Why the Cool Kids Are Playing Dungeons and Dragons

I’ve always considered myself nerdy, but when I was younger I thought I wasn’t that nerdy to play Dungeons and Dragons. Years later a woman I had a crush on was starting a campaign with some mutual friends so of course I jumped in. When she left the group prematurely to go to a university, I stayed because it was just so much fun. These days I get bummed out if I don’t have a weekly game of some sort to play.

The reason why it’s cool is that it’s essentially an unlimited budget, sandbox video game/film of any setting or dynamics you want. Most people think of Dungeons and Dragons as the only game of its type but there are so many more. I’ve played in a futuristic cyberpunk dystopia, an episode of Star Trek, a blasted radioactive Mad Max landscape where different realities have messily converged, a medieval land where dragons are the ruling class, infiltrating a clockwork/steampunk aristocrat empire, and a bunch more that I’m forgetting.

You also engage with people face to face, make food together, catch up on things, exercise improv skills, and goof around too. I once played a female Druid (I’m a man) but used a weird version of my voice and claimed I had been cursed to speak like that).

With the exception of a trending multiplayer shooter game or two, I generally don’t play computer games anymore. With the right people there’s so much more nuance, depth, and variety with table top role playing games.

I’m currently getting ready to be the GM of a Dungeon World campaign. I really like the variety of community made supplements available to it, and it’s philosophy of player->GM->player feedback loop driving the action.

I literally started a group 2 weeks ago. Six 30-40s adults played for 5 hours straight and not a single person touched their phone the entire time.

Fucking magic

I play DND with my friends because there just isn't much local multiplayer in gaming anymore.

Where as I used to be able to huddle around the N64 with 4 controllers playing Goldeneye with my friends, or passing the controller round to play Worms Armageddon. Nowadays everything is online, which makes connecting to friends easier, but doesn't beat the feeling of being in the same room and laughing with your friends.

I started playing AD&D in seventh grade a very long time ago. The cool kids have always played Dungeons and Dragons. Best distraction and creative thinking platform ever.