Booksology Many people don’t understand what roleplaying games (RPG) are, and a lot of misinformation exists about them. During the satanic scare of the 1980s, the popular RPG Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) received a bad rap. Spoiler alert: it’s not! It’s just a fantasy game where your mind can run wild.
Steenz and Samuel Sattin share the history of RPG along with their personal stories about their RPG experiences in the graphic novel “Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games.”
The most popular RPG in the world, which has been experiencing a resurgence because of shows like Stranger Things, is D&D. It received a bad name with political religious extremists in the US because it has witches and mystical creatures. We will always have a group of people who call things they don’t understand evil.
RPGs can trace their roots even before that including the Han Dynasty of 200BC China, 6th Century India, and Ancient Rome. RPGs have served military purposes. Military leaders like Napoleon wanted a way to simulate battlefield scenarios. Closer to modern times, the CIA also funded the development of a RPG to help with spycraft.
I enjoyed learning about the development of D&D, which occurred within the last 60 years. The book was sensitive by pointing out some of the shortcomings of the game, which included its sexism and racism. It also mentions how RPGs, just like the rest of society, keeps evolving.
I recommend this book for fans of RPGs, and those interested in its history. This is also a good book for parents whose kids play RPGs. It will provide an understanding about the appeal of these games.
