Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Is Even Better After Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a lot of people’s first experience with D&D, myself included. Before playing the video game, Dungeons & Dragons always seemed like this overwhelming behemoth of lore and rules that I would just never find the time to learn—it was like my nerdy white whale. But after spending hundreds of hours exploring this world via BG3, it’s hard to believe that I had almost no idea what Faerûn was a year ago.
Honor Among Thieves and Baldur’s Gate 3 are perfect companions for each other not only because they are both adaptations of D&D, but because they both carry the same heart, humor, and penchant for chaotic fun that has drawn fans to the TTRPG for decades. The background knowledge of this fantasy world that players can uncover in BG3 isn’t necessary to enjoy watching Honor Among Thieves, but it does enhance the experience.
Plus, playing Baldur’s Gate 3 before watching or revisiting Honor Among Thieves is an opportunity to become the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV meme in real life. Watching Edgin (Chris Pine), Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), and the rest of the crew come across mimics, intellect devourers, and displacer beasts throughout the film is more fun after fighting against those creatures yourself in BG3; their journey into the Underdark is a richer experience after spending hours exploring this mysterious realm on your own during a playthrough; and learning the creepy book that can be found in the Apothecary’s basement in Baldur’s Gate 3 hails from the same lands as the villainous Sofina (Daisy Head) in Honor Among Thieves makes me grateful that none of my characters thus far have been brave enough to open it.
Even those involved with making Baldur’s Gate 3 have found that the game and Honor Among Thieves go well together. Performance director Aliona Baranova recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she thoroughly enjoyed the movie, having watched it for the first time after working on and playing through the game. Baranova has been streaming playthroughs of BG3 with her girlfriend Jennifer English (who plays Shadowheart in the game), and while they both worked on the game, they’ve still been learning a lot about D&D and how it works through gameplay.