RPG学研究: Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies
type: channel
description: This is the home of the Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies (JARPS; ISSN: 2434-9682), a bilingual academic journal about table-top role-playing games and live-action role-plays in, from, and beyond Japan in a global context.
publisher: Japanese Association for Role-Playing Game Studies
language: en
publication name: RPG学研究: Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies
issn: 2434-9682
items: Props, Techniques, and Inspirations for Analog Role-Playing
items: Field Report on the Practical Application of NotebookLM as a Support Tool for LARP Event Participants
items: ANTs on the TRPG Table
items: The 'Stories' of Real Escape Games Created by High School and Technical College Students
items: What Makes a Rulebook Accessible and Entertaining?
items: Short-Term Interest, Long-Term Stagnation?
items: Campaign Board Games as a Steppingstone towards TRPGs
items: Exploring Access and Accessibility in Analog Role-Playing Games
items: Enjoy the Silence
items: Experience Point Rules to Promote Good Roleplay
items: Inclusion in Larp
items: Reimagining Calibration Frameworks Through Crip Theory
items: A Case Study in Increasing Empathy towards Deaf People Using the Role-Playing Game “Sign”
items: The Influence of Educators' Tabletop Role-Playing Games Familiarity on the Implementation of LARPs in Adult Education
items: Potential Use of TRPGs in After-School Daycare Services: An Examination Based on Staff Interview Surveys
items: Autistic Social Advocacy as Accessibility in TRPGs
items: Deprogramming Indiana Jones
items: History of Gamebooks in Japan
items: Editorial
items: Literatura E Livros-Jogos
items: Gamebooks and the Materiality of Reading
items: Pause to Reflect
items: An Exploration of the Appeal of the Cosmic Horror Series of Gamebooks for Call of Cthulhu TRPG
items: What it Means to Create Player Characters for Tabletop Role-Playing Games
items: Facilitating Conversation and the Role of the Game Master in TRPG Activities for Children on the Autism Spectrum
items: DM Habitus
items: No Gods, No Masters: An Overview of Unfacilitated “GMless” Design Frameworks
items: About the Demand for Online, Short-Time Voice Sessions of "Golden Sky Stories: Heart-Warming Role-Playing Game"
items: At the Head of the Table

Props, Techniques, and Inspirations for Analog Role-Playing
type: item
description: The editorial to the 2025 issue of the journal examines the material dimensions of analog role-playing games under the theme “Tools of the Trade.” Extending last year’s discussion on access and accessibility, this issue examines how objects, environments, and technologies co-produce play. Drawing on a relational-materialist perspective, it argues that dice, rulebooks, costumes, props, and even AI tools act as collaborators rather than mere accessories, shaping creativity, inclusivity, and learning. From accessible rulebook design and embodied storytelling in larps to the integration of digital systems in live play, the featured contributions investigate diverse forms of material agency. Together, they reveal how the tangible and intangible intertwine in analog gaming, inviting readers to rethink the tools, practices, and relationships that sustain the field.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: actor-networks
  topic: keywords
subject: agency
  topic: keywords
subject: materiality
  topic: keywords
subject: relationality
  topic: keywords
subject: tools
  topic: keywords
creator: Björn-Ole Kamm
creator: JARPS Editors
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Björn-Ole Kamm, JARPS Editors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 1
ending page: 8

Field Report on the Practical Application of NotebookLM as a Support Tool for LARP Event Participants
type: item
description: This report documents the application of Google's AI service, "NotebookLM," at the LARP events "Quest of Labyrinth" and "Grand Cross Crusade" held in Japan. Its primary purpose is to discuss two key points based on this practical application. First, how NotebookLM can reduce the operational burden on small-scale LARP event organizers. Second, to explore the potential of NotebookLM to support and enhance the participant experience, such as by facilitating understanding of the event content and assisting with character creation.
subject: Case Report
  topic: section
subject: larp
  topic: keywords
subject: facilitation
  topic: keywords
creator: Toshihiro Moroishi
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Toshihiro Moroishi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 63
ending page: 70

ANTs on the TRPG Table
type: item
description: This article introduces actor-network theory (ANT) as an innovative methodological approach for studying tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs). Moving beyond analytical frameworks that prioritize narrative and ludic elements, I examine how material actors co-shape gameplay experiences. Through multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted across various gaming locations in Germany from 2010 to 2014, I developed a systematic approach for analyzing material agency in TRPGs. The research introduces the novel methodological technique of "speaking materials," where material actors are given narrative voice to illuminate their often-overlooked contributions to the role-playing network. This approach reveals how seemingly chaotic arrangements of gaming materials actually constitute sophisticated collaborative networks that enable role-playing to function. By demonstrating how material actors mediate relationships between human participants, game mechanics, and narrative elements, this study provides researchers with transferable tools for examining the material dimensions of role-playing games, also across different cultural contexts. While this study is situated within specific German gaming communities and was conducted before the widespread adoption of digital tools in TRPGs, the methodological approach offers broader applications for understanding material-player relations in diverse contexts.
subject: Invited Paper
  topic: section
subject: actor-network theory
  topic: keywords
subject: ANT
  topic: keywords
subject: material agency
  topic: keywords
subject: multi-sited ethnography
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
creator: Rafael Bienia
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Rafael Bienia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 9
ending page: 19

The 'Stories' of Real Escape Games Created by High School and Technical College Students
type: item
description: Since the early 2010s, many people in Japan have played ARG-like games that blur the boundary between the game world and the real world. One of the most commercially successful examples is SCRAP’s Real Escape Game, typically described as a game in which players, acting as “protagonists” of a particular “story,” attempt to escape by solving puzzles. Yet the precise role of “story” or "narrative" in these games remains ambiguous. This article examines how “narrative” functions as a tool of the trade in Real Escape Games, and in particular how high school students conceptualize and employ it when creating their own games. Drawing on Salen and Zimmerman’s theoretical framework of games as narrative play, we first clarify the characteristics of “narratives” in Real Escape Games. We then conduct a text-mining analysis of the proposals submitted to the National High School Real Escape Game Creators Championship, in order to investigate how students position and utilize “narratives” in their original designs. The analysis reveals two key findings: (1) students create their games by adopting or appropriating the fixed “story events” of solving puzzles and escaping, and (2) they reinterpret everyday reality from the perspective of a “fictional world,” thereby identifying resources to construct the fictional settings of their games.
subject: Educational & Practical Material
  topic: section
subject: escape rooms
  topic: keywords
subject: high-school students
  topic: keywords
subject: narrative
  topic: keywords
subject: Real Escape Game
  topic: keywords
creator: Kimi Ishida
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Kimi Ishida https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 35
ending page: 48

What Makes a Rulebook Accessible and Entertaining?
type: item
description: One of the first steps necessary for playing a board or roleplaying game is to read the rules. There is an underlying assumption here at least one person at the table has to know how to read. The cognitive load that rules can have on the players can be substantial and can impact the act of understanding the rules, as well as influence the play experience. Learning a game requires specialist literacy. The inability of players to learn the rules of a game through the rule-book might be a consequence of that material’s cognitive expectation, not an inadequacy of the player. As such, this paper aims to propose best practices and initiate the discussion on the accessibility of rulebooks. To achieve this, several considerations were made around cognitive accessibility in games, cognitive load, and the effect that Easy Language can have on lowering it. We also discuss the definition of a rulebook, how rulebooks are used (and abused), and the underlying assumptions when designing rulebooks. These considerations allow us to conceptualise best practices for improving rule-book accessibility regarding visual, cognitive, physical, communication, socioeconomic, learning, and intersectional accessibility. However, some questions remain unanswered regarding how to create rulebooks that are accessible and entertaining, and as the best practices presented are conceptualisations, they still have to be validated in a real setting with a diverse group of players.
subject: Theoretical Article
  topic: section
subject: best practices
  topic: keywords
subject: board games
  topic: keywords
subject: role-playing games
  topic: keywords
subject: rulebook accessibility
  topic: keywords
subject: technical writing
  topic: keywords
creator: Cátia Casimiro
creator: Michael James Heron
creator: Carla Sousa
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Cátia Casimiro, Michael James Heron, Carla Sousa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 20
ending page: 34

Short-Term Interest, Long-Term Stagnation?
type: item
description: This study conducted an exploratory investigation into the long-term learning effects of board game teaching materials in university education. Two games, DAIGAKU and Life Literacy Game, were played with university staff as participants, and the results of questionnaires administered immediately after the game and one month later were compared. The findings indicated that while players’ short-term interest could be elicited, no long-term learning effects were confirmed.
subject: Short Note
  topic: section
subject: board games
  topic: keywords
subject: long-term learning effects
  topic: keywords
subject: higher education
  topic: keywords
creator: Teppei Terashima
creator: Ryōta Fukamatsu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Teppei Terashima, Ryōta Fukamatsu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 57
ending page: 62

Campaign Board Games as a Steppingstone towards TRPGs
type: item
description: Campaign board games have emerged as a distinct and growing niche within the tabletop gaming space. These games, such as Kingdom Death: Monster and Aeon Trespass: Odyssey, incorporate long-form storytelling, character progression, and cooperative play, mirroring key aspects of traditional tabletop roleplaying games (TRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons. Despite structural similarities, campaign board games differ from TRPGs in their lack of a human game master, reliance on predefined branching narratives, and more rigid adherence to rules. This paper explores the intersection between campaign board games and TRPGs, highlighting both their shared characteristics—such as emergent narratives, player agency, and game mechanics—and where they diverge, including differences in roleplay/improvisation, mechanical flexibility, and replayability. A key argument of this paper is that campaign board games offer an approachable alternative to TRPGs, especially for newcomers. Unlike TRPGs, which typically require a skilled game master and a high level of improvisational ability, campaign board games provide a structured experience that allows players to engage with rich narratives and complex decision-making in a more accessible format. This structured design may serve as a bridge for those interested in transitioning into TRPGs by offering players an “out of the box” experience to help build familiarity with the genre. By examining the overlap between these games and TRPGs, this essay argues for their scholarly relevance within RPG studies and as tools or an alternative for TRPG enthusiasts.
subject: Essay
  topic: section
subject: campaign board games
  topic: keywords
subject: narrative
  topic: keywords
subject: player experience
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
creator: Jacob Reed
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Jacob Reed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-23
publication date: 2025-11-23
starting page: 49
ending page: 56

Exploring Access and Accessibility in Analog Role-Playing Games
type: item
description: The editorial to the 2024 issue of the journal guides into the interconnected themes of access and accessibility within analog role-playing games. By highlighting structural barriers and societal biases, the editors emphasize the importance of fostering inclusivity for marginalized and minority groups in gaming. The editorial advocates for moving beyond universalist approaches to access, stressing the need for adaptable frameworks that consider diverse needs, including gender, race, socioeconomic background, and disabilities. Drawing from academic, activist, and personal perspectives, the issue highlights key challenges and innovations in making analog role-playing games more inclusive, from design tools to participatory strategies. Ultimately, this issue invites a collaborative dialogue to rethink and reshape gaming spaces, ensuring they are welcoming and empowering for all participants.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: access
  topic: keywords
subject: accessibility
  topic: keywords
subject: dialogue
  topic: keywords
subject: diversity
  topic: keywords
subject: inclusivity
  topic: keywords
creator: Björn-Ole Kamm
creator: Michael Freudenthal
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Björn-Ole Kamm, Michael Freudenthal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 1
ending page: 9

Enjoy the Silence
type: item
description: In this paper, we examine how the silent role-playing game Alice is Missing structures an accessibility framework focused on minority representation and safe space regarding sensitive topics while questioning the limits posed by its archetypal setting. Thus, we consider accessibility through the means it deploys to welcome a variety of players and the way its safety tools can foster emotional experiences. We analyze this game using its own frame: a textual exchange. The idea is to recapture our experience during the game by reproducing the text dialogue structure we were offered. This approach is rooted in the idea of dialogism as a point of encounter and synthesis of individual realities and in what seems to us one of the central propositions of Alice is Missing, that is, a collaborative creative experience that aims to respect each participants’ individuality.
subject: Explorative Paper
  topic: section
subject: accessibility
  topic: keywords
subject: emotional safety
  topic: keywords
subject: minority representation
  topic: keywords
subject: player experience
  topic: keywords
subject: textual role-play
  topic: keywords
creator: Jean-Charles Ray
creator: Roxanne Chartrand
creator: Kevser Güngör
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Jean-Charles Ray, Roxanne Chartrand, Kevser Güngör https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 78
ending page: 88

Experience Point Rules to Promote Good Roleplay
type: item
description: Table-talk Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) combine both storytelling and gameplay elements. Storytelling involves role-playing (acting in character), and some systems incorporate rules that encourage role-playing. This paper begins by reviewing the evolution of experience point systems in representative TRPG systems. Shinobigami, a ninja battle RPG, was selected as the primary research subject due to its innovative implementation of unprecedented rules. The key features of Shinobigami include a high degree of freedom in PC (player character) selection to meet diverse player needs, a scene system that ensures fair participation opportunities, and an experience point system that actively identifies and rewards positive traits. Among the various mechanics, this study investigates the effectiveness of the “Touched the Heartstrings” rule, where players vote for each other as part of the design of incentives. Based on the 2023 sales figures, Shinobigami appears effective in binding its users, suggesting that the game has become a popular and classic TRPG many players enjoy.
subject: Rolling Submission
  topic: section
creator: Keiichirō Fujibayashi
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Keiichirō Fujibayashi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 89
ending page: 104

Inclusion in Larp
type: item
description: This article addresses the challenges and limitations of inclusion in live-action role-playing (larp), arguing that as the real world becomes more diverse, addressing diversity and disability within the larp community is becoming increasingly important. The essay further emphasizes that inclusion involves not just accessibility, but also self-determination and informed decision-making. It discusses the break in immersion that occurs when participants encounter disabilities in the game and highlights the tendency to operate within ableist structures that exclude disabled people. A lack of interaction with disabled people in everyday life often leads to insecurity, which can be heightened in larps, and plays a significant role. Disabilities should not be depicted as a 'cool' character trait but should be viewed as a natural part of the game world. Lastly, the essay calls for larp designers to integrate inclusion into their design processes and to clearly communicate the resources available for fostering inclusion.
subject: Essay
  topic: section
subject: larp
  topic: keywords
subject: inclusion
  topic: keywords
subject: disability
  topic: keywords
subject: diversity
  topic: keywords
subject: accessibility
  topic: keywords
creator: Björn Butzen
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Björn Butzen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 10
ending page: 15

Reimagining Calibration Frameworks Through Crip Theory
type: item
description: The intersections between calibration, disability, and access in TRPGs remain understudied, although they can be integral to the play experience of players with conditions such as autism, anxiety, PTSD, or others. Not only can the tools scaffold an experience of informed and acceptable risk for everyone, they can also equip players to tackle topics in-game that they may not find entirely comfortable but still wish to engage with. Game designer Jeeyon Shim calls this Type 1 and Type 2 fun. Importantly, safety tools do not encourage a culture of pushing through unwanted topics and can, in fact, provide for more communalised gameplay, worldbuilding and clearer boundaries. These tools, and other safety tools that do not have formalised mechanics, are inherently adaptable to 'crip time', which can widen access for disabled players through using time as a resource that benefits the game rather than constrains it.
subject: Theoretical Article
  topic: section
subject: calibration
  topic: keywords
subject: safety tools
  topic: keywords
subject: accessibility
  topic: keywords
subject: crip theory
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
creator: Beatrix Livesey-Stephens
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Beatrix Livesey-Stephens https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 37
ending page: 46

A Case Study in Increasing Empathy towards Deaf People Using the Role-Playing Game “Sign”
type: item
description: Inclusive education and the development of empathy among educators are crucial for supporting students with disabilities. Deaf individuals, often facing unique challenges in mainstream educational settings, benefit from an educator's increased awareness and empathy. This study explores the impact of the role-playing game Sign: A Game About Being Understood (SIGN) on assistant language teachers' (ALTs) levels of empathy towards and awareness of deaf individuals in Japan. A mixed-method approach involving four ALTs from a rural prefecture in Japan was employed. Qualitative data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys with open-ended questions and a debrief-group interview session, while quantitative data were gathered using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, focusing on three themes: Increased Empathy for and Awareness of the Deaf; Communication Challenges; and Game Mechanics. Participant responses indicated an increase in empathy and awareness of the deaf experience following the intervention. This study highlights the potential of experiential learning tools in teacher-training programs to foster more inclusive and supportive educational environments.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: empathy
  topic: keywords
subject: deaf
  topic: keywords
subject: role-playing games
  topic: keywords
subject: assistant language teachers
  topic: keywords
subject: Japan
  topic: keywords
creator: Peter Clynes
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Peter Clynes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 63
ending page: 77

The Influence of Educators' Tabletop Role-Playing Games Familiarity on the Implementation of LARPs in Adult Education
type: item
description: The principal purpose of this study is to investigate the overall attitude of adult trainers in Greece about educational live-action role-playing games (edu-LARPs) and their utilization as a teaching method. More specifically, it is an attempt to determine if the trainers’ experience with various tabletop role-playing games affects their attitude towards this method and the frequency of usage. Moreover, the ultimate goal is to be an introduction to a large portion of this particular educational community with this innovative teaching method, setting the ground for further research that will help expand the academic field. The results depict a statistically significant correlation between the overall attitude of the trainers towards edu-LARPs and their level of experience with tabletop RPGs. This correlation seems to extend also to the frequency of usage.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: edu-LARP
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
subject: Dungeons & Dragons
  topic: keywords
subject: innovative teaching methods
  topic: keywords
creator: Ilias Tsiaras
creator: Vasileios Neofotistis
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Ilias Tsiaras, Vasileios Neofotistis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 47
ending page: 62

Potential Use of TRPGs in After-School Daycare Services: An Examination Based on Staff Interview Surveys
type: item
description: In contemporary Japan, many children with developmental disabilities attend after-school daycare services (referred to as "Afterschool Day Services," or ADS). As the needs of these children and their parents continue to grow, there is potential for table-top role-playing games (TRPGs) to serve as an effective support tool in such settings. This study conducted a brainstorming session with six staff members (including childcare workers and children's instructors) employed at an ADS center that consistently offers TRPG activities. Using the KJ method (affinity diagramming), the participants' narratives were analyzed and organized. The findings revealed a prominent focus on communication skills, with numerous key phrases relating to interaction with others being identified. This suggests that TRPGs could be recognized as valuable tools for supporting communication. Additionally, the participants noted that ADS centers are well-suited environments for implementing TRPG activities. These results indicate the potential for utilizing TRPGs in ADS settings, highlighting the need for further development of TRPG-based practices in the future.
subject: Case Report
  topic: section
subject: Table Talk Role-playing Games（TRPG）
  topic: keywords
subject: Developmental Disabilities
  topic: keywords
subject: Communication Support Tool
  topic: keywords
subject: After-school Daycare Service Center
  topic: keywords
creator: Go Kinoshita
creator: Takayuki Tanji
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Go Kinoshita, Takayuki Tanji https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 21
ending page: 27

Autistic Social Advocacy as Accessibility in TRPGs
type: item
description: The realm of tabletop role-playing gaming has been a popular hobby for autistics of all ages and backgrounds for decades. Many autistics utilize role-playing games not just as a hobby but as a means of social connection and community building. Given tabletop role-playing game’s alignment with autistic populations, it is not a surprise that throughout the years, therapists and social skills coaches that specialize in treating autistics have looked to tabletop role-playing games as a therapeutic modality to teach social skills to autistic youth and adults. However, special attention must be paid to the fact that at a fundamental level, the social skills that autistics need to flourish in their own autistic-centered communities do not necessarily align with the traditional social skills that are taught in generic non-autistic (allistic) social skills curricula. As such, this paper argues that within the case of autistic social skills groups that utilize TRPGs as an educational medium, a whole new set of autistic social advocacy skills can be taught. This allows autistics to flourish in their own communities as well as allistic ones.
subject: Essay
  topic: section
subject: autism
  topic: keywords
subject: social skills
  topic: keywords
subject: accessibility
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
creator: Peter Jung
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Peter D. Jung M.Ed. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 16
ending page: 20

Deprogramming Indiana Jones
type: item
description: How do we get children to move beyond the colonialist version of fantasy adventure to form a less self-centered and more nuanced version of what it means to be a hero? This article explores pressures on young Dungeons & Dragons players, urging Dungeon Masters (DMs) to foster empathy, cooperation, and critical thinking. By examining problematic tropes like "evil" races and antagonist cultures, the article highlights how these elements reflect colonialist ideology. Through anti-colonialist strategies -- such as diverse narratives, respect-based norms, and safety tools like the "X card" -- DMs can create games that emphasize moral complexity, helping players become empathetic individuals ready to challenge real-world inequalities.
subject: Educational & Practical Material
  topic: section
subject: middle schoolers
  topic: keywords
subject: mindful DMing
  topic: keywords
subject: anti-colonialism
  topic: keywords
subject: safety tools
  topic: keywords
creator: Maryanne Cullinan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Maryanne Cullinan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-23
publication date: 2024-11-23
starting page: 28
ending page: 36

History of Gamebooks in Japan
type: item
description: This invited paper provides a detailed essay on the history of gamebooks in Japan from the 1980s to the 1990s. It discusses the impact of the gamebook The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (Jackson & Livingstone, 1982) and how it revolutionized the concept of readers making choices that determine the outcome of the story. The essay also touches on the various genres that gamebooks have covered, the establishment of the term "gamebook" in Japan, and the cultural significance of this interactive form of storytelling. It mentions the rise and fall of the gamebook trend in Japan, including the publication of a dedicated magazine "Warlock" and the shift of focus to tabletop RPGs post the gamebook boom.
subject: Invited Paper
  topic: section
subject: gamebooks
  topic: keywords
subject: Japan
  topic: keywords
subject: history
  topic: keywords
creator: Kōshi Kondō
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Kōshi Kondō https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

Editorial
type: item
description: Guest editorial of the fourth issue, discussing the currently increasing interest in gamebooks and providing an overview of the papers part of this issue on interactive media.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: editorial
  topic: keywords
subject: JARPS
  topic: keywords
subject: gamebooks
  topic: keywords
creator: Pedro Panhoca da Silva
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Pedro Panhoca da Silva https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

Literatura E Livros-Jogos
type: item
description: Pedro Panhoca da Silva's dissertation explores the convergence of literature and gamebooks. It commences with a playful nod to gamebook elements, suggesting an innovative approach. Silva categorizes various ludic products and analyzes Jonathan Green's successful adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classics into a gamebook. He then presents his own gamebook adaptation of José Frederico Ferreira Martins' "Angrid: romance oriental," resulting in "Ângela: a vingança transcontinental" (Angela: The Transcontinental Revenge). Feedback indicated a positive reception, highlighting the younger generation's interest in interactive texts. Silva emphasizes the need for gamebooks in educational settings, suggesting they resonate with contemporary readers. His work stands as a significant academic contribution to gamebook studies.
subject: Book Review
  topic: section
subject: gamebooks
  topic: keywords
subject: literary adaptations
  topic: keywords
subject: interactive texts
  topic: keywords
subject: dissertation review
  topic: keywords
subject: Portuguese
  topic: keywords
creator: Camila Concato
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Camila Concato https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

Gamebooks and the Materiality of Reading
type: item
description: The essay discusses how the gamebook form derives specific traits, affordances, and limitations from its being a material technology for the creation of meaning. These elements are discussed in the perspective of the author designing a gamebook and that of a reader navigating the text. The discussion allows us to understand the surprising resilience of the gamebook in today's digitally mediated world, as it is precisely its material nature that gives it a unique positioning in the field of interactive entertainment. After demonstrating the relevance of the gamebook in the present, the article discusses the material elements of the gamebook's three components: the section, the text, and the link. We see how the partition of the work into sections may interfere with the partition of the physical artifact into pages; how the inalterable fabric of the text can relate to a population of diverse readers; and how the explicit nature of the links can create peculiar types of spoilers. The impact of the spatial disposition of the sections in the book is discussed also. Next, the article analyzes the tension between the structure of the gamebook, which proceeds by prescribed reading paths, and the fact that the book is materially open to unauthorized interactions. The discussion focuses on purposeful departures from prescribed reading paths (cheating) and cases in which the author creatively exploited the material nature of the gamebook through mechanisms that require abandoning the narrative tree to be fully appreciated.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: gamebooks
  topic: keywords
subject: interactivity
  topic: keywords
subject: reader-oriented theory
  topic: keywords
subject: Choose Your Own Adventure
  topic: keywords
subject: Fighting Fantasy
  topic: keywords
creator: Marco Arnaudo
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Marco Arnaudo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

Pause to Reflect
type: item
description: The following piece explores the methodology of the dissertation I am currently constructing, which plays with form, employs short stories created through play, fictional characters who act as guides, and interactivity, asking the reader to add commentary, reflect on their own experiences, play games, and change the work itself as they read. Completing ethnographic research through and about the pandemic required a radical reframing of my methodology, not only during the research but also afterward as I began writing. How do you explain what it was like to live, play, and research during such a profound and collective experience? I studied face-to-face tabletop roleplaying (ttrpg) game communities, their process of losing the table, and finding it again online. The purpose of the interactivity in the piece is to bring to bear the experiences of living through a pandemic and political unrest, which melded pain and play together through the tools of play found within the community I observed and participated in, that of the ttrpg players in the Midwest, USA. This particular piece is a rumination on the methodology of writing, what my experience means in this context, and explores the what, how, and why of tools being used. Some of these tools will be utilized here where space allows.
subject: Explorative Paper
  topic: section
subject: play
  topic: keywords
subject: table-top role-playing
  topic: keywords
subject: interactive story
  topic: keywords
creator: Laya Liebeseller
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Laya Liebeseller https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

An Exploration of the Appeal of the Cosmic Horror Series of Gamebooks for Call of Cthulhu TRPG
type: item
description: This paper explores the appeal of the cosmic horror series of gamebooks "Alone Against the…" for the Call of Cthulhu TRPG by Chaosium. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyse actual responses to see how they aligned with the theoretical reasons found by reviewing the literature. The data were collected through a survey using Google Forms. The survey was shared in groups on Facebook and Discord specialising in cosmic horror role-playing. The results show that there is a strong negative correlation between age and wanting to learn the rules of Call of Cthulhu through the introductory gamebook Alone Against the Flames. Another major reason for playing these solo gamebooks was the difficulty in gathering a group to play traditional Call of Cthulhu. This problem seemed to affect older players more than younger ones. Overall, the findings reveal a diverse set of reasons why people have been playing the various gamebooks in the series.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
subject: gamebooks
  topic: keywords
subject: Chaosium
  topic: keywords
subject: Call of Cthulhu
  topic: keywords
subject: Alone Against the Flames
  topic: keywords
subject: Cosmic Horror
  topic: keywords
creator: Peter Clynes
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Peter Clynes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2023-11-11
publication date: 2023-11-11

Editorial
type: item
description: Editorial of the third issue dealing with all aspects of game mastering.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: editorial
  topic: keywords
subject: JARPS
  topic: keywords
subject: Game Master
  topic: keywords
creator: JARPS Editors
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 JARPS Editors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 01
ending page: 02

What it Means to Create Player Characters for Tabletop Role-Playing Games
type: item
description: Tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) allow players to freely create their own player characters. We conducted an exploratory study of the significance of this fact for players through two studies: An interview survey and field observations. As a result, we found that players create player characters of different genders from their own, becoming different from their usual selves. They create a TRPG community that includes not only the players but also their player characters, which supports the role-playing. The fact that the findings of this study were obtained from a very limited community is a limitation of this study.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: gender
  topic: keywords
subject: player character (PC)
  topic: keywords
subject: role-play
  topic: keywords
subject: TRPG
  topic: keywords
creator: Ririka Igarashi
creator: Masahiko Aoyama
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 Ririka Igarashi, Masahiko Aoyama https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 59
ending page: 69

Facilitating Conversation and the Role of the Game Master in TRPG Activities for Children on the Autism Spectrum
type: item
description: Practical studies using Table-talk Role-playing Games (TRPGs) targeting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed how these games promote conversation amongst the children. However, the role of the game master (GM) in facilitating conversation has not been examined. In this study, we quantitatively and qualitatively examined the relationship between the GM's comments during TRPG activities and the participant children's statements. Using conversation analysis methods, we examined the effectiveness of GM interventions in assisting children with ASD to proceed with conversations voluntarily and cooperatively. The results showed that the GM, as one of the participants, provided effective suggestions for the children to proceed with the game. The children noticed this and enjoyed the game as a whole, suggesting the difference in our approach from SST and other methods.
subject: Case Report
  topic: section
subject: Autism (ASD)
  topic: keywords
subject: communication support
  topic: keywords
subject: conversation analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Game Master (GM)
  topic: keywords
subject: Table-talk Role-playing Games (TRPG)
  topic: keywords
creator: Yūsuke Harada
creator: Kōhei Katō
creator: Hiroshi Fujino
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 Yūsuke Harada, Kōhei Katō, Hiroshi Fujino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 14
ending page: 32

DM Habitus
type: item
description: This paper discusses the situatedness of the Game Master, specifically the Dungeon Master (DM), in terms of practice theory. I use Pierre Bourdieu’s (1984) theory of habitus to create the notion of what I call DM habitus, or “deeply engrained habits, skills, and bodily dispositions” that result from the gaming experience that individuals in the Dungeon Master role enact to cement their role. I discuss how, instead of affirmative lines between the idea of “collaborator,” “storyteller,” and “divinity,” the authority granted to Dungeon Masters by the space of social production of tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) provides them the ability to appropriate these distinct roles for the sake of preserving the social structure of the gaming space.
subject: Theoretical Article
  topic: section
subject: Dungeons & Dragons
  topic: keywords
subject: gaming
  topic: keywords
subject: habitus
  topic: keywords
subject: practice theory
  topic: keywords
subject: sociology
  topic: keywords
creator: Steven Dashiell
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 Steven Dashiell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 03
ending page: 13

No Gods, No Masters: An Overview of Unfacilitated “GMless” Design Frameworks
type: item
description: Answering the call of social justice movements, in particular Black Lives Matter marches, to critically appraise power structures that shape how we live, role-playing game designers, both in live-action role-playing (larp) and tabletop, have responded by casting a critical lens on the narrative systems that shape how we play. Just as these movements have challenged enduring inequalities that limit the realization of minority members’ agency in the public domain, many new games insist that it is not merely troubling content that may give people pause from engaging in the role-playing hobby. Rather, many of these games reconsider the structure of conventional play itself, in which one individual holds asymmetrical power to influence the narrative, echoing other asymmetrical (and even unjust) hierarchies at large in society. These games demonstrate that this central figure is not necessary for evocative play and a group’s imaginative capabilities. Games without a Game Master, “GMless'' games, often aim to expand avenues of creative input and liberate a table from the aegis of a single member’s directorial aesthetics. This essay claims that social justice movements have had an influence on the outpouring of GMless game designs in the last half-decade. Further, this essay identifies several conventional responsibilities associated with the role of the Game Master, illustrating how a variety of published GMless designs in both, larps and TRPGs, reimagine, remix, and reincorporate these responsibilities, making possible more egalitarian and—for many—more welcoming roleplaying experiences.
subject: Essay
  topic: section
subject: Liberation
  topic: keywords
subject: Anarchism
  topic: keywords
subject: GMLess
  topic: keywords
creator: Ben Bisogno
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 Ben Bisogno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 70
ending page: 81

About the Demand for Online, Short-Time Voice Sessions of "Golden Sky Stories: Heart-Warming Role-Playing Game"
type: item
description: The outbreak of new coronavirus infections has led to the widespread use of online sessions, which in turn created a demand for voice sessions conducted online. This essay discusses an online questionnaire survey that confirmed this demand for voice sessions using the example of Fushigi Mononoke RPG Yuyake Koyake (Heart-Warming Role-Playing Game Golden Sky Stories). Players especially seek "short-time scenarios" held on weekday evenings after work or household chores. This author hopes that in the future, more scenario writers will share methods to create such easy-to-play "short-time scenarios" and that the number of such scenarios will increase.
subject: Essay
  topic: section
subject: short-time scenarios
  topic: keywords
subject: voice sessions
  topic: keywords
subject: Yūyake Koyake
  topic: keywords
creator: Hiyori Yoimori
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 Yoimori Hiyori https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 82
ending page: 84

At the Head of the Table
type: item
description: This paper uses Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic approach to examine the way that the tabletop RPG Game Master (GM) is depicted in a number of different TRPG fan discourse sites distributed over time. The result of the analysis is a "rhetoric of the GM" comprising a fourfold typology of understandings of the referee role, labeled as "Fan," "Challenger," "Grown-Up," and "Demiurge," based on contingencies of dialogic versus monologic and adversarial versus non-adversarial orientations to the player-GM relationship.
subject: Original Research Article
  topic: section
subject: Game Master (GM)
  topic: keywords
subject: Kenneth Burke
  topic: keywords
subject: Rhetoric
  topic: keywords
creator: William J. White
creator: Nicolas LaLone
creator: Nicholas J. Mizer
rights: Copyright (c) 2022 William J. White, Nicolas LaLone, Nicholas J. Mizer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2022-09-30
publication date: 2022-09-30
starting page: 46
ending page: 58