Why D&D Means So Much to So Many People | Adventure Never Ends: A Tabletop Saga | TIME

From dungeon-like basements to worldwide phenomenon, ADVENTURE NEVER ENDS: A TABLETOP SAGA explores how tabletop roleplaying games have fought their way through decades of trial by fire to emerge at the height of pop culture— now shaping and bringing together millions of lives through storytelling. The film takes a behind the curtain look at a community of fans and creators, as well as youth programs who use tabletop roleplaying games to promote socialization, team building, and empathy. Adventure Never Ends: A Tabletop Saga features interviews with Matthew Lillard, Deborah Ann Woll, TJ Storm, Kate Welch, Xander Jeanneret, Luke Gygax, and more. Directors: Douglisio DiMuccio & Rob D. Miller Cinematography: Idan Menin, Carissa Dorson, Illiana Ipes Editors: Douglisio DiMuccio, Rob Miller, Aaron Pagniano Additional Editors: Jason Gudasz, Spencer Showalter Producers: Douglisio DiMuccio, Rob Miller, Aaron Pagniano Executive Producers: Justine Simons, Jason Chase Tyrrell Composer: Jonathan Snipes Sound Mix: Endless Noise Color: Apache Digital Watch on Kanopy: https://ti.me/3J5QPL1 For more TIME Documentaries: https://ti.me/3n5gbOw Subscribe to TIME’s YouTube channel ►► http://ti.me/subscribe-time Subscribe to TIME: https://ti.me/3D1lhAc Get the day's top headlines to your inbox, curated by TIME editors: http://ti.me/the-brief Follow us: Twitter: https://ti.me/2ZFgDcN Facebook: https://ti.me/2Y6eeaT Instagram: https://ti.me/2Y6efeX 0:00 How Dungeons & Dragons Changes Lives 0:47 Why D&D Was Once Seen as a Nerdy Hobby 1:52 CJ Storm on Dungeons & Dragons and Creativity 2:16 How D&D Helps People Socialize 3:31 How Role-Playing Inspired a Career in Acting 4:46 How RPGs Help Players Explore Identity 5:56 Luke Gygax on Growing Up With Dungeons & Dragons 6:42 Gary Gygax, D&D’s Success and the Satanic Panic 10:01 Peter Atkinson and Wizards of the Coast 10:36 How Magic: The Gathering Helped Shape Tabletop Gaming 11:13 Making Dungeons & Dragons More Accessible 11:43 The Modern Resurgence of Tabletop Games 12:28 How Twitch and Live Play Changed D&D 13:25 Acquisitions Incorporated and the Rise of Live D&D 15:07 Critical Role, Streaming and D&D’s New Audience 15:51 How Dungeons & Dragons Helps Kids Learn Social Skills 17:12 Game to Grow and Therapeutic Tabletop Role-Playing 18:17 How D&D Helps Kids Build Confidence 20:13 Role-Playing as a Safe Space for Identity 21:25 Making Dungeons & Dragons More Inclusive 23:21 Gary Con and Honoring Gary Gygax’s Legacy 24:33 How the Pandemic Changed Tabletop Gaming 27:11 Playing Dungeons & Dragons Online During COVID 29:35 Why People Love Dungeons & Dragons 30:54 Returning to In-Person Tabletop Gaming 33:36 Gary Gygax’s Legacy in Lake Geneva 34:53 Why Dungeons & Dragons Is More Than a Game 35:31 The Power of Communal Storytelling 36:47 How D&D Helps Players Escape and Keep Going