What are TTRPGs?

Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) are collaborative storytelling experiences where players gather—either in person or via online platforms like Discord, Slack, or Microsoft Teams—to create and inhabit fictional characters within an imagined world. Guided by a shared narrative, players interact with each other and the setting, making decisions that shape the story’s direction.

At the heart of a TTRPG is a narrative framework typically overseen by a Game Master (GM)—also known as a Dungeon Master (DM)—who acts as both narrator and referee. The GM sets the scene, portrays non-player characters, and manages the game’s rules and challenges. Some games provide pre-written scenarios, while others rely on original storytelling and improvisation. Players describe their characters’ actions, and game mechanics—often involving rolling dice, drawing cards, or other systems—determine the outcomes of those actions.

While Dungeons & Dragons is the most widely known TTRPG, the hobby spans a wide range of genres and styles. Iconic titles like Call of Cthulhu, Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade, Lancer, and Avatar Legends offer diverse settings—from cosmic horror to high fantasy to science fiction and beyond.

Major publishers such as Paizo, Magpie Games, and Modiphius release new systems and supplements regularly, helping to shape the broader industry. At the same time, the TTRPG space is home to a vibrant indie scene, where individual creators publish innovative, experimental, and deeply personal games. Many of these are funded through platforms like Kickstarter or produced entirely independently—sometimes as polished releases, sometimes as small PDF rule sets born from a single creator’s vision.

Why Tabletop Roleplaying Games Matter

Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) are a unique and growing part of the tabletop gaming world. While most people are more familiar with board games or card games, TTRPGs offer something different: the chance to tell stories, build worlds, and connect deeply with others through collaborative play.

Although the TTRPG market is smaller than the broader tabletop industry—estimated at around $1.92 billion in 2024—its cultural impact is far greater than its size might suggest. Millions of people around the world play these games. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wizards of the Coast estimated that 50 million Americans had played Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Online platforms like Roll20 consistently rank D&D as the most-played game, though titles like Call of Cthulhu and Pathfinder also have passionate communities and continue to grow in popularity.

The hobby is especially popular among young adults and professionals aged 20 to 40, but it also includes longtime fans who’ve been playing since the 1970s, when D&D first launched. One of the most inspiring aspects of the TTRPG community is its diversity: players come from all walks of life, including POC and LGBTQ+ communities. While the hobby still has work to do regarding inclusion and representation, it is increasingly becoming a space where a wide range of people feel welcome.

More Than Just a Game

So why should someone new to all this care about TTRPGs?

Because it's becoming harder to build meaningful, in-person connections, TTRPGs offer something rare: a consistent, creative, and low-cost way to gather, play, and belong.

As modern life becomes more demanding—and as social spaces like bars, clubs, and community centers become less accessible or affordable—TTRPGs fill an important gap. They give people a reason to come together. Whether it’s meeting friends at a local game store, hopping on a Discord call after a long day, or spending a weekend with friends immersed in storytelling, TTRPGs are about connection, creativity, and shared experience.

They won’t fix the world's problems, but they offer a meaningful way to process them—with friends, with laughter, and with imagination. In a time when loneliness is on the rise and community can feel out of reach, TTRPGs help bring people back together.