No more nerds: how Dungeons & Dragons has finally become cool | Games

In the last days, the ancient walls of Langley Castle in Northumberland sounded like sword cries and screams of battle against angry goblins.

A gang of mercenaries emancipated a caravan of slaves, a princess captured a corrupt warlock, and then there was this unfortunate affair with the dark elf mad wizard.

The entire castle was taken over by a group of 42 players – mostly Americans – who had each paid a royal ransom of $ 4,000 (£ 3,200) to play Dongeons & Dragons for four days in a real medieval fortress. turned into a luxury hotel.

Formerly not cool enough and ridiculed for the nerds, D & D – as the players call it – is back and it's a big deal. Aided by his portrayal in television shows such as Foreign Things and The Big Bang Theory, and the peak of interest in the fantasy genre created by Game of thrones, D & D hardware sales have increased in double-digit percentages in each of the last five years. With more than 40 million players, the game is more popular than ever since its invention in 1974.

Actors such as Drew Barrymore and Matthew Lillard are fans. The author and intellectual Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke of his love for this. Trendy bars and cafés all over Britain hold D & D nights, and Games Workshop, the RPG sales store, posted record profits last year, allowing to reach a market value of more than £ 1.5 billion.

The entrepreneur Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop in 1975, was responsible for the creation of D & D, created by an American game creator and now published by Wizards of the Coast, owned by Hasbro, in the UK. over 40 years ago. He is still involved in the games industry.

"I think one of the most important factors in D & D's current success is an American Web series called Critical Role, which has its own channel on Twitch. [a live streaming platform for gamers], and is also on YouTube, "he says." This is a group of really cool professional voice actors who play D & D and broadcast their session continuously, making it a kind of sport for the audience. They had 68 million views – it's like watching spontaneous theater without a script, and that has helped bring D & D to new audiences. "

Livingstone was also involved in the video game industry, which was supposed to sound the death knell of "analog" games such as D & D. So why did not the video kill the RPG store?

"People do not want to live all their lives in a digital space, they also want analog entertainment," Livingstone said. "We are seeing the same thing with the resurgence of board games, vinyl records, physical books. I think people need a balance between digital and physical. "

James Newman is a professor of media at Bath Spa University and a researcher in games and gaming cultures. Despite the role played by online platforms such as Twitch, he says, "The growing popularity of D & D could be due to the virtuality and immateriality of digital games. D & D remains an intrinsically physical and material experience, with books, dice, character sheets, etc. It is also very often a game that is played face to face, around tables.

"If we look at the game itself, we see that it has changed a lot in recent years. There has been a significant shift in focus from the complexity of rules, game mechanics and statistics, to more story-telling and story-rich worlds. As a result, the game is more accessible and more inclusive than ever before. "

In the last season of Strange things, which set new audience records for Netflix, the heroes turn their back on D & D, now that they are teenagers, but in reality, 60% of players are over 25, according to Wizards of the Coast . Nearly two fifths of the players are women and this proportion is increasing.

In the 1980s, D & D and other RPGs took part in the "satanic panic" aroused by alleged ritual abuse and were seen by some as a gateway to devil worship. It is now thought that playing could have therapeutic benefits.

Aoife Wilson, head of video on the Eurogamer gaming website, said: "I've talked to people who used their D & D characters as channels to channel or manage their own grief and trauma, and I've been talking to people who have been using their D & D characters as channels to channel or manage their own grief and trauma, and I spoke to Dungeon Masters. [the person who runs and referees a game] who have written and built campaigns around real events, which has led to honest and stimulating discussions within their friendship groups.

"Ultimately, D & D is an interactive narration that encourages friendly collaboration, creative thinking, active listening and a strong sense of problem-solving, all in a safe, social and positive environment. Playing and developing your character can also help build your confidence. "

The Langley event was organized by a Canadian company called D & D in a Castle, which is already recording bookings for next year's trips. Players included a medical physicist, a lawyer and a financial investigator.

Margaret Livingstone-Evans, Executive Director of Langley Castle, said, "They are very kind, interesting and polite people. They talk about wanting the castle for a few months next time. "