Dave Arneson, co-creator of the first commercial roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons, lost a battle with cancer on Tuesday. Arneson was 61.

A fan of table-top wargames, Arneson began designing his own gaming scenarios from an early age. In 1969 he met fellow D&D co-creator Gary Gygax at the second official Gen Con gaming convention. Collaboration between the two would eventually see the first release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974.