50 years of Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons, the world’s first pen & paper role-playing game, turns 50 years old this year. It is one of the most important phenomena in gaming during the past century – if not the most important one. Dungeons & Dragons has undeniable significance as a phenomenon in gaming and popular culture that has spanned generations, but it has also influenced gaming culture as a whole. Countless modern video games utilise concepts originally introduced in Dungeons & Dragons, such as hit points, levels and character classes – not to mention the monsters and creatures introduced in the game.

First published in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons has undergone a number of changes during the course of its history. About half a dozen versions with varying contents have been published, the latest being the fifth edition of the game. You can study all of these in the Finnish Museum of Games’ 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons exhibition that opens on 8 May 2024. In addition to the various editions of the game, the exhibition looks at computer games, novels and films inspired by Dungeons & Dragons as well as its players and the worlds that they have created. Dungeons & Dragons is not only a game but also a part of DIY culture – each dungeon master adds their own flavour into the games they run and the players modify the games in their desired direction.

50 years of Dungeons & Dragons is intended for everyone interested in games: passionate RPG fans, friends of the Dungeons & Dragons computer games and those only learning about the phenomenon.