Critical Hit

Chapter 10 - Gary, Brian, and Kevin are forced to reckon with the failures of over-expansion. Between the “Satanic Panic” and market saturation, sales of the game begin to plateau. Continued corporate mismanagement leads to a crisis that puts hundreds of people out of work and sends TSR into a tailspin. Gary’s marriage collapses.

WHEN WE WERE WIZARDS (W4) is a 14-episode podcast series that charts the rise and fall of Gary Gygax, co-creator of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Taking a journalistic approach to blow open the known ”gospel” of D&D history, W4 draws from nearly 30 interview subjects – including Gary’s ex- wife, two children, employees, friends, and partners. From Gary’s basement in the early 60s to the 1985 boardroom coup that ripped the game from his control, W4 is a sweeping story about the cost of the American Dream when idealistic ambition is corrupted by greed, lust, and human folly.

• No. of episodes: 15
• Latest episode: 2024-08-04
• Society & Culture Leisure Games Documentary

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