Imagine you could be anything, living in any sort of world. Maybe this is a world where everything is underwater. Maybe a major historical event never happened, or is happening now. Maybe the player is an adventurer, a swashbuckling pirate, a fair maiden - or maybe they’re haunted, trying to atone for a misdeed. Maybe they’re a lawyer for gerbils! Any way you make it, RPGs encourage players to think through the nuances of the decisions they make, track the consequences of actions, and create wild and memorable ‘what-if’ scenarios that can cathartically translate into the actual world.

Role-playing games (RPGs) refers to any game where players take on the identity of a character to participate in the game. RPGs can be as expansive as Dungeons & Dragons or Warhammer, whose many expansion packs and various editions can be overwhelming to new players, or as commonplace as kids playing pirates in the park. Regardless of complexity or size, RPGs have a lot of relevancy for actual-world interactions, and can provide structure and opportunity for players to explore themselves and the world.

When players take on a role in a game, they are taking on the responsibilities of that role. In the game world versus the actual world, the forms of self exploration and mechanisms for exploring unfamiliar situations are incredibly similar: “those same porous distinctions and active negotiations [that occur in RPGs] also occur in everyday life” 1. This makes RPGs an especially relevant tool for teaching social skills, critical thinking, and self-reflection in a safe and accountable environment.

Role-playing games are relevant resources for childhood and emotional development. More and more testaments to the power of a good RPG are appearing every day, as a way for kids to build community during the height of the pandemic 2, to motivate kids to learn in schools 3, and to teach empathy and social responsibility 4. In addition, RPGs are currently being studied for use in therapeutic settings due to their social and emotional processing mechanics 5.

RPGs are an accessible and fun way to be creative with a group of people. When kids play RPGs, they’re actively expanding and exploring their perspective on the world.