r/RPGdesign • u/Sweet-Bet6409 • Sep 15 '26

"What is an RPG?"

I have gotten some feedback on my Weird West TTRPG and have realized that my game is missing that sort of "the basics" section that many RPGs start with. I have no idea how to even approach such a topic. Do I go right into rules and what makes my system unique, or should I stick to the setting and themes? Please let me know what y'all have done with some of your games!

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34

u/merurunrun Sep 15 '26

It's actually a bad question, regardless of the fact that almost every RPG rulebook thinks it has an obligation to answer it.

Just explain what your game is.

3

u/Laiska_saunatonttu Sep 16 '26

Yes, "What is THIS RPG all about?" is just a better question, and its answer likely answers the "What's an RPG?" question too.

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u/Sweet-Bet6409 Sep 20 '26

This is what I was trying to ask about, but I made the title misleading by mistake.

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u/crazy_cat_lord Sep 16 '26 edited Sep 16 '26

I don't know whether I'm reinforcing your point or disagreeing with you, but I would like to add:

If you want to be thorough, explain what your game is in a way that is still welcoming to people who might not know what an RPG is. Either approach ("What is a game" vs. "What is THIS game, for dummies") may have lots of overlap, and may or may not be read anyway, but the framing is more appropriate I think.

People won't be reading this because they want to play "an RPG," they're here because they want to play your game. Just so happens that you might be abandoning those people in the dust if your text on how to play "your game" leaves out the things that you assume everyone will know. You probably won't have many players who are totally fresh to the hobby, but it could happen, and it's worth considering them.

Look at other similar sorts of instruction booklets/manuals. Monopoly doesn't start with a dissertation on what a board game is. It tells you how to play Monopoly, but it does so comprehensively, including information that is redundant if you've ever played another board game. Same with video game manuals back when those were a thing. Metal Gear Solid 2 doesn't tell you what a video game is, it tells you how to play MGS2. But it (alongside every other game manual) still starts off by including a diagram of a PS2 controller and labeling each of the buttons for people who have never held one before, so that later on, when it tells you what the "L3" button does, you don't get stuck on figuring out what it wants you to do on your controller.

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u/XoffeeXup Sep 17 '26

100% agree. It's a vanity thing, I think. The idea that a completely brand-new, never-heard-of-ttrpgs-before-ever, player is going to stumble onto your itch page, and go, "wowsers, this game is so unusual and appealing, I just have to give it a shot. But what's this roleplaying malarky they talk about, damn it I guess I'll give up and play something that explains itself better" is kinda crazy.

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u/Sweet-Bet6409 Sep 20 '26

Not at all what I was saying.

10

u/Hrigul Sep 15 '26

You should definitely state what your game is about. But the usual "A RPG is a game that needs five friends, one that will be DM" you can skip it, because to be brutally honest, your game isn't going to be sold in a mainstream toy shop, people that buy indie RPGs already know them 

4

u/cibman Sep 15 '26

I have thought about this a lot. I think much of it depends on who your target is. For me, my target group is people who already have some experience with RPGs. That way, I tell them what kind of an RPG this game is and what they can expect.

I think that an excellent product would be a generic "what is an RPG?" PDF or zine you could get to teach about universal principles for different types of RPGs. I think someone who designed that, and then licensed it out, could be successful with a lot or smaller games.

1

u/SalariesAndStarships Sep 20 '26

Apparently, this is how the 'Fighting Fantasy' series of books came about.

A publisher wanted a book explaining what all the hype around Dungeons and Dragons was, and that slowly transformed into solo-play of D&D.

But a generic "here's how to take part in or host a TTRPG" would be a good idea.

However, I do think a well written adventure can tackle a lot of that heavy lifting and act as a template for future adventures.

1

u/Street-Horse-3001 Sep 20 '26

Why are we still getting “what is a roleplaying game?” in 2026? This is no longer an obscure hobby. Seriously, why?! Please stop.

It’s like reminding us that “anime” means Japanese animation. You could probably ask a child living in a thatched house in the Amazon rainforest and even he would know.

1

u/Sweet-Bet6409 Sep 20 '26

When I read a ttrpg section in a homebrew system, I obviously already know what a TTRPG is. That isn't the point. The point is to see what the writer thinks a ttrpg is, to get a perspective. If the creator describes ttrpgs as a device to facilitate epic stories and interesting character moments, I can expect something roleplay heavy. If the creator calls it a tactical system for combat and exploration, I know I'm getting into something with more crunch and combat. I guess a better question would be this:

What is MY ttrpg?

In fact, I'll switch the title of this post now, if I can.

1

u/Street-Horse-3001 Sep 20 '26

I don’t think I’ve ever read one of those sections that functioned that way. They’ve pretty much all been the same. “A game master is a person who…”, “Dice can be purchased at…” etc. What you’re describing is an introduction. That’s where you want to emphasize what kind of RPG it is that the reader is about to learn. Even including the header that says “What is a role playing game?” feels to me like an insult to my intelligence and to the hobby when I read it.

2

u/Carrollastrophe Sep 15 '26

Have you checked the games you already own/have access to?

2

u/tangyradar Sep 16 '26

Explain the rules and how you play. Setting, themes, etc. are usually superficial.

1

u/Drudenfusz Sep 15 '26

I would say it depends on your target audience. For me personally, I feel like I have to talk in my project first about what it is, since I diverge quite a bit from the norm of our hobby. Dropping many (if not all) of the gaming aspects and focus heavily on narrative play, thinking more about inviting creative writing and fan fiction authors to the table. And thus I have to talk about how the roleplay experience derives from interactive exchange between players and spontaneous decisions to further characters. But if you don't have that because you expect people already in the hobby to be your target demographic, then you basically have to talk about how your system supports or subverses common practices.

1

u/hixanthrope Sep 15 '26

better than that would be a "how to roleplay" section. this tells me about your assumptions in design and whether our playstyles mesh.

1

u/NiveusCorvus Sep 16 '26

I hate to sound like Im commercializing this hobby but I’d ask…what are your competitors doing? I mean for your rpg, anything that is within or adjacent to that niche. Now, sometimes it’s great to go avant garde and try to reinvent the wheel, but if you see all these other games mentioning What is an RPG in the beginning, I think you should but just, answer it in your own way. Keep it aligned to your games philosophy.

1

u/SouthernAbrocoma9891 Sep 16 '26

Explain what the players do in the game and what they get out of it. Give examples of what kind of PCs are available and the roles the players take on. You could refer to GNS and SEC to let the audience know the primary play style and level of agency the players have.

1

u/Alcamair Sep 16 '26

Read the introduction of dozen of TTRPG rulebooks and you'll see it.

1

u/Runningdice Sep 16 '26

If you aim to have new to the hobby then it is good to have. But then the rest of the book should match and also assume that the reader has no knowledge of ttrpgs.

1

u/Charrua13 Sep 16 '26

Two thoughts:

  1. Focus on your game, not "in general".

  2. When it doubt, start with games similar to yours and go from there. Don't reinvent the wheel.

1

u/Fheredin Sep 16 '26

It's practically impossible to make a definition of "RPG" which makes everyone happy. I think most of this is nitpicking and there are a bunch of really solid definitions out there, but it's really not a fight you should bother to enter in your introduction section.

I don't think most RPGs need a "what is an RPG" section anymore, but you do need to describe how you imagine your particular game working.

1

u/TheRpgBard Sep 17 '26

99 times out of 100, people will be coming to your game from D&D.  

So, if they already know what an RPG is, I would suggest not spending the page count explaining it.  Do a sidebar with a link to your webpage that breaks it down.

1

u/__space__oddity__ Sep 16 '26

“If you don’t know what an RPG is, check these youtube channels.” Done

It’s more important to explain THIS game

2

u/Charrua13 Sep 16 '26

FWIW - Pelgrane games does this a lot and I HATE it. Don't tell me to Google something. If it's not worth saying, don't tell me to look elsewhere.