A brave adventurer climbs forth, seeking to overcome the obstacles set before him by an evil necromancer and save the kingdom.

A mage looks through ancient scrolls of the arcane, seeking to find answers to the questions of the universe.

A thief steals a series of heirlooms and jewels from a villainous noble and returns them to their rightful owners.

All of these stories may sound disparate from one another, but they all have one very important thing in common, they can be done with a group of friends over the course of an afternoon hanging out.

Tabletop gaming is the predecessor to the modern video game.

The majority of tabletop games are RPGs, or roleplaying games, though the sub-group of collectible card games also falls under the tabletop heading, as well as most other board games like monopoly.

The most famous among roleplaying games is of course Dungeons and Dragons, but many people don’t delve any deeper than that to learn what else is out there.

The game Shadowrun is a high-tech fantasy RPG combining the best elements of future technology, like those seen in the movie Blade Runner, with high fantasy elements, like those depicted in HBO’s Game of Thrones series.

So what’s so great about tabletop games when compared to their modern brother, the mighty screen?

Tabletop games necessitate face to face interaction that is oftentimes lost when one plays a videogame, and is replaced by a disembodied voice connected to a person you may have never met.

Not to say that such interactions over videogames are not a fantastic way to meet new people, but the interpersonal connection found over a tabletop RPG is an experience that helps build deeper, stronger bonds between people.

Additionally, tabletops are more involved, and often require a deeper level of concentration and creativity than video games.

To successfully conduct a tabletop campaign, one has to use a great deal of creativity and personal imagination, and not be afraid of things turning out a little goofy sometimes.

In a videogame everything is already planned out for you, all you do is follow along in the story.

For reasons such as this, sandbox games like minecraft have become more popular because they allow one to express their own creativity.

However this is almost always an option in a tabletop.

In a tabletop session you are creating a story of a grand adventure or discovering the unknown, and when the game has a good gamemaster the story can truly come alive in the player’s minds.

A good RPG is as much an art as it is a game, and it is most successful when everyone has fun and feels like they are a part of something greater.

So how does one get started playing in a tabletop game?

It’s not that hard, the first thing to do is ask around, see who might already be involved in a game or looking to start one up and see if you can join.

Tabletop games necessitates face to face interaction that is oftentimes lost when one plays a videogame, replaced by a disembodied voice connected to a person you may have never met.

Or you can gather the materials yourself and try to put together your own adventure for others to play through.

Many of the resources to do such can be found online for free, or in local bookstores and gaming shops for a relatively modest fee.

The point of any game is to have fun, but often tabletops evolve into something more, a challenge of intellect, curiosity, and creativity.

So grab some friends, and see where adventure takes you.