Across the decades, the popularity of games has always been consistent whether they’re console, PC or tabletop based, but there’s a game that’s been on the rise in the gaming community lately although it’s been around for many years: Dungeons and Dragons.

D&D is a fantasy, role-playing dice game where a group of players is led by the Dungeon or Game Master, known as the DM or GM, who creates a campaign for the players. Each player chooses a character to play as with unique traits and the DM guides them through the campaign on a series of adventures.

Many may think D&D would have faded away with all the recent advancements in technology, which have resulted in stunning visual gameplay in games like those of the Halo franchise, which have won several awards for gameplay along with the release of an anniversary edition with brilliant effects and animation.

On the contrary, technology has made it possible for those interested in D&D to spectate and participate in campaigns through shows on streaming sites.

One of the most popular of these shows is “Critical Role,” which is streamed live through Twitch every Thursday, and features voice actor Matt Mercer as the DM along with fellow actors Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Liam O’Brien, Travis Willingham and Will Friedle, all of which have done incredible voice acting in the entertainment industry.

D&D is widely popular within the acting community and actors like Vin Diesel, Terry Crews and Deborah Ann Woll have been featured on Critical Role. Woll, who is well known for her role as Karen Page in the Netflix Marvel series “Daredevil” and “The Punisher,” has expressed her passion for D&D on and off the set, and will be the DM of her own campaign on a show called Relics and Rarities which will premiere on ProjectAlpha.com on Feb 4.

Not only has online technology cause a rise in popularity for the game, but the 2016 Netflix series “Stranger Things” featured D&D throughout the show as a pastime of the young main characters, which gave the game a more international stage, and it’s also been featured in shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Big Bang Theory” and “That 70s Show.”

Many perceive D&D players as non-athletic types of people who have social issues, however, the game takes a monumental amount of concentration, puzzle-solving, social interaction, imaginative and teamwork skills in order to properly navigate through a campaign. Campaigns are typically well thought out with complicated plot lines and several pathways available to players, which can’t be reached unless all those skills are utilized within the team.

D&D is an enjoyable, creative game for all ages that puts team building skills and attention to detail to the test, and it is surprisingly appealing to anyone with an imagination and desire to experiment with their creativity.