GB Feature: Dungeons & Desktops Second Edition Review

After delving into the depths of Matt Barton’s Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Role-Playing Games – Second Edition, we’ve taken the time to offer up a two-page critique of what you should expect from the nostalgia-filled book.

First of all, a lot has happened in the CRPG scene since 2008. The genre went from something no one but the most die-hard enthusiasts wanted to touch with a ten foot pole to an ubiquitous phenomenon permeating the entirety of the video game industry. Progression systems and skill trees can be found in most action games these days, playing pen and paper RPGs is somehow seen as a cool thing to do, and the so-called Kickstarter Renaissance has managed to rekindle a lot of interest in old-school CRPGs.

The second edition of Dungeons & Desktops reflects this by adding a number of new chapters that paint the genre’s future in a much more optimistic light than the original edition did back in 2008. But on top of that, the second edition offers plenty of new full-color screenshots and direct developer quotes that help better frame the overall picture. It also reorganizes the book’s contents and introduces frequent humorous interjections from the authors that serve as a welcome light-hearted contrast to the book’s usual dry and academic tone. It also features a preface penned by the one and only Chris Avellone, and a very relatable one at that.