Perhaps the publication of a fifth edition brought more people into the fold. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic and the advent of online gaming tools made tabletop role-playing games more accessible to the general populace. Or perhaps the stigma around nerd culture really is vanishing.
Whatever the reasons, the venerable RPG, Dungeons & Dragons, has exploded in popularity over the past several years. With the recent release of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the game system has truly arrived in the mainstream pop culture consciousness in a way it never had before.