Your Next Role-Playing Session Could Be Over Video

pcmag.com:

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) can be incredibly engrossing, but they aren’t beginner-friendly. Finding a system that’s right for you and people to play with, and then figuring out the rules behind dice rolls, learning new terminology, and navigating the logistics of in-person and remote play can seem daunting. Add in the unfortunate fact that many Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and TTRPG spaces are plagued by gatekeeping, and it’s no wonder many potential players quit before they even start.

But it doesn’t have to be that way—not according to Elle Dwight, CEO and co-founder of Role(Opens in a new window), a free and inclusive digital role-playing platform that focuses on video-based play and easy content creation.

Founded in 2020 by Dwight and her childhood friend and Role CTO Ian Hirschfeld, Role lets anyone get to playing pen-and-paper RPGs as quickly as possible. Combining high-definition video chat, built-in quick-start options for creating characters for popular systems such as D&D, Call of Cthulhu, and Masks: A New Generation, as well as space for sharing files and the ability for users to display their preferred pronouns, the platform has many excellent features that allow for quick turnaround time and inclusive play. That last point is especially important to Role, with the majority of the Role team being POC and/or LGBTQ+, and Dwight and Hirschfeld identifying as a trans woman and BIMPOC Filipino man, respectively.

We sat down with Dwight to discuss the development of Role, the impact remote play options have had on TTRPGs, and their subsequent impact on popular culture, the importance of inclusive play, and upcoming features Role users can look forward to. This interview has been edited for length and