Analog Game Studies

This article traces the history of the twenty-sided die or d20. The story of how the d20 became synonymous with wargames and role-playing games is an unlikely one, full of bizarre twists and fortuitous encounters. It includes some familiar characters, such as game designers Gary Gygax and Lou Zocchi, but others less well known in gaming circles, including eminent science writer Martin Gardner, and Ishida Yasushi, a quality control engineer at Toshiba. It spans several decades and three continents, from the seaside town of Kamakura in the autumn of 1950, to the shores of Lake Geneva in the winter of 1973-4.