"This is the first book-length, scholarly overview of the ongoing revolution in tabletop gaming design and culture. This revolution started in the late 20th century and it exploded to unprecedented levels of vitality in the 21st, leading to new ways of creating, marketing, and experiencing a game. Designers have become superstars in the hobby, publishers have improved production values and quality control, and the community of players has been constantly expanding. Most importantly, new and old players have started engaging with the games themselves in a deeper and more meaningful way. The book explores the reasons for this change in the hobby. It describes how games have found ways to keep all players engaged until the end of the game. It analyzes the ways in which traditional mechanics have been reimagined to give them more variety and complexity, and completely unprecedented mechanics have been found and perfected. It explores how games have performed novel tasks such as reducing conflict, fostering cooperation, creating aesthetic experiences, and telling stories. The book is aimed at scholars and students of media studies, dedicated and aspiring fans, and game designers who want to expand their toolbox with the most up-to-date innovations in the profession"-Provided by publisher.