Aaron Trammell

techsoc.comReview of How Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play - Technology and Society, IncorporatedLanding page for Technology and Society, Incorporated. Owner Curtis Frye is an online trainer and conference keynote speaker.

Always nice to wake up to a review, and this is the first I’ve seen written of the new book so far. Thank you for reading!!!!

Curtis Frye@curtisfrye.com

I just posted my review of How Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play, written by @aarontram.bsky.social and published by @dukepress.bsky.social, on Technology and Society Book Reviews. www.techsoc.com/p/review-of-...

newbooksnetwork.comHow Dungeons and Dragons Changed the Way We Play with Aaron Trammell (Duke UP, 2026) - New Books Network

I had the opportunity to speak to the amazing folks at @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about the new book. Please listen in!!!! newbooksnetwork.com/how-dungeons...

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️ ITS HERE!!!!! This book is about how game design on a whole, counterintuitively, became less imaginative because of Dungeons & Dragons. We often talk about Dungeons & Dragons as the ultimate fantasy. A pure domain of imagination where absolutely anything is possible.

@umbralknightx.bsky.social

🎯

Sticky Doodler ⏭️ These Games Are Not For Sale@stickydoodler.bsky.social

It's no accident that D&D's most pervasive legacy in both game and pop culture is the concept of "leveling up": in this ethos, growth is linear, measurable, and comparable. So I appreciated @aarontram.bsky.social's linking of D&D to the "neoliberal mindset" and its requirement for mastery...

Aaron Trammell reposted

Stefan H

@aarontram.bsky.social has a new book I can't wait to read. A hell of a TTRPG scholar who was a big help in my TTRPG thesis of race and gender in early TTRPGs www.rascal.news/how-quantifi...

rascal.newsHow quantification and Midwestern culture shaped D&D’s problematic legaciesAaron Trammell’s new book explores why some things shouldn’t be simplified.

Had the opportunity to speak to the wonderful folks at Rascal about the D&D book. If you’re curious about what’s inside, this is a great place to start!

Thomas M, Full-time Rascal@newmadras.bsky.social

Thanks to @aarontram.bsky.social for speaking to me about his new book! We talk about when numbers are bad, when graphs are cool, and anxiety about civil rights and nuclear warfare.

dukeupress.eduHow Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play

If you’re in Southern California and would like to celebrate!!!

Aaron Trammell reposted

RPG Roots

@rpgroots.bsky.social

Also, one of our great speakers @aarontram.bsky.social has a new book out wiht @dukepress.bsky.social - go get a copy of "How Dungeons and Dragons Changed the Way We Play"! www.dukeupress.edu/how-dungeons...

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

youtube.comThrough the Looking Glass?YouTube video by The Looking Glance

Oooohhh…can’t wait!!!!

RPG Roots@rpgroots.bsky.social

Some of the organizing work behind Session 0, selecting and connecting snippet from @megueyb.bsky.social @guyintheblackhat.bsky.social and @aarontram.bsky.social. Session 0 will be already split into Part 1 (general intro) and Part 2 (Session 1 intro)... so many interesting ideas. Stay tuned!

Aaron Trammell reposted

J. Rey Lee

@jreylee.bsky.social

As much as I love writing on #boardgames, I don't want my love of the written word to prevent me from exploring other media. So, I've started re-releasing my essays as new and (debatably) improved *video* essays.🎬 See where it all started . . . now with moving pictures!

@deptofmeteors.bsky.social

HA!!!!!

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 ➡️Mordheim@onlyplaywizards.com

About to read this to find out if I should throw the books behind it away. No spoilers @aarontram.bsky.social #ttrpg #dnd #rpg

Aaron Trammell reposted

deptofmeteors

this is an excellent book about how using classification and quantification to stake out a world risks fencing in what is possible. highly recommended for any TTRPG or MLIS folks, came a few days early and absolutely tore through it.

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

It’s out tomorrow!!!! If you were ever curious about the origins of the alignment table, here they are. I love how they got these charts to sit so perfectly side by side 😻

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

To the somewhat esoteric…

Descend into the depths of your imagination!!!!!

It’s out tomorrow!!!! If you were ever curious about the origins of the alignment table, here they are. I love how they got these charts to sit so perfectly side by side 😻

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

And that the press indulged be by including lots and lots of images!

From the archival…Gygax responds to a fan’s questions…

gamerswithglasses.comThe Summer without Games, or, Living with Ludofatigue — Gamers with GlassesDon’t you sometimes just feel…tired? Edmond Y. Chang discusses “ludofatigue,” how it feels to live with the persistent sense that play just isn’t fun anymore, and the perennial relevance of Candleman ...

21 Sept

Happy Monday!! Amazing little piece by @edmondchang.bsky.social about what he calls ludofatigue…or the kind of play that happens when games are no longer fun. www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/the...

Aaron Trammell reposted

Dr. Emily Friedman

@ecfriedman.com

14 Sept

Replying to @ecfriedman.com

@aarontram.bsky.social new book on the impact of D&D on the shape of gaming is timely in this way.

Aaron Trammell@aarontram.bsky.social

And so many, so many others!!!! I think I got you all by name in the acknowledgements, but rest assured, I appreciate all of your help and support everyone!!!! ♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️

13 Sept

Bonus points to anyone who knows where I am here!

Also of course to the AGS crew! @guyintheblackhat.bsky.social @shellyjones.bsky.social @emwalz.bsky.social @edmondchang.bsky.social and Megan Condis!!!! Without your help and support, this book would have been far longer and far worse 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Also to the all the amazing folks at @dukepress.bsky.social! You went over and above with this one. Thank you!!!!!

tinyurl.comHow Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play

I hope you like it! You can get it now wherever you get your books, or straight from the publisher here: tinyurl.com/5xwrrf45

Huge thanks to my developmental editor @aschrock.bsky.social who worked word by word with me for this whole book. Can't believe this puppy is actually out in the world!!!!

These mechanisms were largely the developmental contribution of the infamous Gary Gygax, who brought together esoteric mysticism, social science, and wargaming into the game we know and love today.

I’ve been slowly but surely developing this book this last ten years, to tell a new story about Dungeons & Dragons. A story which contends with both the good and bad as it measures what the game has contributed to game design today.

While I think this is true to an extent, it’s also true of make believe, which is really the mechanical structure from which Dungeons & Dragons cribs its permissiveness.

walkerart.orgIn Defense of the Playful Dangers of DragIn an area when drag is under attack, Lil Miss Hot Mess explores drag as a creative and imaginative form of play that utilizes dress-up to envision and enact new worlds as well as build community…

What’s left after you remove the make believe is the crunch…the tables, charts, dice rolls, and more which have inspired generation after generation of game designers.

Aaron Trammell reposted

MIT Press

@mitpress.bsky.social

10 Sept

"Unfortunately, not all play begins or ends in fun and freedom: play can also be quite dangerous. [... ] As scholar @aarontram.bsky.social writes, 'play is often hurtful, toxic, and haphazard… play is not always constructive; it can also be oppressive and traumatic.'"

Aaron Trammell reposted

Dr. Emily Friedman

@ecfriedman.com

7 Sept

Associated reading: lareviewofbooks.org/article/who-... And @aarontram.bsky.social HOW DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CHANGED THE WAY WE PLAY from @dukepress.bsky.social dukeupress.edu/how-dungeons...

lareviewofbooks.orgWho Owns Dungeons & Dragons? | Los Angeles Review of BooksEmily Friedman writes about intellectual property and Dungeons and Dragons.

Jason Herbert@herberthistory.bsky.social

And welcome to Historians At The Movies! Tonight we are talking about the history of tabletop gaming, and why the Best Chris should be a bigger star with DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES on Netflix at 8pm eastern. #HATM 1/

2 Sept

I’ll be chatting more about this book in the weeks ahead, but right now I’m just damn excited that it’s coming out!!!!!

Duke University Press@dukepress.bsky.social

Check out all our great new books coming this month, including "How Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play" by Aaron Trammell @aarontram.bsky.social. buff.ly/K8edBHO

press.umich.eduTheir System, Our Game | Scott DeJong & Marc LajeunesseOur favorite tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) provide a chance to act out a fantasy. It might be the desire to wipe out foes with a single strike, the ability to charm even the most curmudgeonly t...

6 Aug

So proud of Marc and Scott for getting this book on Pathfinder out. Our humble series on tabletop grows just a little bit bigger. Grab your copy now 🤩

Paul Booth@pbooth81.bsky.social

Hey boardgamers! Did you know there's a new book out on Pathfinder? I'm co-series editor (with @aarontram.bsky.social) on the amazing Tabletop Gaming series at University of Michigan Press and the newest book Their System, Our Game by Scott DeJong and Marc Lajeunesse came out today.

27 July

This was an amazing opportunity to talk RPGs. The other speakers in this series are a home run as well. Please give a listen.

RPG Roots@rpgroots.bsky.social

The final speaker whom we will feature in Session 0 of RPG Roots is Aaron Trammell @aarontram.bsky.social, Associate Professor of Informatics with affiliations with African American Studies and Media Studies at UC Irvine. Find his website and research here: aarontrammell.com 1/

youtu.beBeyond Solitaire Podcast 241: Aaron Trammell on how D&D Changed the Way We PlayYouTube video by Beyond Solitaire

27 July

It’s here!!!!! Please give a listen to learn more about the upcoming D&D book!!!!

Liz Davidson@beyondsolitaire.bsky.social

Podcast time! Thanks again to @aarontram.bsky.social for letting me pepper him w/ questions for an hour. >:) youtu.be/KCvnLe27MAM

gencon.blogPeek Inside the Pyramid: Meet the Crew Behind the Scenes of The Diana Jones Award Program – The Official Gen Con BlogWe’ve unlocked access to Matt Forbeck, Aaron Trammell, and Adrianna Burton for the inside scoop on the Diana Jones Award Emerging Designers Program, their best tips for game designers, and who’s on th...

It’s always great to chat with Liz!

Liz Davidson@beyondsolitaire.bsky.social

The Beyond Solitaire podcast returns tomorrow! Season 13 will open with a delightful chat w/ @aarontram.bsky.social, so we are coming in hot.

Aaron Trammell reposted

The Diana Jones Award

@dianajonesaward.org

7 July

Gen Con just posted an article about our Emerging Designer Program, interviewing @aarontram.bsky.social, Adrianna Burton, and @forbeck.com! gencon.blog/2026/07/06/m...

(Also this other bad boy is on the way soon, too…STAY TUNED!!!!)

Duke University Press@dukepress.bsky.social

In "How Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play," @aarontram.bsky.social reveals how popular culture influenced the design of the iconic tabletop game and how the game’s legacy, in turn, influences game design today. Read the intro for free: buff.ly/jLA2ctp

❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️ Haven’t been on here in a minute, but I wanted to share that Jenny Stoever, Liana Silva, and I (plus many many other amazing authors) finally finished the SO! Reader.

It was such a thrill to share a new article and have my friends and family reach out to say…”hey that thing you shared, it really resonated with me.”

Anyway, if you haven’t checked out Sounding Out! there is no time like the present. Grab a copy of the book commemorating the little-blog-that-could. It’s truly a labor of love and I think you’ll find some of the same joy that I did poking around in it, too. As they say in NJ… BOOM!!!!!

This was supposed to be a big celebration hurrah for our 10th Anniversary but then COVID came and slowed things down significantly.

Tess is Surviving the Horrors

I’m so proud of this bad boy because it’s the story of how I learned to write, edit, and make friends who were also interested in sound, music, technology….CULTURAL STUDIES!!!!

Aaron Trammell reposted

@mothmother.com

14 Nov 2025

So very excited that one of my last remaining PhD students, Mikael Sebag, successfully defended his dissertation—titled "The Magic Systems of Modern Games"—today! I'm so proud of him and so thrilled that people are finally going to get to read this work!

8 Nov 2025

Hssssss

The Golden Cobra Challenge@goldencobra.bsky.social

Ssssssss -- The 2025 Golden Cobra Challenge winners announced at Metatopia: (Thread)

lookingglance.comUnsettling CatanRead Online Buy Paperback* Buy Audiobook Description Coverage *30% off with code UMWEB30 Audiobook Preview Description Most revolutions don’t start with nineteen cardboard hexagons, but Klaus Teube…

7 Nov 2025

Jonathan’s amazing book on Catan is out now!!!! The best part is that you can read it for free online, too. Spread the word and if you like it, why not grab a copy, too.

J. Rey Lee@jreylee.bsky.social

Hey all, you can read Unsettling Catan: Detached Design in Eurogames free online right now! Stay tuned because instead of my typical monthly blog post, I'll be doing an AMA on BGG in a week or two. #boardgames #NewBook @pbooth81.bsky.social @aarontram.bsky.social @uofmpress.bsky.social

16 Oct 2025

Want to read it? It’s free!

J. Rey Lee@jreylee.bsky.social

I've got all the info and a short preview at lookingglance.com/unsettling-catan/ This is an Open Access book, so the digital ebook will be available to read for free upon release.

15 Oct 2025

🎉🔥🎉ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉🔥🎉DAY🎉🔥🎉 Jonathan Rey Lee’s book on CATAN is almost out. It’s the first in the Tabletop Gaming series that Paul Booth and I have been hard at work editing this past three years. Anyway, the book is fantastic. Please consider it and share with the right people.