Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974, which is generally treated as the year the game was invented and released to the public.

Core answer

  • The tabletop role‑playing game Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in the early 1970s and released in its first commercial form in 1974.
  • It was published by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules), the company Gygax co‑founded to bring the game to market.

Quick historical context

  • D&D evolved from miniature wargames like Chainmail, which Gygax and Arneson adapted to focus on individual characters and fantasy storytelling rather than large army battles.
  • The original boxed set contained three small booklets—“Men & Magic,” “Monsters & Treasure,” and “Underworld & Wilderness Adventures”—that laid out the first version of the rules.

Why 1974 is the key date

  • Earlier experiments and playtests (like Arneson’s Blackmoor campaign around 1971–1972) helped shape the rules, but these were private, evolving prototypes rather than a finished product.
  • Because of that, historians and fans usually answer “When was Dungeons & Dragons invented?” with the public release year: 1974.

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