8 Ways Tabletop Role-Playing Games Can Improve Mental Health
Tabletop role-playing games—like Dungeons and Dragons–have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past half-decade or so, in part thanks to the cultural impact of hit sci fi/fantasy shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role. Here are 8 ways that playing these games can lead to significant improvements for you or your child’s overall well-being.
More sources, elaborate on people putting a piece of themselves into their characters because that hits.
I am one of the co-facilitators of the Adventurer’s Guild social skills group at AFG. In this group, kids and teens play a role-playing game, in which they create their own playable character and work together to tell a collaborative story in a fantasy world using pens, paper, dice, and their own minds. My co-facilitator and I started this group because we know from first hand experience how transformative it can be to play these games with other people. As it stands, role-playing and narrative therapy are well-established interventions for treating various mental health conditions, and therapeutic role-playing groups are gaining more and more traction as the research comes out to back up the benefits. In the Adventurer’s Guild, the focus is on gameplay, but the difficult moments and topics that come up naturally through playing are worked through with the help of other members and the trained therapists who run the group. The facilitators, who act as game masters, take cues from play therapy, Gestalt therapy, and narrative therapy to encourage growth and change. Our goal is for players to leave the group taking something valuable away from the experience, whether that be new skills for interacting with other people, new insights into their own behaviors, personal exploration, or even just a positive memory of being with other people. Here are some ways that playing TTRPGs can benefit your or your child’s mental health.
What is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG)?
First, let’s define some terms for the uninitiated.
RPG- Role-playing game. This is any game (video, board, or otherwise) in which players take on the role of another character and act through that character when making decisions, and they are typically highly story focused. Final Fantasy is an example of an RPG video game series.
TTRPG- Tabletop role-playing game. This is a type of collaborative RPG that is almost always played as a group of 2 or more. TTRPGs are typically played with pens, paper, and dice and players participate in the story together. Gameplay usually takes place at a table but in recent years, virtual TTRPG groups have become extremely popular (thanks Covid!). Generally, players say what they want to do, and the GM (game master) says what happens/how to do it.
PC- Player character. This is everyone who is not a GM. Players usually control one character at a time. They may even create a voice for their character and act them out. Players say what they want their character to do and roll dice to see if/how well their character performs
this action. They might roll a die to try to convince a castle guard to let them pass or try to sneak past a hungry dragon; the GM interprets the dice result and says what happens.
NPC- Non-player characters. Any character in the story that is not controlled by a player. Enemies, allies, side characters and monsters are all NPCs.
Party- The group of player characters in the game. A party is a group with a shared goal.
GM- Game master. Also known as a DM (Dungeon Master). The game master moves the story forward by describing the setting of the game, controlling NPCs, reacting to player actions, and interpreting dice rolls into story beats. The GM is not an adversary to overcome, but another participant in the collaborative storytelling of the TTRPG.
1. Role-Playing Encourages Self-Reflection
When a player creates their PC, they often put a piece of themselves into that character whether they mean to or not. Through role-playing this character who reflects a piece of the player back at them, personal growth and learning can occur. A rash, excitable player might play a loud, fast, powerful fighter who rushes into problems without a second thought and get into more trouble than they started with! A person who has been through a traumatic experience may give their character a backstory that reflects a similar trauma- abandonment, loss, and ostracization are very common themes for PC backstories. When intentionally crafted as a reflection of the self, a person can use the game setting as a sort of healing experience, where they get to live vicariously through a character who reminds them of themselves. In a setting like the Adventurer’s Guild, where reflection is encouraged, we may have a discussion as a party about what a character could have done differently to see a better outcome, which can lead to lessons applicable to real life situations. But even in casual play, players have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and change the way they approach a situation next time it happens- whether that is in the game or in their life.
2. Role-Playing Encourages Perspective Taking
When you play a character who is not yourself, you have to put yourself into the shoes of this fictional character and make decisions as them. For example, a player may know all about how to defeat a mighty wizard because they have read about this wizard outside of the game; however, their character is unlikely to have the same knowledge as the player unless they have done extensive research on said wizard in the narrative of the game. The player would then have to think- “what would my character do in this situation based on what they know?” Furthermore, many situations in TTRPGs require convincing an NPC to do something for the players or even deceiving them to achieve a goal. In these cases, the players can improve their chance to succeed by understanding the thoughts, desires, and reactions of the NPC. This is not that different from traditional role-play interventions in psychotherapy, where a therapist encourages a patient to imagine they are another person and understand their point of view.
3. Players will Practice Social Skills
The collaborative element of TTRPGs is vital to the gameplay experience. Players have to work together with their group members to achieve their goals, which means they have to find ways to communicate effectively with one another as to create plans, express themselves, and resolve conflicts. Not everyone at every table will have the same level of socioemotional development- that is ok! Because everyone is playing the same game together and if they want to continue playing the game, they must settle differences and understand one another to succeed at overwhelming challenges. Players can also help one another coregulate, such as by helping each other stay focused on the task at hand or overcome disappointing dice rolls. Finally, players can roleplay social skills through the lens of the game. To convince a troll to let them pass a bridge, players may have to roleplay their character de-escalating a conflict; maybe they practice genuine conversational skills as spies at a royal party.
4. TTRPGs Offer a Chance for Healthy Escapism
Because TTRPGs are immersive by their very nature, players can experience them as a temporary escape from daily problems of life. In the past, RPGS (specifically Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D) were targeted by extreme controversy over allegations that playing the games caused people to believe they were really in a fantasy world, and people feared that playing D&D made people into dangerous Satanic cultists. Modern research has found these allegations to have no basis in scientific fact, and in fact they are contrary to the truth, which is that people who play TTRPGs were found to have lower rates of depression and anxiety (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/201404/dungeons-dragonssatan-and-psychology). When people play TTRPGs together, they become focused on the fantasy world in which they are playing. Instead of ruminating on problems from their own lives, players get a chance for a few hours to focus on the wants, desires, and problems of their PCs instead. Players with significant challenges in their own lives can benefit from temporarily experiencing the life of a character who may not face those same challenges.
5. Playing TTRPGs in a Group Provides Social Connectedness
Humans are social creatures who crave connection to others. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, thousands of people turned to online RPG tables as a way to connect with other people in a time of extreme isolation. The CDC has found that people who feel connected to a community experience longer lifespans, greater health, and better overall quality of life compared to people who are socially isolated (https://www.cdc.gov/emotionalwellbeing/social-connectedness/affect health.htm#:~:text=Social%20connection%20with%20others%20can,being%2C%20and%20quality%20of%20life.). When playing in a group, players connect with one another in a number of ways. As a party of fictional characters, players participate in a shared world which they all affect by their decisions and storytelling together. As players in a group, they develop a routine and a space that they can look forward to participating in from week to week. Players connect with one another via the stories they tell, the enemies they overcome, the jokes they make, and even the snacks they bring. Like any game night or social routine, playing a TTRPG together is a way to socialize and connect with other people, which is vital to overall well-being and since playing these types of games is such an immersive and collaborative experience, the connections that are formed during gameplay tend to feel stronger and deeper.
6. Players Feel a Sense of Belonging to their Party
Similarly to the importance of social connection, people thrive best when they feel a sense of genuine belonging to their community. Studies show that when a person feels like they belong somewhere, they experience greater academic/career success, stronger relationships, and better overall health (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8095671/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20identified%20numerous%20positive,et%20al.%2C%201992). A sense of belonging occurs when a person believes that they contribute positively to their respective community, and when they feel like they are wanted by the other members of the community. In TTRPGs, the players try to overcome great challenges and risk sincere consequences to their characters and the world around them if they fail. Therefore, each player has an opportunity to bring unique strengths and weaknesses to the table (pun intended).
The bard player knows that he will likely ace any social challenge the party faces, because they are so charismatic, but they’re not very good in a fight; the fighter takes the front line during battles to keep the bard safe from danger, but they aren’t good at making decisions and they get into trouble constantly; the cleric is casting healing spells to keep his party alive all the time, but without the bard they would never be able to deal with their social anxiety. Each of these players plays a role that the others cannot play as effectively, and they know their job in the party. If one of these players doesn’t show up to a game, you can bet that the next session people will say they missed the cleric’s healing abilities or the fighter’s damage. They belong to their group in a tangible way, and that is an irreplaceable feeling.
7. Role Playing Games are a Safe Space for Learning and Exploration
Remember what I said about players putting a piece of themselves into their characters? Sometimes the opposite happens: a player creates a character that is a version of themselves they wish to be. I think fondly about a character from the Adventurer’s Guild who used their character as a way to work through social anxiety. They made 2 different characters, the first being a quiet, antisocial thief who spoke few words but supported from the shadows. This player often stayed quiet at the table during important decision-making moments and let other players make choices for them. In their second campaign they created a new character who was nearly the exact opposite of their first- a bombastic monk fighter who challenged authority, defied expectations, and pranked innocent townspeople. While this character still supported the party, there were multiple instances in which their character spoke up for themselves and defied the group on a decision. In one critical storytelling moment, this player made a decision which they knew the other players would oppose because it was something his character would do. Outside of the role-playing mode, the player spoke up to the table and justified their decision, then went through with their choice. In game, the PCs worked together to deal with the consequences and came back together to return to their quest; out of game, the players expressed mild annoyance about the decision but also expressed understanding and even admiration for the player’s self-advocacy and decision making. The player later expressed that this moment was cathartic for them as they were practicing self-advocacy skills in their own individual therapy, and getting to use their character as a conduit for practicing this skill felt like proof that they can speak up for themselves in any situation and still be accepted, even liked. The game setting was a safe place to try a new skill because the consequences for failing would be limited to the fiction of the game, not real-life embarrassment or discomfort. There is distance between the player and their character, and that feels safe.
TTRPGs can also be a way for players to explore things like mental illness, gender/sexuality, and other difficult topics in a safe space. Sometimes, the GM can even gear the story of the game towards personal topics indicated by the other players. For example, in a group where all the players struggle with depression, the main villain of the story may in some way represent depression and stand as something to be overcome symbolically by the players. Taking lessons in a dissociated state as someone else but incorporating them into their own lives. Grog. Some clinicians have even used TTRPGs to treat veterans suffering from PTSD, as the game world is a safe place to explore triggering topics or situations and offer a form of exposure therapy (https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-veterans-get-help-through-dungeons-dragons role-playing-therapy/600234955/).
8. They are Fun
The simplest and, let’s be honest, maybe most important way that TTRPGs can positively affect people is that they are fun. It’s fun to tell stories with other people. It’s fun to come up with wacky plans and supernatural powers. It’s fun to play as someone that you’re not in a fantasy world full of magic. It’s fun to fail. No, really- it can be really, really fun to fail in these games. You roll a 1 on your die to try to fire a spell at an enemy, so your firebolt spell misses and causes fireworks to go off, giving the entire party’s presence away to the enemy! Now everyone has to think on their feet and panic as they come up with a new plan while you try to figure out what happened to your magic wand, but Bartok the Barbarian won’t stop screaming! For players who struggle with feelings of failure or who find it challenging to tolerate losing/adversity, it can be important for them to experience failure in this way and learn that failing is not inherently a negative thing; to learn to say “I failed, but I am ok.”
Playing these games is chaotic, it’s crazy, it’s imaginative, and when it clicks, it is so much fun. Play is an important part of life for all people, not just kids. Research supports that people who make time to play or engage in hobbies tend to have lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in their systems, and therefore experience fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Play is also how people develop important skills like language expression, emotional literacy, and problem-solving skills (https://hechingerreport.org/want-resilient-and-well-adjusted-kids-let-them-play/). Everyone has their own idea of what is fun, but I firmly believe that finding the right group for playing a game of D&D is some of the most fun you can have with a group of people.
How do I Start Playing?
There are many ways to join a tabletop game group. Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is by far the most popular mainstream TTRPG right now, and information about how to play is easily accessible online compared to other systems of play, but D&D is not the only way to play one of these games, not by a longshot. Play manuals can be found at your local game store, along with dice and other fun materials for playing, but at the end of the day if you have pen, paper, and an imagination, you can play these games. Game stores also often host game nights, so check their websites to see if there are any tables you can join for a game or two. Finally, search the web for online games that can be played over your device from home- Roll20.com is host to many such games. Of course, not every group will be right for every person, so it’s okay to try a few different games with different people before committing to a group. If you believe that you or your child could benefit from playing one of these games in a positive environment, ask about The Adventurer’s Guild today!