Role-playing game theory

Part of a series on
Role-playing games
Types
Tabletop Live action Video game Actual play Text-based
Movements & Traditions
History Indie Tabletop Video game Ludology GNS theory RPG theories OSR Region Japan Nordic LARP Poland
Parts of Games
Campaign setting Character creation Game mechanics Statistic Terminology
Participants
Gamemaster Player character Non-player character
Lists
Campaign settings LARP groups Production Artists Designers Publishers Tabletop games Tabletop timeline
WikiProject
v t e

Role-playing game theory is the study of role-playing games (RPGs) as a social or artistic phenomenon, also known as ludology. RPG theories seek to understand what role-playing games are, how they function, and how the gaming process can be refined in order to improve the play experience and produce better game products.

Notable theories about tabletop role-playing games include the Threefold model and GNS theory, which developed in conversation with the indie role-playing game forum The Forge in the early 2000s. Notable theories about live action role-playing games include the Meilahti School, the Turku School, and Emancipatory Bleed, which developed in conversation with the Knutepunkt convention in Scandenavia.