Jim Dan Hill Library: Tabletop Role-playing Games Guide: History & Discussion Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games

History Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Tabletop role-playing games have been around for a long time. These resources look into their history, reviewing both the positive and negative aspects.

TTRPG History Books

Dangerous Games

Call Number: Garden Level: GV1469.6 .L395 2015

This book examines the height of the 1980s concerns about fantasy role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. It discusses the background and social importance of this concern.

A black cover with illustrated figures. A large, red, demon-like creature holds a spiked mace and a person in its hands. In front, a woman and man face off against the creature, weapons in hand.

Side Quest : A Visual History of Roleplaying Games

Call Number: Graphic Novels: GV1469.6 .S64 2024

This graphic novel is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about tabletop role-playing games. It looks at the history of these games, from ancient times to today.

An illustrated cover of two people playing a roleplaying game. On the table in front of them are maps and dice.

Discussion Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Tabletop role-playing games are more than just simple games. Below is information about different studies, presentations, and other explorations that highlight the benefits of playing TTRPGs.

TTRPG Discussion Books

Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy

This e-book is a collection of essays that explores the philosophy of Dungeons & Dragons.

A red cover that has a small cutout of illustration. In the image, a armored warrior rides a horse, swinging their sword at a huge, green dragon.

Role-Playing Game Studies

This e-book brings together different studies on role-playing games to assist new researchers in exploring this topic.

The cover is entirely triangles, all sides touching another. Each triangle is a different color and has a distressed, faded look.

TTRPG Discussion Videos

D&D Taught Us How to Run Great Teams | Khaled Abdel Rahman | TEDxSantaClaraUniversity
This is a video of a TEDx Talk that shows how Dungeons & Dragons helps increase teamwork.
Length: 8 minutes.
Defeat Your Demons with Dungeons & Dragons | FANDOM UNCOVERED
A video that looks at the affect Dungeons & Dragons has had on players' lives.
Length: 28 minutes.
Developing Social Skills through Dungeons & Dragons | Jamie Flecknoe | TEDxCherryCreekWomen
This video of a TEDx Talk looks at how Dungeons & Dragons can improve players' social skills.
Length: 13 minutes.
Games Are Serious Fun: Mark Rein-Hagen at TEDxTbilisi
This video of a TEDx Talk by a game designer looks at how games can be educational.
Length: 13 minutes.
Saving your Brain with Dungeons & Dragons | Cade Heaton | TEDxBallStateUniversity
This video of a TEDx Talk looks at using Dungeons & Dragons as a therapeutic tool.
Length: 8 minutes.
Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You (In Real Life) | Ethan Gilsdorf | TEDxPiscataquaRiver
This video of a TEDx Talk looks at how Dungeons & Dragons can improve life skills.
Length: 23 minutes.

TTRPG Discussion Additional Resources

Blessed Are the Legend-Makers: Experimentation as Edification in Dungeons & Dragons.
This article discusses how people who play Dungeons & Dragons often feel a sense of personal growth: a positive change that can be both enriching and transformative, sometimes even feeling like a way to escape difficult or unhealthy living situations.
A critical hit: Dungeons and Dragons as a buff for autistic people
This study looked at how TTRPGs might offer a safe environment for autistic adults to build connections with others while also participating in creating characters and imaginary worlds.
Imaginative Role-Playing as a Medium for Moral Development: Dungeons & Dragons Provides Moral Training
This study looks into how imaginative role-play games can help young adults improve their moral reasoning skills.
It's Dangerous to Go Alone: An Ethnography of Friendship Through Tabletop Gaming Communities of Practice
This paper looks at how these communities of practice are built and supported by the different people involved, and how they create identities and meaning through their participation in tabletop gaming.
Pivotal Play: Rethinking Meaningful Play in Games Through Death in Dungeons & Dragons
This article looks at how people experience death in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and how these shared experiences affect players.
Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of an Average Player
This article examines how playing Dungeons & Dragons affects players' mental and social well-being, while also exploring both the positive and negative aspects of using D&D in a therapy context.
“It Might Have a Little to Do with Wish Fulfillment”: The Life-Giving Force of Queer Performance in TTRPG Spaces
This article discusses how tabletop role-playing games can create a safe environment for LGBTQ+ individuals to explore their identity.