RPG Evolution

Recent & Upcoming Releases

June 18 2024

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977

(Dungeons & Dragons)
History of D&D.
Replies (128)
July 16 2024

Quests From The Infinite Staircase

(Dungeons & Dragons)
Adventure anthology for character levels 1 to 13.
Replies (264)
September 17 2024

D&D Player’s Handbook (2024)

(Dungeons & Dragons)
Revised 2024 Player's Handbook.
Replies (156)
October 1 2024

Monstrous Menagerie II

(Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition)
The sequel to the acclaimed monster book!
Replies (43)
November 12 2024

D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024)

(Dungeons & Dragons)
Revised 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide.
Replies (120)
February 18 2025

D&D Monster Manual (2025)

(Dungeons & Dragons)
Revised 2025 Monster Manual.
Replies (89)

Game Design Like a Boy Scout: Week 5 - Dungeons & Dragons

After several weeks of demonstrating the different types of games to our Boy Scout troop, it was time to play the most challenging game of all: dungeon mastering a 25-person Dungeons & Dragons group.

May 6, 2019 2

RPG Evolution

Game Design Like a Boy Scout: Week 4 – 1-2-Switch

Our third game was a combination of party game and video game: 1-2-Switch, which is basically a bunch of mini-games you play with the Nintendo Switch.

Apr 29, 2019 1

RPG Evolution

Game Design Like a Boy Scout: Week 3 - Family Feud

Our second game was Family Feud with a twist -- Star Wars! -- and the workshop on a whole was much more organized thanks to the lessons we learned from playing Jenga.

Apr 22, 2019 1

RPG Evolution

Game Design Like a Boy Scout: Week 2 - Jenga

Our first of four games we studied was Jenga, and it was about as chaotic as you might expect.

Apr 15, 2019 7

RPG Evolution

Game Design Like a Boy Scout: Week 1 - What’s a Game?

When my son joined Boy Scouts, I decided to teach the Game Design Merit Badge to his Troop.

Apr 8, 2019 5

Dungeons & Dragons' roots stretch all the way back to wargaming and it has a subtle influence on play that's sometimes forgotten today. Early D&D relied heavily on henchmen and hirelings, who often rounded out a group that could number as high as 20 members. This sort of play affected the kinds of D&D, from expectations on mortality rate to distribution of treasure. Picture courtesy of...

Jul 9, 2018 76

RPG Evolution

How the Scouts Teach Gaming to Kids

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts both teach gaming elements as optional badges to their membership. But when it comes to introducing role-playing games, they each take a different approach.

May 21, 2018 10

RPG Evolution: Do We Still Need "Race" in D&D?

The term "race" is a staple of fantasy that is now out of sync with modern usage. With Pathfinder shifting from "race" to "ancestry" in its latest edition, it raises the question: should fantasy games still use it? “Race” and Modern Parlance We previously discussed the challenges of representing real-life cultures in a fantasy world, with African and Asian countries being just two examples...

Apr 2, 2018 1,100

RPG Evolution: How a RPG Changed the Star Wars Universe

The unstoppable franchise that is Star Wars is back in the headlines thanks to the blockbuster success of Rogue One, a film that delves into the sci-fi epic's detailed backstory. It's easy to forget that when Disney acquired the Star Wars license and redefined what was canon, the company declared that the tabletop role-playing game was an integral part of defining the universe. The Legacy...

Dec 26, 2016 92

RPG Evolution: The Crazy Origin of the Dungeon

Dungeons & Dragons is known for the titular dungeon, but its origins are a little more prosaic than wargames alone. It turns out there was a formative experience in co-creator Gary Gygax's life that would inspire dungeon exploration. A Link in the Chainmail It's telling that Chainmail, Gygax's rules for miniatures combat, featured mines but not dungeons. Jon Peterson explains in Playing at...

Apr 11, 2016 8

RPG Evolution - D&D Does Digital Part IV: Online Communities

Wizards of the Coast's forums are yet another casualty of the tension between the owners of the Dungeons & Dragons brand and the fan community. The fans have always strongly influenced the evolution of the fantasy role-playing game, in some cases more than the brand itself was willing to admit. With the flattening of power structures created by the Internet, it raises the question: Who really...

Nov 9, 2015 26

RPG Evolution - Minecraft: The Gateway to D&D

Minecraft has become ubiquitous with kids everywhere who are obsessed with the crafting game, and for good reason: the game has a presence on every major game console, raking in over $300 million in revenue in 2014. Although it might seem children are frittering away their time glued to screens, my kids' transition to Dungeons & Dragons was so effortless that Minecraft may be one of the most...

Oct 5, 2015 5

RPG Evolution: Is the OSR Dead?

As kids who grew up with Dungeons & Dragons have gotten older, they've entered a new phase of gaming. These adult gamers now have enough influence as customers and game designers to return tabletop gaming to its roots. But if their efforts to bring back a past industry end up shaping the future of gaming, is it really Old School anymore? Picture courtesy of Pixabay. The Four Year Cycle To...