"TPK, a combo brewery and gaming space that opened in 2023, eases entry for newcomers and provides a soft landing for the socially rusty. "Especially coming out of the pandemic, we had a lot of people in their mid-30s [who] were like, 'I have no way to connect with anyone,'" says Elliott Kaplan, TPK's CEO and one of its three founders. "Well, we'll throw you at a table. All the social interactions will be overseen by a GM.""
"That's Game Master for the noobs, the arbiter of rules and the narrative guide in a TTRPG. Part improvisational storytelling and part structured game, TTRPGs gather parties of two to eight to craft elaborate, ephemeral tales. While D&D draws from mythology and fantasy, other games center mystery-solving teens, space-faring scientists, or street-racing raccoons. A session typically lasts a few hours; players describe their character's actions using outlined rules, and dice dictate the consequences"
Dungeons & Dragons, developed in the early 1970s, remains the most popular tabletop role-playing game and sparked a broad TTRPG hobby. The hobby grew from niche to mainstream in recent years, aided by media exposure and movement into public venues like game shops, cafés, and bars. Hybrid spaces such as TPK Brewing, opened in 2023, lower barriers for newcomers and help socially isolated adults reconnect after the pandemic. Game Masters oversee rules and narrative. TTRPG sessions typically last hours, use dice to determine outcomes, and can string into campaigns lasting weeks or months.
Read at Portland Monthly
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