Women Who D&D in Burnley helping to keep Dungeons & Dragons alive as table top game celebrates 50th anniversary

And a Burnley group, which teaches women/fem and non-binary folk the basics of D&D, is part of a community helping the cult table top game not only stay alive but more than triple in popularity in the UK in the past five years.

Kirsty Lauder and Amy Goldslack, founders of Women Who D&D, host one shots and workshops through Eventbrite. The platform has seen Dungeon & Dragons events soar by 248% from 2018 to 2023, with more than 11,000 people attending them.

Kirsty said: “Dungeons and Dragons, for us, has been an incredible tool for meeting new people and building a community.

“Women Who D&D is passionate about bringing people from all walks of life to the game table who thought they didn't previously have a place. As we've introduced the game to more and more women, fem presenting, and non-binary people through our games and workshops, an amazing community has been born from it of fem players of varying skill levels wanting to get involved and lend support to people wherever it's needed.”

Dungeons & Dragons was originally designed as a table top fantasy game for groups by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, and has branched out into computer games, merchandise, books and movies. It has featured in The Simpsons, the global Netflix hit Stranger Things, and the US sitcom The Big Bang Theory. And 2023’s video Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, is based on the D&D rule set.

The role-playing game is enjoyed all over the world, with D&D events being hosted on Eventbrite in 32 countries, including in Italy, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bahrain, Iceland, the Philippines and Japan.

Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert, said: “Dungeons & Dragons’ appeal is unbroken. It seems everyone is getting painfully aware that we are spending far too much time staring at screens every day. And in that context, D&D’s unique mix of getting friends together around a table to become whoever they want to be, venture through fantasy worlds, fight monsters and collect treasure, seems to appeal to more and more audiences across the UK – irrespective of age, gender, race, or ability. And it’s very fulfilling to do our part to help bring these people together IRL to enjoy their hobby.”