Role-playing games (RPGs) are character-centered games, but the name covers different ways to play. In a tabletop RPG, people describe what their characters do in a shared imagined world, with rules—and sometimes dice—helping decide what happens. A video game RPG is a computer or console game classified in the RPG genre; it is not the same activity as a tabletop session. The two formats share ideas, but their rules, play and boundaries vary.
What does “RPG” mean?
There is no definition that neatly covers every game called an RPG. The term is best understood as a broad category centered on characters and their roles in a game world. It includes tabletop games played around a table or online, as well as video games released for computers and consoles.
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CAR-PGa, an organization focused on role-playing games, offers one useful definition of tabletop play: “Improvised, open-ended stories in which the referee sets the stage and the players describe the actions of individual characters seeking a common goal. Playing depends on imagination and group interaction within elaborate rules.” That definition describes a recognizable form of tabletop play, not a universal standard for every game labeled RPG.
How does a tabletop RPG work?
A typical tabletop session moves through a back-and-forth between the game master and players. The group imagines a shared situation; players say what their characters attempt; the rules help resolve uncertain outcomes; and the game master describes what follows. The changed situation gives the group new choices.
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- The game master frames a situation. In systems that use this role, the game master describes a place, problem or event and plays the part of the world around the characters.
- Players choose character actions. Each player explains what their character tries to do, rather than selecting from a fixed list of options on a screen.
- Rules resolve uncertainty. The game’s system determines whether an attempt succeeds and what it costs or changes. Some systems use dice or other randomizers; others may handle uncertainty differently.
- The group responds to the result. The game master or group describes what happens, and play continues from the new situation.
This is a general pattern, not a rulebook for all tabletop RPGs. Systems differ in how they resolve actions, whether they use a game master, and how much attention they give to combat, social interaction or other parts of play. Classes, levels, a twenty-sided die, miniatures and physical dice are not universal requirements.
How are tabletop RPGs different from video game RPGs?
The shared label can make the formats sound more alike than they are. Tabletop play depends on people describing actions and responding to one another within a shared imagined situation. A video game RPG is a computer or console game in the RPG genre, where play takes place through that game’s software and interface. A tabletop session can happen online and still retain tabletop-style play; meeting over the internet does not by itself make it a video game RPG.
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| Format | What play involves | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Tabletop RPG | Players describe their characters’ attempts in a shared imagined situation; rules and sometimes randomizers resolve uncertainty. | A game master is common in many systems, but the role and mechanics vary. Sessions can be in person or online. |
| Video game RPG | A computer or console game in the RPG genre. | It is a different activity from a tabletop session, even though both formats use the RPG label. |
There is no single dividing line that settles every edge case. CAR-PGa notes that definitions are difficult to make comprehensive. For readers, the practical distinction is whether they mean a tabletop-style group activity or a video game genre.
Are RPGs always fantasy, and are they about combat?
No. Fantasy is common, but tabletop RPGs also use science fiction, dystopian survival, gothic horror, detective stories, spy thrillers and western settings, among others. The genre describes the kind of world or story; it does not, by itself, tell you how the rules work.
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Combat is not a universal focus either. Different games put different weight on tactical fights, social situations, investigation or narrative choices. Check a particular game’s description and rules to understand its emphasis rather than assuming that every RPG plays like a fantasy adventure.
Is there a winner in an RPG?
RPGs are generally collaborative rather than contests in which one participant wins by defeating the others. A group may work toward a shared goal, and a campaign or story can reach an ending, but many RPGs do not define a traditional winner and loser. What counts as a satisfying outcome depends on the group and the game.
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What should a beginner know before choosing an RPG?
Start with the experience you want, then look at the specific game’s rules and materials. The RPG label alone does not tell you how complex a system is, how long a session lasts or what you need to play.
- Choose a genre or setting: fantasy is one option, not the only one.
- Look at the style of play: find out whether the game emphasizes tactical combat, social play, narrative choices or a mix.
- Check the group format: see how many players the game supports and whether it uses a game master.
- Consider the commitment: session length and campaign expectations depend on the particular game and group.
- Check required materials: some tabletop systems use dice, but dice and rulebooks are not universal requirements for every RPG. Online groups may use digital tools, depending on how they play.
If a chosen tabletop game uses polyhedral dice, a dice set may be useful; first check which dice its rules call for. If you are choosing a book or published scenario, match it to the named game and edition. There is no one starter kit that applies to the entire RPG category.
What do participation figures tell us?
Available figures measure different things and should not be treated as interchangeable estimates of how many people play RPGs overall.
| Reported figure | What it measures | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 23% in the first quarter of 2025 | U.S. video gamers who played role-playing games, as reported by Statista’s video game genre measure. | This concerns video game RPGs, not tabletop participation. The underlying page’s methodology is not established here. |
| 16% of 1,253 adults | U.S. online-panel respondents who said they had played Dungeons & Dragons, in a Troy Press article published April 25, 2026. | This is a D&D-specific result from an online panel, not an estimate for all RPGs or the global population. |
These numbers answer separate questions: one is about a video game genre, the other about experience with a particular tabletop game. Neither establishes a broadly comparable count of tabletop RPG players across countries and systems.
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