Once confined to basements and hobby shops, Dungeons & Dragons (otherwise known as D&D) has surged into popularity, reshaping how people socialise and form relationships.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created the tabletop roleplaying game in 1974, urging people to create fantasy realities filled with maps, monsters, and magic, with a storyteller, or Dungeon Master (DM), to guide players through these imaginary worlds in a shared and improvised story.
In the late 70s, the popularity of D&D within college campuses and gaming conventions rose massively, while at the same time causing mass controversy, as critics falsely linked the game to the occult. While these claims were widely debunked, they still stained the reputation of Dungeons & Dragons in the public’s eye.
Interest in the game climbed further after Fifth Edition was released in 2014, making the game far easier and more flexible for a newer (and often younger) audience, while still remaining enjoyable for old-school fans. Around this time, social media led to people broadcasting their campaigns to the internet, resulting in podcasts such as Critical Role and D&D Is For Nerds, introducing millions to the game and making it accessible for everyone to not just play, but also watch.
Decades later, the popularity of Dungeons & Dragons is a testament to how we value imagination and community.