Designers & Dragons: The 80s: A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry (Unabridged‪)‬

Part two of a four-volume set!

Everything you've wanted to know about the origins of roleplaying games...

Designers & Dragons: The '80s is a comprehensive picture of the growth of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 10,000 new words to this volume alone. Take an in-depth look at ’80s style gaming courtesy of companies like Steve Jackson Games and West End Games, plus an intro to the small (but mighty!) presses of the decade. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.

In this volume, you’ll find:


A foreword by Mike Pondsmith, founder of R. Talsorian and creator of Cyberpunk
Profiles for 23 1980s gaming companies including Steve Jackson Games, Palladium Books, and Mayfair Games
The inside scoop behind games like GURPS, Champions, and Battletech
10 things you might not know about roleplaying in the ’80s
An extensive bibliography and index


Meet the characters behind the characters and the gamers behind the games in Designers & Dragons: The ’80s!