4 ms·

You seem to be quite knowledgeable about board games, so I'm curious if Stranger Things has led to an uptick in popularity of D&D and the D&D influenced ones yo

by clw8 9y ago

You seem to be quite knowledgeable about board games, so I'm curious if Stranger Things has led to an uptick in popularity of D&D and the D&D influenced ones you mentioned. Luckily I live in a big city so I was able to find a nice business to try out the game with friendly people, after watching the show.

parasubvert 9y ago
D&D and the like remain popular, though the latest craze are “RPGs in a box” which require less of the planning / time suck of a good campaign. There is a board game company that is very popular & uses Kickstarter a lot, called “Cool Mini or Not”, which reminds me a bit of the kids in Stranger Things. There are a variety of excellent minister miniature dungeon crawlers (Zombicide Black Plague for feeling like super heroes vs zombies, Arcadia Quest for PvP) or strategy games (Blood Rage), or tactical combat/thematic games (The Others, which is an all vs. one game of corruption and redemption tactical combat and horror elements like Stranger Things or IMO the Buffy spinoff Angel). There are also some other great RPGs in a box like TIME Stories, Descent, and Star Wars Imperial Assault (the latter two are nearly the same system , all vs. One style gameplay). The big excitement however is lately about Gloomhaven, which might rise to top game on BoardGameGeek next year (and deservedly).
- james-skemp 9y ago
  Descent actually has an app that you can run (tablet or PC) that will play the part of the enemy. Not required, like Mansions of Madness 2e, but a nice way to play cooperatively. Imperial Assault is supposedly getting an app like this soon as well.
Merad 9y ago
D&D was already in the middle of a popularity surge when Stranger Things came out last year. Fifth edition (5e) came out in 2014 and somehow managed to make the gameplay more streamlined (and appealing to new players) while also being popular with current and past players. In 2015 you had Critical Role (live Twitch show) and The Adventure Zone (podcast) both appear and be hugely successful. I’m sure Stranger Things deserves some credit for showing D&D to a wider audience, but I don’t know if it’s been a significant factor.
plandis 9y ago
Stranger Things has made me want to try DnD but I also know zero people who play in Seattle :-/ Same problem with trying out Pandemic: Legacy. Damn social anxiety.
- pacaro 9y ago
  Have you checked out https://moxboardinghouse.com https://moxboardinghouse.com they have an events calendar and a very friendly atmosphere.
- navbaker 9y ago
  I have horrendous social anxiety and discovering local game stores has been one of the best things to happen to me. Something about knowing that everyone is there for the same purpose of enjoying a shared experience in whatever board game/RPG/miniatures games world I prefer is extremely liberating and makes my anxiety melt away.
  - b0rsuk 9y ago
    Same here. I feel uncomfortable in informal meetings, and having a clear set of rules (in a board game) makes me much more comfortable, and I gradually relax.
- swdunlop 9y ago
  When I moved to Seattle, the D&D Encounters program was just getting started in the local game stores. That was an excellent way to meet other gamers in the area. That program has evolved into the Adventurers' League, which expanded Encounters to include groups outside of participating stores. Card Kingdom / Mox is very popular; if you have some anxiety, I would recommend one of the other game stores in town. Meeples Games in West Seattle is very friendly and laid back. Uncle's can be chill, too, but I have not attended an event there since the Southcenter store closed. I recommend checking the Adventurers' League site and visiting a few events at different locations; find which one matches your interests, best. Let the staff know you're new in the area and looking for a group; they'll redirect you to an organizer who will do their best to find you a table. Alternately, there's a plethora of local gaming conventions around Seattle. Adventurers' Leagues are usually there, too. Same drill -- show up, let them know you're new and looking for new friends.
cthalupa 9y ago
Everyone else has covered this pretty well, but since you did ask me, I figure the polite thing to do is respond! D&D and other pen and paper RPGs have been on the rise since before Stranger Things, and I think ST making it a plot element might be due to that, more than the other way around. We've also seen a bigger push for some 'simpler' RPG systems that are a less rules heavy to try and entice newcomers to the genre. Fate has been the big one here, but others have stepped into the ring, and Fantasy Flight Games, which is a big name in the board game world, just released the Genesys rulebooks, which are based on their 'Narrative Dice' systems, which uses much simpler rules than a more traditional d20 style system. They had previously used it for their Warhammer and Star Wars RPGs, but Genesys is meant to be general purpose for whatever setting you may like.

by clw8 9y ago

parasubvert 9y ago

D&D and the like remain popular, though the latest craze are “RPGs in a box” which require less of the planning / time suck of a good campaign. There is a board game company that is very popular & uses Kickstarter a lot, called “Cool Mini or Not”, which reminds me a bit of the kids in Stranger Things. There are a variety of excellent minister miniature dungeon crawlers (Zombicide Black Plague for feeling like super heroes vs zombies, Arcadia Quest for PvP) or strategy games (Blood Rage), or tactical combat/thematic games (The Others, which is an all vs. one game of corruption and redemption tactical combat and horror elements like Stranger Things or IMO the Buffy spinoff Angel). There are also some other great RPGs in a box like TIME Stories, Descent, and Star Wars Imperial Assault (the latter two are nearly the same system , all vs. One style gameplay). The big excitement however is lately about Gloomhaven, which might rise to top game on BoardGameGeek next year (and deservedly).

james-skemp 9y ago
Descent actually has an app that you can run (tablet or PC) that will play the part of the enemy. Not required, like Mansions of Madness 2e, but a nice way to play cooperatively. Imperial Assault is supposedly getting an app like this soon as well.

Merad 9y ago

D&D was already in the middle of a popularity surge when Stranger Things came out last year. Fifth edition (5e) came out in 2014 and somehow managed to make the gameplay more streamlined (and appealing to new players) while also being popular with current and past players. In 2015 you had Critical Role (live Twitch show) and The Adventure Zone (podcast) both appear and be hugely successful. I’m sure Stranger Things deserves some credit for showing D&D to a wider audience, but I don’t know if it’s been a significant factor.

plandis 9y ago

Stranger Things has made me want to try DnD but I also know zero people who play in Seattle :-/ Same problem with trying out Pandemic: Legacy. Damn social anxiety.

pacaro 9y ago
Have you checked out https://moxboardinghouse.com https://moxboardinghouse.com they have an events calendar and a very friendly atmosphere.
navbaker 9y ago
I have horrendous social anxiety and discovering local game stores has been one of the best things to happen to me. Something about knowing that everyone is there for the same purpose of enjoying a shared experience in whatever board game/RPG/miniatures games world I prefer is extremely liberating and makes my anxiety melt away.
- b0rsuk 9y ago
  Same here. I feel uncomfortable in informal meetings, and having a clear set of rules (in a board game) makes me much more comfortable, and I gradually relax.
swdunlop 9y ago
When I moved to Seattle, the D&D Encounters program was just getting started in the local game stores. That was an excellent way to meet other gamers in the area. That program has evolved into the Adventurers' League, which expanded Encounters to include groups outside of participating stores. Card Kingdom / Mox is very popular; if you have some anxiety, I would recommend one of the other game stores in town. Meeples Games in West Seattle is very friendly and laid back. Uncle's can be chill, too, but I have not attended an event there since the Southcenter store closed. I recommend checking the Adventurers' League site and visiting a few events at different locations; find which one matches your interests, best. Let the staff know you're new in the area and looking for a group; they'll redirect you to an organizer who will do their best to find you a table. Alternately, there's a plethora of local gaming conventions around Seattle. Adventurers' Leagues are usually there, too. Same drill -- show up, let them know you're new and looking for new friends.

cthalupa 9y ago

Everyone else has covered this pretty well, but since you did ask me, I figure the polite thing to do is respond! D&D and other pen and paper RPGs have been on the rise since before Stranger Things, and I think ST making it a plot element might be due to that, more than the other way around. We've also seen a bigger push for some 'simpler' RPG systems that are a less rules heavy to try and entice newcomers to the genre. Fate has been the big one here, but others have stepped into the ring, and Fantasy Flight Games, which is a big name in the board game world, just released the Genesys rulebooks, which are based on their 'Narrative Dice' systems, which uses much simpler rules than a more traditional d20 style system. They had previously used it for their Warhammer and Star Wars RPGs, but Genesys is meant to be general purpose for whatever setting you may like.