This commentary on the frail psyche of the American middle-class examines the subculture of gamers and role-playing games, specifically Dungeons & Dragons.
The movie was originally envisioned as a history of Dungeons & Dragons, but shifted its focus to the lives of the players early on.
[3] Rob Vaux of mania.com comments: "Even when their wounds come self-inflicted or the movie settles for surface impressions rather than more nuanced details, we remain firmly in the trio's corner.
We pull madly for them to succeed and die a little bit when life hands them its inevitable failures.
McAlister structures the documentary after classic fantasy novels, with rising challenges leading to moments of darkness and an eventual (if comparatively minor) triumph.