Dungeons & Dragons debuted in 1974 and had moved from a cult classic to a mainstream hit by the early 1980s. Millions of kids around the world were gathering around tables and going on imaginary adventures set by the Dungeon Master as part of this role playing game. But a string of murder-suicides that involved kids who played the game brought a new focus, and critics, many of them conservative Christians, thought the game was an invitation to devil worship and violence.