1,227 play 'Dungeons & Dragons' at Utah mall for new world record

April 24 (UPI) -- More than 1,000 role-playing enthusiasts gathered at a Utah mall and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest Dungeons & Dragons game ever played.

Andrew Ashby, lead organizer and head Dungeon Master for the game at Provo Towne Centre, said there were a total 1,227 players in Saturday's game, far exceeding the goal of 500 set by Guinness World Records.

Ashby, whose family owns the We Geek Together game store at the mall, guided the game, which included 200 tables of up to seven players, each with its own Dungeon Master following Ashby's instructions.

The game, based on the "Dead Wars" campaign of Dungeons & Dragons, saw each table represent an area of the battlefield as the players sought to defeat the villainous Vecna.

"It hasn't hit me, yet. So far, it's been a dream, an absolute dream," Ashby told KSL-TV. "The D&D community is very nerdy and very supportive."

Ashby said he has wanted to break the record for eight years, and his dream came to fruition with the help of mall officials.

The event was officially certified by a Guinness World Records adjudicator as a new record for the most people playing Dungeons & Dragons.

"A world record here in Provo -- it's the nerdiest world record ever," Ashby said.

Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. The tabletop role-playing game has remained popular through the years and served as the basis for the recent film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.