Greg Stafford (game designer)

Greg Stafford (1948-2018) was an influential American game designer, publisher, and historian. He is best known as the creator of the fantasy world of Glorantha and the role-playing game RuneQuest, originally published in 1978 by Chaosium.

Stafford's work was characterized by its depth of worldbuilding and innovative game mechanics. Glorantha, a Bronze Age setting steeped in mythology and rich cultural detail, became a lifelong passion and the foundation for numerous games and publications.

In 1975, Stafford founded Chaosium, a game publishing company that produced RuneQuest and other notable role-playing games, board games, and related materials, including King Arthur Pendragon, Call of Cthulhu (based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft), and Hero Wars (later HeroQuest), which returned to the Gloranthan setting.

Stafford left Chaosium in the late 1990s and formed Issaries, Inc. to focus on Glorantha and the HeroQuest system. Later, he returned to Chaosium and served as its chairman. He received several awards for his contributions to the gaming industry, including induction into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design (AGGA) Hall of Fame. He is remembered as a visionary creator who significantly shaped the landscape of tabletop role-playing games.