The Philosophy of Role-Playing Games: Art, Inquiry, and Ritual

The Philosophy of Role-Playing Games: Art, Inquiry, and Ritual explores how role-playing games (RPGs) serve as immersive laboratories for exploring identity, ideology, and self-discovery. By weaving together interdisciplinary insights from current RPG scholars with the theories of philosophical giants in fields such as pragmatism, aesthetics, epistemology, and metaphysics, Albert R. Spencer sheds light on the unique aesthetic of this medium and the transformative moments that generations of players have experienced. Combining thought-provoking analysis with practical case studies, Spencer explains how the agency of the players and the authority of the Gamemaster (GM) cooperatively interact with the rules and dice to simulate the immersive collaborative worlds that they build and explore.

The Philosophy of Role-Playing Games appeals to GMs, players, designers, students, and scholars interested in how RPGs operate not only as entertainment but as transformative spaces for self-exploration, philosophical insights, spiritual experiences, and the fostering of close-knit communities

Albert R. Spencer is assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University, USA