The first RPG video game didn’t appear instantly, nor was it created by a single spark of inspiration. Instead, it emerged from a long process of experimentation that blended strategy, narrative depth, and computer science innovation. During the 1970s—a decade filled with academic curiosity and rapidly evolving technology—developers began exploring how the imaginative freedom of tabletop RPGs could be translated into computer-based interactive experiences.
This shift didn’t just produce a new type of game; it transformed the entire medium. To answer who made the first RPG video game, we need to retrace the genre’s earliest steps and understand the visionaries behind it.
The 1970s represent the true beginning of role-playing games as we know them. Tabletop RPGs exploded in popularity during this time, and Dungeons & Dragons, released in 1974, became a cultural phenomenon. Its emphasis on character stats, leveling, worldbuilding, and narrative choice immediately influenced early computer programmers—many of whom were university students with access to mainframe computers.
Computer labs in universities became fertile ground for experimentation. Developers wanted to bring the depth of tabletop storytelling to a new medium, and the limitations of early hardware encouraged creative solutions. Without graphics, sound effects, or animation, these pioneers relied on text, numbers, maps, and logic systems. Still, they managed to create immersive adventures that captured the essence of role-playing.
These early innovations—turn-based combat, character progression, stat-based systems, and branching decisions—established the core framework that RPGs still use today. The groundwork laid during the 1970s was so influential that modern RPGs, whether indie pixel-art titles or massive open-world AAA games, continue to rely on these same principles.
Before developers could create visual RPGs, the first experiments were text-based. These early games relied entirely on typed commands and descriptive text to simulate exploration, combat, and interaction with game worlds. While simple by today’s standards, they were revolutionary at the time.
Text-based RPGs introduced concepts such as:
Developers like Don Daglow, who created Dungeon in 1975 on a PDP-10 mainframe, played an important role. His work helped define how interactive storytelling could function within the constraints of early computers. Other university students and lab researchers also contributed foundational ideas, even though their games often remained confined to campus networks.
These creators may not have produced commercial titles, but their experiments shaped what would soon become the first recognizable RPG video games.
It is impossible to discuss the first RPG video game without mentioning Dungeons & Dragons. The tabletop system influenced nearly every early designer who experimented with role-playing mechanics. D&D introduced:
Video game developers quickly borrowed these ideas. In many early RPGs, you can still see D&D’s fingerprints: leveling systems, random encounters, dungeon crawls, and party-based exploration all come directly from the tabletop tradition.
D&D didn’t just influence gameplay—it inspired the very idea that games could tell complex stories driven by player choice. This shift in thinking opened the door to digital narrative experiences, something no other medium at the time offered.
As computer RPGs evolved beyond simple text adventures, developers began experimenting with dungeon crawlers. These games simulated the experience of moving through mazes, fighting monsters, and collecting treasure.
Rogue (1980), created by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman, wasn’t the first RPG, but its procedural dungeons and turn-based combat made it incredibly influential. Meanwhile, Moria, Oubliette, and other early dungeon-focused experiments helped define the structure of later RPG classics.
These titles represent the bridge between early text-based RPGs and the first commercial graphical RPGs.
Many individuals contributed to the rise of the RPG genre, but a few stand out as pioneers whose ideas guided the evolution of modern games. Their work laid the foundations for everything that followed:
Collaboration and experimentation were essential. University labs allowed developers to exchange ideas, test prototypes, and refine mechanics. These shared environments accelerated the growth of RPG design across multiple institutions.
Studying these developers helps us understand how the genre matured and why certain mechanics—like leveling, backtracking, and inventory systems—remain fundamental today.
As technology improved, RPGs transitioned from text-only displays to graphical interfaces. Early computers were extremely limited, yet developers found ways to introduce visual elements such as:
The transition to graphics deepened immersion. Players no longer had to imagine every location—they could now see simplified representations of dungeons, characters, and enemies.
This evolution paved the way for richer visuals in later RPGs, opening doors for legendary series like Ultima, Wizardry, Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy.
Many pioneering RPGs originated in university labs, where students had access to mainframe computers long before personal computers existed. These labs provided the perfect environment to experiment with:
Academic collaborations gave developers tools and concepts that shaped the genre. The influence of university and laboratory projects can still be seen today in RPG systems that rely on algorithms, complex AI, and branching narratives.
Even now, decades later, the influence of the first RPG video games remains visible. Core elements from the earliest RPGs—character progression, turn-based combat, dungeon exploration, inventory management, and branching storytelling—are the backbone of modern titles.
Whether it’s a massive open-world RPG or a minimalist indie game, the DNA of those early pioneers still shapes the industry.
Most historians credit Richard Garriott, creator of Akalabeth: World of Doom (1980), as the developer of the first graphical RPG video game. While earlier games experimented with text-based RPG mechanics, Akalabeth took a major step forward by combining:
This game served as the foundation for the Ultima series and influenced nearly every RPG that came afterward.
While Garriott wasn’t the only contributor, Akalabeth represents the point where RPGs moved from experimental text projects into recognizable video game form.
The origins of the first RPG video game trace back to university labs, tabletop inspirations like Dungeons & Dragons, and early digital experiments that blended story, stats, and choice. Though many early developers helped shape the genre, Richard Garriott’s Akalabeth: World of Doom is widely regarded as the first true graphical RPG video game.
Its introduction of leveling, dungeon crawling, and visual representation marked a transformative moment in gaming history. The ideas forged in those early years continue to influence modern RPGs, proving that the legacy of the first RPG video game endures across generations of players and developers.
Amanda has a degree in Languages, is a postgraduate student, and is passionate about content creation. After joining Cenário Capital, she discovered a strong interest in games. She currently works on the Marketing team, in the SEO and Content squad.
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