Role playing games existed before DnD, they were story narrative games where people took turns extending the narrative. My elementary school set were very into

Role playing games existed before DnD, they were story narrative games where people took turns extending the narrative. My elementary school set were very into these oral improv narrative games, with our favorite being "dungeon" - a game apparently played by one of our set's grandparents when he was a kid, that was very much like DnD, but without the purchased items like dice, characters, or scenario books, purely oral, pure imagination.