Overview: Culture and Conflict in RPGs
Welcome to our unit on Culture and Conflict in RPGs. We will return to these topics throughout our courses, so this unit is meant as a brief introduction. We will explore different types of culture in RPGs, including fictional and real cultures and subcultures portrayed in games; wider cultures and subcultures to which players belong; design cultures and styles; play cultures; and discourse cultures, such as leisure theory, art, academia, and journalism. We will also explore some of the benefits and risks of integrating culture in design, including cultural appropriation and stereotypes.
These topics will lead us to various forms of conflict related to RPGs, including conflicts embedded withing RPG design and surrounding it. Many designers integrate conflicts as a central component of design. Examples of themes include politics and culture; race and ethnicity; and gender and sexuality. Such themes can lead to players experiencing perspective taking, awareness raising, and empathy, but exploring such sensitive topics can also carry risks. Thus, we will also discuss conflicts surrounding RPG Design, including areas where RPG Design can benefit conflicts within individuals or communities, but also areas in which design can intensify conflicts. We will briefly explore these points with regard to advocacy, activism, inclusion, and accessibility.
In this Unit, we will cover:
- Types of cultures portrayed in RPGs
- Types of cultures surrounding RPGs
- Culture design
- Cultural appropriation and stereotypes
- Conflict in RPGs and Communities
- Conflicts embedded in RPG Design
- Conflicts surrounding RPG Design
Note: Some of the materials below may not be available outside of this course. We have linked resources that are open access. Do not distribute PDFs.
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Required materials:
Readings:
- Bowman, Sarah Lynne, Simon Brind, Elektra Diakolambrianou, Kjell Hedgard Hugaas, Guus Quinten van Tilborg, Josephine Baird, and Alessandro Giovannucci. In review. “Chapter 6: Key Concepts and Techniques: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual, Magic, Narrative, Culture, and Conflict.” In Transformative Role-playing Game Design, edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman, Elektra Diakolambrianou, and Simon Brind, 186-225. Transformative Play Research Series. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Uppsala University Press.
Videos:
- Schreiber, Alexandra. 2022. “Games and Play for Intercultural Learning.” Transformative Play Initiative. YouTube, April 20.
Choose one (1) of the following resources to examine:
Readings:
- Leonard, Diana J., Jovo Janjetovic, and Maximilian Usman. 2021. “Playing to Experience Marginalization: Benefits and Drawbacks of ‘Dark Tourism’ in Larp.” International Journal of Role-Playing 11: 25-47.
Videos:
- Leonard, Diana J. 2021. “Playing for Pain: Benefits, Pitfalls, & Strategies for RPing Marginalized Characters – Diana Leonard.” Transformative Play Initiative. YouTube, September 24.