Game Inventions Series
Innovations in Game Design
Who invented what, when, and how it changed the games we play.
Every game mechanic was invented by someone. The dice pool. The deck-builder. The diceless RPG. The collectible card game. This series traces those inventions back to their origins—who designed them, what came before, and what they made possible. Each designer entry is researched, scored, and classified using the Game Design Innovation Rubric.
Featured Designers
- 1. Richard Garfield — Father of Collectible Games Score: 10
- 2. Dave Arneson — Father of Roleplaying Games Score: 10
- 3. Frank Chadwick — Father of Steampunk RPGs Score: 9
- 4. James M. Ward — Father of Post-Apocalyptic RPGs Score: 9
- 5. Erick Wujcik — Father of Diceless RPGs Score: 9
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