This blog is the second in a series inspired by Michael Witwer’s Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.
You might be surprised to learn that Gary Gygax played games other than Dungeons & Dragons. While he certainly enjoyed D&D, he was an avid chess player and war-gamer. And, of course, he always had new games brewing in the back of his mind.

One of Gary’s creations, Dragonchess (Photo credit: Zac Dortch)
While consistency is certainly key for a gaming group, some level of variety is necessary to keep players interested. You need to swap out GMs from time-to-time. Different games on the table keep people interested. Even a change in locale can spice things up a bit (hosting can get tiresome too!).
So by way of recommendation, here are the top six games that I think should grace your tabletop, if not as a permanent fixture, then as an occasional change of pace: