Transformative Role-playing Game Design
This textbook describes theory and practice in analog role-playing game (RPG) design that encourage specific transformative impacts in participants, including tabletop, live action role-playing (larp), and Nordic and American freeform. We describe three types of transformative RPGs: transformative l...
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| Format: | Online |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2025
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| Online Access: | ONIX_20250207_9789151323015_11 |
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| _version_ | 1869520589725630464 |
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| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | This textbook describes theory and practice in analog role-playing game (RPG) design that encourage specific transformative impacts in participants, including tabletop, live action role-playing (larp), and Nordic and American freeform. We describe three types of transformative RPGs: transformative leisure, therapeutic, and educational. We present our model of nano-game design, offering recommendations for designing transformative goals; framing activities such as workshops and debriefs; narrative and culture design. This interdisciplinary book highlights theories from role-playing game studies, peace and conflict studies, psychology, social psychology, sociology, counseling, anthropology, pedagogy, and several other fields. Key concepts include bleed, alibi, RPGs as transformational containers, immersion, identity, transfer, ritual, psychotherapeutic techniques, group theories, and educational theories. We emphasize psychological safety before, during, and after games, as well as strategies for cultivating transformational communities. Key topics include working with specific populations; crisis management; sensitive content and representation. Then, we discuss working with myth, symbolism, and ritual, narrative, and postmodern magic as methods for transforming the stories of our lives. We cover forms of culture within and around RPGs, as well working with conflict in scenarios related to politics, culture, gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. We share thoughts around the use of RPGs to foster activism, advocacy, inclusion, and accessibility. Finally, we offer considerations for researchers studying transformative role-playing games, including academic argument, structure, theory, method, data collection, ethics, and other considerations. We introduce key methods, including Research through Design, ethnography, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The book closes with a summary of evidence-based research available on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects of role-playing games. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-151934 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1519342025-07-21T15:44:41Z Transformative Role-playing Game Design Bowman, Sarah Lynne Diakolambrianou, Elektra Brind, Simon RPG role-playing games psychology counseling counselling role-playing game studies larp live action role-playing games tabletop identity transformative transformation bleed alibi integration safety accessibility narrative ritual conflict culture thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games This textbook describes theory and practice in analog role-playing game (RPG) design that encourage specific transformative impacts in participants, including tabletop, live action role-playing (larp), and Nordic and American freeform. We describe three types of transformative RPGs: transformative leisure, therapeutic, and educational. We present our model of nano-game design, offering recommendations for designing transformative goals; framing activities such as workshops and debriefs; narrative and culture design. This interdisciplinary book highlights theories from role-playing game studies, peace and conflict studies, psychology, social psychology, sociology, counseling, anthropology, pedagogy, and several other fields. Key concepts include bleed, alibi, RPGs as transformational containers, immersion, identity, transfer, ritual, psychotherapeutic techniques, group theories, and educational theories. We emphasize psychological safety before, during, and after games, as well as strategies for cultivating transformational communities. Key topics include working with specific populations; crisis management; sensitive content and representation. Then, we discuss working with myth, symbolism, and ritual, narrative, and postmodern magic as methods for transforming the stories of our lives. We cover forms of culture within and around RPGs, as well working with conflict in scenarios related to politics, culture, gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. We share thoughts around the use of RPGs to foster activism, advocacy, inclusion, and accessibility. Finally, we offer considerations for researchers studying transformative role-playing games, including academic argument, structure, theory, method, data collection, ethics, and other considerations. We introduce key methods, including Research through Design, ethnography, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The book closes with a summary of evidence-based research available on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects of role-playing games. 2025-02-17T00:56:13Z 2025-02-17T00:56:13Z 2025-02-07T16:26:28Z 2025 book ONIX_20250207_9789151323015_11 3035-7934 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/98272 9789151323015 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/151934 eng Transformative Play Research Series open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/98272/1/9789151323015.pdf 10.33063/23xd2197 10.33063/23xd2197 dc1b712c-b6bc-46c6-a0de-9d884b37750e 80d60b09-41f1-44d0-b62b-36559435e05f 4a2c8668-d65a-4e25-a8a1-7ab56b99afaf 9789151323015 Uppsala [...] [...] Erasmus+ Erasmus plus 10.13039/501100010790 open access |
| spellingShingle | RPG role-playing games psychology counseling counselling role-playing game studies larp live action role-playing games tabletop identity transformative transformation bleed alibi integration safety accessibility narrative ritual conflict culture thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title | Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title_full | Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title_fullStr | Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title_short | Transformative Role-playing Game Design |
| title_sort | transformative role playing game design |
| topic | RPG role-playing games psychology counseling counselling role-playing game studies larp live action role-playing games tabletop identity transformative transformation bleed alibi integration safety accessibility narrative ritual conflict culture thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games |
| topic_facet | RPG role-playing games psychology counseling counselling role-playing game studies larp live action role-playing games tabletop identity transformative transformation bleed alibi integration safety accessibility narrative ritual conflict culture thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDH Hobbies::WDHW Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JM Psychology::JMH Social, group or collective psychology thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MK Medical specialties, branches of medicine::MKZ Therapy and therapeutics thema EDItEUR::W Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure::WD Hobbies, quizzes and games::WDM Indoor games::WDMG Board, table top and strategy games |
| url | ONIX_20250207_9789151323015_11 |