Once upon a time, two creators had an idea for a game, a world where anyone could be the hero or the villain of their own story. With a pen in one hand and D20 in the other, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created the first incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 and the rest, as they say, is history. More than 40 years and five generations of rules later, we have an entire generation of gamers that grew up on this build-your-own-hero style story.
D&D may have been something enjoyed in dank basements and dark bedrooms in the past, but as more celebrities come into the light about their D&D origins, the game has become almost cool. It also served as the inspiration for more than 40 years of games.
If you’re a D&D fan, here are some of our favorite games inspired by the iconic brainchild of Gygax and Arneson.
Dungeons and Dragons Online
This might be a bit of a given, but if you want to talk about games inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, you can’t overlook the massive 15-year old MMORPG, Dungeons and Dragons Online. The two creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, even provided the voiceovers for a few of the early campaigns such as Delera’s Tomb and Valak’s Mausoleum.
Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Online
Neverwinter is one of the many realms where adventurers can ply their trade and become their own hero within the realms of Dungeons and Dragons.
Neverwinter Nights and it’s sequel allow the player to explore the realm of Neverwinter as you figure out how to save the world. Neverwinter Online is the online multiplayer extension of the story, providing much more open-world for adventurers to explore.
Code Hero
Code Hero is a fun little game described as a “first person code-em-up” that, in addition to providing an enjoyable adventure story, teaches players how to create their own games.
Code Hero is the brainchild of Alex Peake who directly credits his Dungeons and Dragons games as his inspiration. “When you play Dungeons and Dragons, you have the challenges of a writer, an improvisational actor, and a game designer all wrapped into one, “ said Peake. “The moment you play D&D, you’re a game developer.”
According to many game developers, Dungeons and Dragons can be a tool for building all sorts of life skills, too. Who knows what other games are out there because of D&D?
Icewind Dale and Baldur’s Gate
Icewind Dale and Baldur’s Gate get lumped in together for our list because they’re essentially digitized versions of D&D campaigns in their respective kingdoms. If you’re a fan of the dungeon-crawler style video game, both Icewind Dale and Baldur’s Gate are excellent entries in the franchise.
While Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance does have some of the familiar aspects, it’s a different style of game and might not appeal to fans of the original.
Diablo Franchise
D&D might have pioneered the dungeon crawling game-style, but Diablo — the brainchild of developer Blizzard — perfected the genre.
Diablo and it’s sequels are some of the best examples of the dungeon-crawling genre in the industry, pitting your character, chosen from a variety of classes, against the very Lord of Destruction himself.
Dragon Age Origins
Let’s leave the dungeon crawling mechanics behind for a moment and focus on another aspect of D&D — party building.
If you don’t have a well-balanced party, beating the final boss becomes an enormous challenge. That sort of gameplay is precisely what you get in the Dragon Age Origins and the franchise’s sequels.
The Dragon Age universe plays into the ‘be your own hero’ mechanic that makes D&D so appealing, with the decisions you make affecting both the game’s outcome and even the outcome of the following games.
Final Fantasy
One thing that’s been constant in D&D since the very beginning is the character classes.
You’ve got a number of different jobs to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Magic users can cause untold amounts of damage but can’t take many hits. Warriors can soak damage but can’t use magic or heal.
Even when you play the Final Fantasy VII remake, you may think of D&D! Final Fantasy’s class system was directly inspired by D&D, dating all the way back to the first incarnations of the game.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Finally, let’s head to a galaxy far, far away, set long before the Skywalker Saga. The Knights of the Old Republic games are a science fiction homage to everything that makes D&D great, from party dynamics to decisions that affect the overall outcome of the game. There are even romance options for that inner-bard that just has to seduce everyone.
Looking Back to Look Forward
The games we discussed are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve come a long way since Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson brought us the first incarnation of Dungeons and Dragon, but the worlds they created still provide all sorts of inspirations, and will continue to do so for decades to come.