''dnd'' is a

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

. The name ''dnd'' is derived from the abbreviation "D&D" from the original

tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

'', which was released in 1974. ''dnd'' was written in the TUTOR programming language for the

PLATO system Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institut ...

by Gary Whisenhunt and Ray Wood at

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

in 1974 and 1975. Dirk Pellett of

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of th ...

and Flint Pellett of the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Uni ...

made substantial enhancements to the game from 1976 to 1985. ''dnd'' is notable for being the first interactive game to feature what would later be referred to as bosses.

Gameplay

In ''dnd'',

players Players may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Players'' (1979 film), a film starring Ali MacGraw * ''Players'' (2012 film), a Bollywood film * ''Players'' (Dicks novel), a novel by Terrance Dicks, based on the television series ''Doc ...

create a

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

and venture into the multi-level Whisenwood Dungeon (a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words The game presents players with an overhead view of the dungeon, but also implements many basic concepts of ''

''. The Whisenwood dungeon consists of multiple maze-like levels. As players complete each level, they are allowed to advance to the next; however, players may return to previous levels and leave the dungeon altogether making ''dnd'' one of the first video games to use non-linear progression. As players complete levels, they acquire new spells, weapons and items that aid them in their

quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of e ...

to find the ultimate treasures. Teleporters move characters between dungeon levels. High-level monsters, including a Golden Dragon that guards the Orb, are found at the end of each dungeon. Leaving the dungeon allows one to recuperate and regain spells and return later. Dnd8won

References

Sources

* "Retro Playing Games", ''

Computer Games A personal computer game, also known as a PC game or computer game, is a type of video game played on a personal computer (PC) rather than a video game console or arcade machine. Its defining characteristics include: more diverse and user-dete ...

'', April, 2006, p. 36–37.

External links

cyber1.org
– ''dnd'' as well as many other dungeon games can be played on this system. {{DISPLAYTITLE:''dnd'' (1975 video game) 1975 video games Dungeons & Dragons video games PLATO (computer system) games Role-playing video games Video games developed in the United States