Course Content
Unit 2: Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games
These types of games were not necessarily designed for an educational or therapeutic purpose, but that players might find them transformative in a variety of different ways.
0/5
Unit 3: Therapeutic Role-playing Games
These types of games are designed for a therapeutic purpose or to help participants develop social skills.
0/4
Unit 5: Research Through Design
We will discuss ways to design and iterate role-playing games, but also how to take that process a step further and engage in formalized analysis of the process through academic writing.
0/7
Unit 6: Ritual, Myth and Symbolism
We can consider role-playing games ritual spaces, but rituals can also be embedded into role-playing games for deeper experiences.
0/4
Unit 9: Game Technologies and RPGs
By its very name, analog role-playing emphasizes interactions between people unmediated by technology, but of course in reality, we often use technologies during play.
0/4
Unit 10: Transformative Game Design and You
In this unit, you will reflect upon the course as a whole, as well as your design and playtest experiences.
0/3
Introduction to Transformative Game Design

Discussion 6: Therapeutic Role-playing Games

Read Section 3.6 and 3.7 until the end of “Group Theories” in Diakolambrianou et al.’s “Chapter 3: Theory, Central Concepts, and Inspirational Materials” in Transformative Role-playing Game Design. 

Watch Mometrix Academy’s “Counselor: Basic Skills of a Counselor.”

Optional: Watch Elektra Diakolambrianou’s “Psychotherapeutic Applications of Role-playing” (29 min).

* * *

Then, answer the following questions:

  1. After examining the material, what is your understanding of the difference between transformative leisure role-playing games and therapeutic role-playing games?
  2. Watch the Mometrix Academy video. How do you think basic counseling skills might help in the process of designing and implementing transformative role-playing games? Use a specific example.
  3. Please describe your personal experience with therapeutic role-playing, if any. 
    • Alternatively, if you do not have a personal experience, what intrigues you about therapeutic role-playing, if anything? Be specific.

Finally, respond to at least two (2) of your peers in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format.