TSR Hobbies, Inc., the originators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games, made a simpler board game version in the early 1980s. Dungeon! was meant as an introduction to the form or an easier-to-play example for younger children. The firm created several versions of the game throughout the decades that followed, always attempting to improve, but never to deviate from the original game's basic format. The 1989 example, with "New" added to its title, held a large, two-fold game board and plastic miniature pawns. Gary Gygax, one of the founders of TSR Hobbies and one of the originators of role-playing games, consulted on the design of the original Dungeon board game. He may not have contributed to this particular redesign.