We are fast approaching 2024, and with it, the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. This humble, nerdy role playing game has gone from small beginnings in 1974 to dizzying heights of popularity in recent years. Over 50 million people have played D&D since it was launched, according to Wizards of the Coast, the company that now owns the game. It’s been called the greatest roleplaying game ever and is widely thought of as the pinnacle of nerd culture. But what exactly makes D&D so popular?
Created by Gary Gygax and David Arneson in 1974, D&D had its first boom of popularity in the 1980s. After that, many players moved onto the brand-new world of videogames, and the emerging internet. However, in recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, D&D has gained in popularity, partly due to the media, and partly due to the game itself.
At the heart of D&D lies the storytelling. The players are working together to create a story, under the watchful eye of the ‘Dungeon Master', which is a very grand title for someone that spends a lot of time voicing goblins. The rules are simply there to make sure it doesn’t become too one-sided. And while beginners might think the rules are too complicated, they’re a winning formula. So much so that most modern video games - from sandboxes to first-person shooters - owe something to D&D.
When Stranger Things Season 4 came out in May 2022, it delved into the nostalgia of the 80s, and brought D&D out into mainstream media. Online shows such as Critical Role and Dimension 20 simply show other people playing the game and yet they have enormous followings. This year alone there has been a Hollywood Movie (Honour Among Thieves) and a hugely popular computer game (Baldur's Gate III) based directly on D&D.
Dungeons & Dragons is popular because you can play it any way you like: If you enjoy being creative, you can make it up as you go, and disregard most rules. However, if you crave some structure, there are pre-written stories you can buy. But perhaps the best thing about D&D is that you can do (or at least try to do) whatever you want. Whether you succeed against all odds, or fail embarrassingly, is up to the dice. However you play it, D&D delivers hilarious moments, builds problem solving skills, and stretches your creative muscles like nothing else.
But D&D is, first and foremost, a game, and not everyone is going to love it. For many, it remains a confusing and daunting mix of polyhedral dice, jargon and complicated sums. But for those that play, they know that the crazy situations, ridiculous running jokes and hilarious you-had-to-be-there moments are the real magic of the Dungeons & Dragons experience.
