THE DICE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: Dungeons & Dragons and the RPG Revolution

Advance tickets available at Eventbrite

We are hoping to widen the scope of topics that we cover at Brighthink and this is the first of many new event ideas for 2026.

From basement tables and hand-drawn maps to blockbuster video games and global streaming phenomena, Dungeons & Dragons didn’t just invent a game — it sparked a cultural revolution.

Join us on an adventure into the history, legacy, and enduring appeal of tabletop role-playing games, as we trace how their core ideas of imagination, cooperation, and storytelling laid the foundations for the digital worlds we now play in. Whether you rolled your first d20 decades ago or came to RPGs through Warhammer, World of Warcraft, or live-streaming, this is a chance to explore how a niche hobby became a cornerstone of modern gaming.
Our panel brings together a merry fellowship of voices from across the role-playing universe: James Bennison (Role Playing James), Adam Tinworth, writer and digital culture expert, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, game studies scholar, and Christoph Sebastian-Deterding, game designer and researcher.

They will venture into how player-shaped narrative became a game design philosophy, how RPG mechanics migrated from the table to the screen, and they’ll explore how the hobby has shifted, welcoming more women and diverse voices - embracing stories that reflect all kinds of players.

Seasoned adventurers and curious newcomers are welcome on this quest as we map the past, present, and possible futures of RPGs - and why dice still matter in an age of algorithms.