Chicago Dungeons & Dragons Examiner: Getting your family to play Dungeons and Dragons
4. Make your games simple and fun
First impressions are always the most lasting impressions, so make your first games simple and fun. Leave the complicated plots and backgrounds for future games – make your first games simply about exploring a long lost temple or dungeon, or a simple rescue or some other common fantasy trope. Your family will feel familiar with the story and it won’t be a stretch for them to participate.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! My wife played RPGs with our group every week for six months, and never really got it until she started playing in Mac’s game where the plot was “Go into the dungeon, kill monsters, take their stuff.” Once it clicked for her, she started enjoying the more complex story-lines in the other games, but there was just too much to absorb being thrown in the deep end of the hobby. Learning the ropes one room and monster at a time was invaluable for her.
Tales of the Rambling Bumblers 
It’s interesting to hear what worked for you. I’ve read a lot about how people have gotten their SO interested, and what they have used.
I’ve thought that many of the new indie games (Forge style or other) often have a very strong focus and rules that strongly reinforce a specific style of play. I think it sounds like something that should be perfect to use introducing a new player to the hobby.
Andreas Davour’s last blog post..The One-Page Dungeon Contest ended, and now some self scrutiny