Tabletop Role-Playing Games for Teamwork: A Pilot of a Methodology for Developing Socio-emotional Skills

Tabletop role-playing games serve as a potent experiential learning tool for addressing critical socio-emotional skill gaps within professional environments. By utilizing the framework of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, this methodology targets the development of essential workplace competencies, including adaptability, entrepreneurial leadership, and task performance. The initiative specifically addresses the needs of ICT workers in Chile, demonstrating that structured play can function as a viable, cost-effective intervention to enhance team synergy and interpersonal trust.

The pilot program involved 49 professionals across ten distinct teams, engaging them in 80 hours of online gameplay. Through the application of Kolb’s experiential learning model and rigorous statistical analysis—including Student’s t-tests and Wilcoxon tests—the study identified significant improvements in participants' self-efficacy regarding the creation of innovative work environments. While quantitative data indicated that empathy levels remained stable rather than showing significant growth, qualitative feedback highlighted substantial gains in creative problem-solving and the mitigation of workplace stress.

These findings suggest that integrating play into adult professional life is a promising strategy for fostering organizational culture and emotional well-being. The research concludes that while tabletop role-playing games are highly effective for team development, future implementations should prioritize optimized session lengths, consistent periods for group reflection, and comprehensive onboarding processes for new players. By formalizing play as a professional development tool, organizations can cultivate a more adaptable, collaborative, and innovative workforce, ultimately bridging the gap between traditional corporate training and the practical demands of modern team dynamics.