A history of simulating wars, people and fantastic adventures from chess to role-playing games. User Summary: Playing at the World attempts to shed light on the history of simulation in games, from the early beginnings of wargames in the 18th century to the invention and propagation of role-playing games that took place in the last quarter of the 20th century. Drawing from a very wide range of sources - some of them previously undocumented - the study discusses in detail the roots and transformative impact of fantasy gaming in modern culture.