Role Playing Games

Who are you?

Technically, all games are somewhat role playing games (RPGs).  In Monopoly you’re a real estate mogul, playing a role. What role playing games really means though, is games where you attempt to inhabit a character.  Some mighty berserker, sly bard or nasty assassin. Maybe you’re a jedi or a combat pilot. But true role playing games are without boundary. There will be a game referee, a dungeon master of some sort.  They are the writer and director of a story and the players are the actors.

If the game lets you declare you hit another player with a halibut, it is a role playing game.  Note, now that I have said that, if come clever moron comes out with some auction game where one of the cards is “Hit another player with a halibut” it is NOT a role playing game.

Success of actions in these games are usually done by comparing some sort of character stat sheet with a roll of dice or cards.  These are games where the goal is often the adventure and interaction itself, not the true final winning of the game.

TLDR: The rules are flexible enough to allow you to hit another player in the head with a halibut.