McKenzie, Brian, Zawilski, Bret and Beirne, James (2026) Concealed Conscientization: A Case Study of a Commercial Dungeons & Dragons Adventure. International Journal of Role-Playing (17). pp. 139-157. ISSN 2210-4909
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Abstract
This study presents a case study of a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) adventure that embeds
key concepts from Karl Marx and Franz Fanon with the goal of provoking conscientization, the critical
awakening advocated by Paolo Freire, for those who play it. The adventure was written under a pseud
onym and has been accepted and published by a commercial publisher. Results from a playtest group
provide empirical evidence that players received and made sense of the adventure in line with the intent
of the author to critique contemporary religious fundamentalism and prompt reflection on colonial
ism. This research indicates that commercial publication of critical game design specifically within the
context of the hegemonic D&D rules system has the potential to reach a significant audience.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Dungeons & Dragons; reception theory; Franz Fanon; Paolo Freire; conscientization; game design; |
| Academic Unit: | Centre for Teaching and Learning |
| Item ID: | 21298 |
| Depositing User: | Brian McKenzie |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Mar 2026 13:32 |
| Journal or Publication Title: | International Journal of Role-Playing |
| Publisher: | Department of Game Design, Uppsala University-Campus Gotland |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Related URLs: | |
| Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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