorporating the material into sidebars within the single 128-page Rules and Adventure Book.

Having called the original D&D set "the most illiterate display of poor grammar, misspelling, and typographical errors in all of professional wargaming", Freeman was pleased that this edition had been written "by someone outside the TSR establishment who knew a noun from a verb, and the difference shows".

Freeman gave this game an Overall Evaluation of "Very Good", concluding: "It's still preferable to participate in an ongoing campaign, but if you must venture into RPG country without a guide, this is the first place to visit".

[13] In a retrospective review of Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set in Black Gate, Scott Taylor said: "In the 'box' I had it all, the player's book with the classes, the experience charts, and the equipment.

The dungeon master's booklet provided the finer points of the rules, the monsters, and the treasure I'd be able to find after hard-fought battle".

[25] Scott Taylor for Black Gate in 2014 listed the Mentzer edition Basic D&D Boxed Set by Larry Elmore as #2 in The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time.