I’m sure you’ve heard of Dungeons & Dragons, especially with the rise of shows like Stranger Things, where the heroes constantly play or reference the game. If you’ve never heard of D&D, or you have heard of it but don’t really know what it is, or that there are other games like it, this article is for you.

Dungeons & Dragons is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TtRPG). This means a few things. For one, it’s not a video game (though video games based on it have come out). It’s played on a table, like a board game. Secondly, it’s not a board game, for there is no board necessary to play. Instead, the entire game exists only in the words you use, and the images you imagine. Third, it’s a game that you cannot win or lose, but instead play a roll in a larger story.

The way…