Why I Play Role-Playing Games

I first started playing role-playing games because my friends were gamers, and they invited me to start playing. That was over fifteen years ago. To this day, role-playing games are a favored hobby of mine. Although different people may play role-playing games for different reasons, it seems that there are a number of reasons that are commonly cited when someone is explaining why they play role-playing games.

1) Fun
As a hobby, it only makes sense that people play role-playing games because it is fun. If a hobby wasn't fun, most people would instead consider it a chore or work. Although there are occasionally instances when a role-playing game I have been involved with has not been continually fun, the vast majority of my experiences with role-playing games have been positive. It can be a lot of fun to portray a character vastly different from myself, or even very similar to myself, but in a different world.

2) Relaxation
In today's hectic world, it can be a very relaxing experience to take a few hours out in the evening to pretend to be someone else. For a few hours, I can be someone who doesn't need to worry about work, school, bills, etc. Again continuing on in the theme of hobbies, it makes sense that role-playing games can be a relaxing pastime. To some people, it may seem like a form of escapism, but in that regard, I don't believe that role-playing games are that drastically different from watching movies or reading books, in their escapism.

3) Socializing with friends
The ability to socialize with friends is probably the key reason why I play role-playing games. Most of my friends are gamers, or people who I met through gaming. Even if we only get together once a week for a game, we still spend some time socializing while we get dinner or a post-game snack, while we wait for all of the players to arrive, or during breaks in the game action. I have friends outside of gaming, but I have some of the strongest bonds with my gaming friends. Role-playing games can also be a great way to meet new people when you move to a new location, as gamers tend to congregate at game stores, making it easy to meet people who share your common interests.

4) The Stories
"Do you remember that one time, when ..." I can't even begin to count how many stories I have told and heard in my years of gaming, recounting past glories of our characters. While hanging out with my friends, any given night, I can make a comment in passing that turns into me telling stories of the exploits of a small group of characters for 10 or 15 minutes. Better yet, my friends will be laughing almost the whole time. I love telling stories, whether it is as the gamemaster, or as a former player retelling an old tale, so this part of role-playing games also appeals to me.

My parents and one of my sisters occasionally ask me when I'm going to grow up and stop playing role-playing games. My best guess? Never. I simply get too much joy out of role-playing games to ever think about stopping playing. I suspect that when I'm much older, I will still be rolling dice with my friends every so often, enjoying role-playing games for as long as I can.