The Meaning of Creating Player Characters in TRPGs: Focusing on Gender and History Settings

This study explores the psychological and social significance of player character (PC) creation in tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs), focusing specifically on how gender performance and the use of long-term, recurring characters shape the player experience. Through a combination of semi-structured interviews and field observations, the research examines how the freedom to define a character’s identity—often diverging from the player’s own—serves as a mechanism for self-exploration and community building.

The findings indicate that players frequently utilize TRPGs to inhabit identities that differ from their daily lives, particularly regarding gender. Female players, in particular, often create male characters to explore perspectives outside their own lived experience or to temporarily escape the constraints of their own gendered reality. The research suggests that this practice is supported by the "magic circle" of the game, where fellow participants validate and interact with these constructed identities, effectively creating a shared social space that includes both the players and their characters.

Furthermore, the study highlights the role of "continuous characters"—PCs used across multiple game sessions over several years. These characters accumulate a personal history that mirrors the passage of time in the player's own life. This continuity fosters a deep, collaborative narrative environment where players rely on shared knowledge of each other’s characters to sustain engagement. By imposing self-directed constraints on character creation, veteran players are able to refresh their interest in established game systems. While the study acknowledges limitations due to its small, localized sample size, it concludes that the act of character creation and performance functions as a vital, collaborative social practice that extends beyond simple gameplay, allowing participants to navigate complex identities and social bonds within a structured, imaginative framework.