According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a role-playing game (abbreviated RPG) is ``a game in which players take on the roles of imaginary characters, usually in a setting created by a referee, and thereby vicariously experience the imagined adventures of these characters.'' Of course, this begs the question of what it means to "take on the role" of an imaginary character. In many games you have a character which is really a token without personality. For example, in the boardgame Clue your token is a suspect in a murder mystery. In a video game, your token might be a fighter pilot. In my opinion, the difference between a token and a role-played character is this: Hypothetically, a person watching the game looks over your shoulder and suggests a move, and your reply is "No, my character wouldn't do that." If this happens, or is capable of happening, then at some level you are playing a role-playing game. This simple distinction puts a world of difference between RPGs and other games. Below I include several introductory views at RPGs |
There is an enormous variety of games which are referred to as "role-playing games". I have cataloged nearly 900 published games in over a dozen languages in my RPG Encyclopedia. Here I will not attempt to get at some essential quality of role-playing. Rather, I try to look a a variety of types of games which may (or may not) support role-playing. The important thing (in my mind) is not which of these are "really" role-playing, but rather what are the important differences between the types of games.
The details of how a role-playing game works can vary widely. One game might involve guests at a dinner party acting out suspects in a murder mystery, while another might involve players sitting around a table describing parts of a story and rolling dice. Still another might be costumed participants recreating a medieval battle with padded weapons. Below, I outline several categories of games. Some people would disagree as to whether a certain category is "really" role-playing. However, to give an overview I think it is best to include everything and contrast their differences.
Here I have collected some resources for information about the subject of role-playing, particularly for those interested in scholarly study of RPGs, educators, and concerned parents.