Why D&D?

D&D has enjoyed a massive resurgence in the past 5 years, with no sign of stopping. With over 40 million people playing, it accounted for over a billion dollars in revenue last year and has become the profit center of the Hasbro brand portfolio (the CEO of D&D’s parent company was just promoted to CEO of all of Hasbro). Some of the biggest streamers on Twitch are playing D&D, where Critical Role has become a cultural phenomenon that’s branched out to comics, merchandise, and its own animated series. The game also enjoys a broad diversity of players, with half of all players between the ages of 25 and 40 (39% female) the stereotype of the basement-dwelling teen boys of the ‘80s no longer applies.

D&D is an activity that usually involves up to six players (the “party”) and a “Dungeon Master” (DM). Each player controls a heroic character in a setting the DM has created in a fantasy world of elves, dragons, and things you’d see in a Lord of the Rings movie.

As a team, the party has a goal, a finite set of resources, and skills that are unique to each team member. They have to use these to create and execute their plans together, usually to unexpected results.

Work analog

Sound familiar? That’s because yes, this is an analog for work, but without the stresses of real-life work. It’s an activity that rewards creative thinking and teamwork and can be ridiculous, suspenseful, hilarious, and thrilling, usually all in the same session! Employees collaborate toward shared goals in a low-stakes setting every week and create bonds that enrich their working relationships.

It’s also an excellent way to transcend barriers between teams. An Account Manager and Creative Director may not always see eye to eye, but they get to be united against the evil sorcerer in their D&D game. A CEO oversees her entire company during the day, but after work, she can stand on equal footing with her direct reports and bond over fighting goblins.