A role-playing video game (RPG) is a genre of video game in which the player controls one or more characters whose abilities develop over the course of the game. Role-playing video games commonly feature character statistics, experience points, equipment, quests, exploration and narrative choices. Many of these systems originated in tabletop role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons.

The first computer role-playing games appeared on university mainframe systems during the 1970s, shortly after the publication of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. Early games such as dnd and pedit5 attempted to reproduce tabletop mechanics including character advancement, dungeon exploration, monsters and treasure. During the 1980s, series such as Ultima and Wizardry established many conventions of the genre on home computers, while Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy became particularly influential in the development of Japanese console RPGs.

As the genre developed, role-playing games adopted a wide variety of styles. Some use turn-based or tactical combat, while others combine role-playing mechanics with real-time action. Major subgenres include action RPGs, tactical RPGs, roguelikes and MMORPGs. The distinction between Western and Japanese role-playing games has also commonly been used to describe different traditions of game design, although the boundaries between them are increasingly fluid.

One of the most successful modern examples of the genre is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, an open-world action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released in 2011. Set in the fantasy province of Skyrim, the game allows the player to explore a large open world, develop skills through their use, join factions and complete quests with considerable freedom over the order and manner in which they are approached. Its commercial success and repeated releases helped make open-world exploration and flexible character development especially prominent within mainstream role-playing games.

Role-playing mechanics have also spread far beyond games traditionally classified as RPGs. Experience systems, skill trees, character levels, equipment statistics and dialogue choices are now frequently incorporated into action games, strategy games and other genres. As a result, the influence of role-playing games extends throughout modern video game design.

Sources

  • Barton, Matt, and Shane Stacks. Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2019. ISBN 978-1-138-57464-9. Comprehensive history of computer role-playing games, from their origins in tabletop gaming and university computer systems to modern titles including Skyrim.

  • Hitchens, Michael, and Anders Drachen. “The Many Faces of Role-Playing Games.” International Journal of Role-Playing, no. 1, 2008, pp. 3–21. DOI: 10.33063/ijrp.vi1.185. Academic examination of the defining characteristics of tabletop, computer and other forms of role-playing games. International Journal of Role-Playing

  • The Strong National Museum of Play. “Wizardry, Dragon Quest, and the Japanese Role-Playing Video Game.” Historical overview of the relationship between early Western computer RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons and the development of Japanese role-playing games. The Strong National Museum of Play

  • Bethesda Softworks. “Welcome to Skyrim.” Official overview of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, its open-world structure, character development and emphasis on player choice. Bethesda

  • Bethesda Softworks. “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition.” Official information on Skyrim, its history and later editions. The Elder Scrolls