Dungeons and Dragonshas been experiencing a big upswing in popularity since the release of its fifth edition ruleset back in 2014. The popularity of theNetflix seriesStranger Thingsprovided a boost in visibility, as its main protagonists began the show playing the tabletop game and helped expose a new generation of players to the popular tabletop game.
Meanwhile, video games andDungeons and Dragonsare no strangers, as many big gaming RPG properties began life as adaptations of rules fromDnD,and there are many entries inside the main canon ofDnDto have graced the video game landscape. With the early access toBaldur’s Gate 3and the upcoming release ofDungeons and Dragons:Dark Alliance,the next wave ofDnD-based videogames is just beginning.
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After twenty years since its last release, and a definitive edition remaster release,Baldur’s Gate 3is in early access on PC and has been met with largely positive reviews. Some players take issue with balancing between the various classes inBaldur’s Gate 3but overall the game has been met with positivity. WithDungeons and Dragons:Dark Allianceon the horizon, many players are pondering the possibilities of the next video games set in the storied universe ofDungeons and Dragons.
Fifth Edition Tabletop and Next-Gen Gaming
Back in late 2019, Hasbro announced that there would be seven-to-eight newDungeons and Dragonsvideo game properties coming in the near future. Apt fans correctly predicted the return ofBaldur’s Gateafter nearly twenty years, as well as a newDark Alliance. TheDark Alliancegames thus far have been an attempt to translate the rules-heavy and strategic gameplay mechanics ofDnDinto a hack n' slash format more similar toDiablothan to some recent tactical outings likeDivinity Original Sin.The world ofDark Alliancerelies heavily on thehuge influence of writer R.A. Salvatoreand the protagonist Drizz’t as he makes his way across the Sword Coast.
While most fans ofDnD’s forays into the video game space were glad to hear of the return of these two gargantuan properties, many were left to ponder the possibilities of what other games would still be on the way.DnDencompasses many different settings and styles of storytelling that offer options to be adapted into video games in a myriad of ways. Thehero-focusedDark Allianceis entering a space heavy with other titles that have similar frameworks likeDiabloandMarvel’s Avengers,but the staggering variety of settings and characters that exist in theDnDmultiverse offer many options for video game content.
In the modern gaming space, it can safely be assumed that at least two or three of these proposed properties will likely be mobile outings. Games likeKnights of Pen and Paperdid a lot to capture the essence of what a mobileDnDgame might be, and Hasbro has likely paid attention. The prevalence ofDnD Beyondand other virtual tabletopsis hard to understate after the year that was 2020, and Hasbro is likely exploring ways to capitalize on an increasingly-digital tabletop landscape. Whether these properties are new forms of VTT or outright games is a matter of speculation for many fans that are keeping tabs onDnD’s digital future.
But with the onset of next-gen gaming consoles and PC hardware, and theseemingly incipient fantasy renaissance, many of those same fans are pondering what next-genDnDgames might look like. With its wide berth of content, settings, and genres,DnDis a well from which many video games could theoretically be drawn. The new technical possibilities afforded by improved hardware leave the door open to more immersive and more player-impacted worlds, andDnD’s variety of content allows for potential developers to match gaming trends with the properDungeons and Dragonstreatment.
Dungeons and Dragons Video Game Possibilities
Delving like a new adventurer into an unknown dungeon, many fans are left to ponder the possibilities of what newDungeons and Dragonsgames before or afterDark Alliancemay be. With the extensive history and sprawling variety of settings inside of the coreDnDlore, those options seem nearly limitless. The popularity of titles featuring sea-faring adventure likeAssassin’s Creed 4: Black FlagsandSea of Thievescould open the door for a similarly nautical adventure game set during the events inGhosts of Saltmarshcomes to mind. The mechanics for seafaring and ship maintenance would blend well into an adventure rife with the classicDnDstyle that abounds in that setting.
Stealth games have remained consistently popular both for their divergence from the run ‘n’ gun nature of many modern games and the capacity for unique storytelling like in theDishonoredseries. Therogue class is a perennial favoriteamong fans ofDungeons and Dragons,making the possibility of a game set as an operative inside Waterdeep as an agent of the thieves' guild outlined inXanathar’s Guide To Everythingenticing. And with the latest expansions to the rules in sourcebooks likeTasha’s Cauldron of Everything,that alone guarantees that there could be a wealth of options for aDnDvideo game even if it focuses on on class within its wide gaming system.
On the large-scale speculative side, a proper follow-up in the MMO space is something many fans ofDnDandNeverwintermay be hoping for. Again, with the approaching seventh-year anniversary ofDungeons and Dragons’fifth edition on the horizon, there is a wide berth of possible options to help flesh out a large-scale MMO game set inside theDnDuniverse. Video game representations of themany subclasses available toDnDplayerscould translate well into the MMO space, which encourages player options and community interaction in a way that was pioneered by its tabletop forebears.
WithDark Allianceon the horizon andBaldur’s Gate 3healthily into its early-access lifespan, the video game space forDungeons and Dragonsis rife with possibility and many eager players are hoping that theupcoming release ofDungeon and Dragons:Dark Alliancewill merely be the vanguard in an upcoming charge ofDungeons and Dragonsvideo game properties on the way.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Allianceis set for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One sometime in 2021.
