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.
Tickets £10 (plus booking fee)
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 Christopher 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.
GUEST PANELISTS
CHAIR
James Bennison is a comedian specialising in interactive comedy inspired by the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop role-playing. A regular at Brighton Fringe and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he creates high-concept solo shows that blend stand-up, improvised theatre and audience participation.
ADAM TINWORTH
Adam is a journalist and writer who co-authored two major role-playing games, Demon: The Fallen (2005) and Werewolf: The Forsaken (2002) from White Wolf Publishing. He was also an extensive contributor to Hunter: The Reckoning, a game line that was subsequently ported to video games.
He has become known as a commenter and analyst of digital journalism and social media.
PROF. ESTHER MacCALLUM-STEWART
Esther is Professor of Game Studies at the University of Staffordshire, specialising in player behaviour and analog games, including tabletop roleplaying games.
Her work examines the ways in which players understand the worlds around them and has written widely on aspects of gaming including gender in games, representation and diversity.
PROF. CHRISTOPH SEBASTIAN- DETERDING
Seb is Professor of Design Engineering at Imperial College, London and previously held the position of Chair Professor of Digital Creativity at the University of York.
He established the Gamification Research Network and co-authored The Gameful World and Role-Playing Game Studies.
This event will take place at Wagner Hall, West St. There is a licensed bar and wheelchair access available at this venue.
DOORS OPEN : 18:45
EVENT STARTS : 19:30
AUDIENCE Q&A : 20:30