You would think a global pandemic that has stopped us from meeting in person wouldn’t do any favors for the popularity of games such as Dungeons and Dragons. But we must be a dedicated bunch, because tabletop roleplaying games have only seen a growth in popularity, as we take our campaigns to Discord instead.
In fact, Hasbro reported a revenue increase of 24% from TTRPGs (courtesy of WSJ), even while the company as a whole was down 8% from 2020 to 2021. With this explosion in growth as we stay indoors, it stands to reason that the general public will start to take more of a notice.
BroadwayCon, a digital convention for the broadway and theater community, is hosting a panel on TTRPGs, specifically on how actors can use the game to practice their craft and have an outlet for their creativity while they’re unable to work.
The panel includes Star Trek Discovery actors, Blu del Barrio and Anthony Rapp, as well as Andy Mientus from The Flash, and Surena Marie and Omega Jones from Critical Role.
And that isn’t all for the TTRPG community - this boom could be here to stay. The popularity has risen so much than Hasbro is creating an entire division in the company dedicated to maintaining the growth; expanding the existing TTRPGs we play, and creating new ones.
BroadwayCon isn’t the first time this year that the once nerdy and private experience of D&D met the real world. Earlier this week, Comic Relief started offering a real life D&D experience for charity. This would see players take to Warrick Castle, England, for two days, under the helm of a professional DM. Attractions include archery, sword fighting, a whole lot of wine, and an actual real life sword for the lucky winner (although probably more blunt than what you’d deck your character out with).
For a chance of attending, aspiring players can enter a prize draw at £10 a go. The winner will be drawn April 4, with the event presumably going ahead once our in-person D&D games can resume, albeit without castles.
Source: BroadwayCon