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This roundup examines new data on the impact of TTRPGs on people’s relationships and mental health. We also have a new manifesto on “expressionist games” as well as a small miniature game-maker who revealed their anti-immigrant beliefs in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Data Proves that Some In-Game Romance Becomes Real?

This story is a bit old, but it caught my eye enough to get a passing mention.

The professional gaming platform StartPlaying.Games surveyed around 1,000 players who played TTRPGs once a month about why they play and found some interesting insights:

• 76% of players said that tabletop RPGs helped them process trauma or emotional growth at least occasionally, while 31% said it’s a key reason they play.

• 43% caught real-life feelings during gameplay, and 28% said in-character romance led to genuine attraction outside the game.

• 52% have played RPGs with a romantic partner, and 48% said it improved their relationship.

• 57% of players made at least some of their closest friends through RPGs, and Gen Z and millennials were especially likely to say gaming forged core friendships.

• Nearly 9 in 10 players say RPGs help them mentally reset — with over 2 in 5 motivated to play for stress relief and other mental health benefits.

• 75% credited RPGs with keeping friendships alive — Gen Z led the charge, with 36% saying gaming “definitely” helped preserve their connections.

While there are plenty of players who engage in this hobby for the combat hobby, this survey does confirm how much of an emotional role the game has in people’s lives. It also affirms how common “bleed”, or the intertwining of in-character and out-of-character emotions, can be at times.

I recommend taking this survey with a grain of salt, as there remain questions about how the survey was done, and I’m always skeptical of surveys not done by official firms. But it’s still helpful for poking at the mental benefits and effects this hobby has on us every week.

OSR Mini Maker Embraces Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in Facebook Post

The shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has been a significant point of political tension within the United States for the last week, especially with the shooter being caught as of Friday.

That event also led some creators in the TTRPG space to reveal their true political beliefs in the wake of the shooting. Red Box Games is a company best known for making miniatures as a third-party for OSR-styled gameplay and classic fantasy games. The company has been around since 2008 and is a small merchant in the space.

The owner, Tre Manor, posted on his Facebook page about how he is ‘staunchly right wing’ and proud of it. The owner went on to defend Kirk, and then elaborated about how he hates those who “ignore the destruction of Europe and Australia and America by the importation of hordes of third world savages” and who want the “destruction of European culture and white people.” This language is common among those with anti-immigration sentiments and has even been used by President Donald Trump in the past.

The post went viral on r/RPG, but was eventually locked down by the moderators. The owner has since doubled down on their political aggression but also stepped away from social media for their own health.

Jay Dragon and the Expressionist Game Manifesto

Steve Jackson Games and Possum Creek Games’ Jay Dragon sparked a massive conversation on BlueSky this week when she published a piece on what they describe as “expressionist games.”

What’s an expressionist game, you ask?

This is a type of game philosophy that exists in properties like Triangle Agency, Pendragon, Thousand Year Vampire and a bunch of others.

Jay’s piece sparked numerous conversations about what constitutes a game and how its rules relate to the emotional and philosophical ideas underlying the story that players want to read and how to move game design in that direction. It’s an interesting read if you want to get into it or are really into game design.

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Other Stories from TTRPG Insider

This week, we spoke with indie creators from Graftbound Press and tendervicious studios about two new projects they have on the horizon.

We also published our feature on Gamefound’s RPG Party and their efforts to kickstart and fund 23 indie creators in the TTRPG space.

I got an early look at Heroes of the Borderlands, D&D’s starter set. It really does turn the TTRPG into a board game, which might appeal to some folks but not others. I think it’s viable but I’ll let you peruse my ‘review’ over at The Fandomentals to get a better perspective.

That’s all for this week. Have thoughts on a recent story? Want to promote your latest product? Feel free to send us tips or emails at [email protected].

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