Claim: Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game.

Dungeons & Dragons -LRB- abbreviated as D&D or DnD -RRB- is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game -LRB- RPG -RRB- originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson , and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules , Inc. -LRB- TSR -RRB- . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast -LRB- now a subsidiary of Hasbro -RRB- since 1997 . It was derived from miniature wargames with a variation of the Chainmail game serving as the initial rule system . D&D publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry .   D&D departs from traditional wargaming and assigns each player a specific character to play instead of a military formation . These characters embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting . A Dungeon Master serves as the game 's referee and storyteller , while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur and playing the role of the inhabitants . The characters form a party that interacts with the setting 's inhabitants -LRB- and each other -RRB- . Together they solve dilemmas , engage in battles and gather treasure and knowledge . In the process the characters earn experience points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions .   The early success of Dungeons & Dragons led to a proliferation of similar game systems . Despite this competition , D&D remains the market leader in the role-playing game industry . In 1977 , the game was split into two branches : the relatively rules-light game system of Dungeons & Dragons and the more structured , rules-heavy game system of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons -LRB- abbreviated as AD&D or ADnD -RRB- . AD&D 2nd Edition was published in 1989 . In 2000 , the original line of the game was discontinued and the AD&D version was renamed Dungeons & Dragons with the release of its 3rd edition with a new system . These rules formed the basis of the d20 System which is available under the Open Game License -LRB- OGL -RRB- for use by other publishers . Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 was released in June 2003 , with a -LRB- non-OGL -RRB- 4th edition in June 2008 . A 5th edition was released during the second half of 2014 .   , Dungeons & Dragons remained the best-known and best-selling role-playing game , with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$ 1 billion in book and equipment sales . The game has been supplemented by many pre-made adventures as well as commercial campaign settings suitable for use by regular gaming groups . Dungeons & Dragons is known beyond the game for other D&D - branded products , references in popular culture , and some of the controversies that have surrounded it , particularly a moral panic in the 1980s falsely linking it to Satanism and suicide . The game has won multiple awards and has been translated into many languages beyond the original English .