Christmas is closing fast and you have some annual leave lined up for not-work. If you've been looking to spend time with friends and would like to dabble in the world of pen-and-paper roleplaying during your days off, author and actor Wil Wheaton has some advice for you.

When I read genre fiction, I like to get immersed in the world of the story. I'll often play period music or a relevant soundtrack. For Hilary Mantel's literary Tudor drama Wolf Hall, I spent over an hour meticulously researching pre-Elizabethan folk and choral music. I've finally found a simpler, less distracting solution.

Not only are tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and FATE a blast to play, they can actually improve your life. Whether you're new to tabletop RPGs, or you're a goblin-slaying veteran, there are plenty of tricks to make your games even more immersive and fun.

Getting into Dungeons & Dragons can be intimidating. You need maybe three or four other nerds to play with, some pricey tomes full of numbers and tables, ample free time, and several dice with as many as 20 sides. It's a lot to fathom, and even more to set up. How will you find D&D-curious friends? How will you decipher the ruleset? What are the best D&D snacks?

When it comes to roleplaying games, there are two titans that dominate: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. They have a lot of similarities, but both games bring something very different to the table. Whether you're an experienced gamer, or never touched a d20 before, here's everything you need to know to make the right choice for you.

Sitting around a table with good friends is the best way to play tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, but that's not always an option. If your friends have moved away, live overseas or don't want to brave the traffic, there's plenty of ways to make game night happen no matter where your group is located.

Magic: The Gathering can be intimidating to people who have never played it before. It seems like a game for enthusiasts and the cards themselves are so detailed it can be hard to wrap your head around the many elements of this game. What is mana? Do the colours mean anything? What’s up with the confusing text at the bottom (it's called flavour text, by the way)? But like most tabletop games, once you get the basic concepts, Magic becomes a lot easier and is extremely enjoyable. Here are a few tips to get you started.

There's something about the sound of dice rolling, the feeling of moving pieces around a board, and the feel of cards in your hand that make board games so magical. If you can't get enough of that experience, or can't get a group together to play, these games are great to play on your own, whenever you want.