Why Dungeons & Dragons has become popular again

More than a hype -- Mike Giuffrida

Image source: theverge.com
Dungeons & Dragons, or D&D for short, is the pioneer of not just tabletop gaming, but role-playing games or RPGs in general. It has been around since 1974, reached much popularity in the ‘80s, but is not seeing an unprecedented era of success. Indeed, more and more people are playing the fantasy game in the late 2010s and there’s no sign of the hype dying down anytime soon. Mike Giuffrida.


One of the main reasons for the resurgence of D&D is its role in the popular Netflix series "Stranger Things." The otherworldly setting of the entire show mimics the so-called “Underdark” of D&D lore. The first season of the series even begins with the child protagonists playing D&D in one of the boys’ basement.

Mike Giuffrida. Moreover, the rise of the digital age has helped with D&D geeks broadcasting actual or live plays of the game on streaming services such as YouTube and Twitch. Studies show that over half of the new players of the game got into it because they’d watched people playing online.

Image source: patheos.com
The game’s newfound success is also a result of people being more familiar with (and now getting better access to) long-running podcasts devoted to it, like Critical Hit and Nerd Poker, as well as new ones like The Adventure Zone. Even Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert is now reliving his childhood and getting more involved in D&D campaigns. Indeed, D&D fandoms are getting bigger all over the world, further boosted by dedicated social media forums and Reddit threads. Mike Giuffrida.

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