One reason we enjoy play is because of how engaged we feel during the act. Games can feel like active, rewarding work. But did you know that playing games is not only fun, but can actually improve your brain’s function and develop important interpersonal skills? As it turns out, research shows that Tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs) in particular have great benefits for the brain and even show some promise being used in clinical settings. Let’s look at some of the potential benefits of TTRPG play!

Cognitive Enhancements

Studies have shown that tabletop gaming can have benefits can include everything from improved cognitive function and brain activity to reducing anxiety over diagnoses in patients. Gaming can actually aid brains in growing gray matter and improve creativity in players.

In an online article for Tabletop Games Blog, Laurie Trueblood outlines the benefits of the skills and knowledge that TTRPG players develop through play, including patience, critical thinking, and resilience, and points to multiple studies exploring these and other benefits of gameplay, including how they may be incorporated into clinical practices.

TTRPGs require players to engage in problem-solving, memory recall, and strategic planning, which contribute to improved cognitive functions. Research suggests that regular engagement in such mentally stimulating activities can enhance memory and thinking abilities, even into older age. There are many new things to learn, from rules, strategies, and lore. RPGs offer varied challenges that require players to think in a multitude of different ways: strategically; tactically; creatively; emotionally. They utilize math skills, spatial reasoning, and language skills in interpreting rules and communicating with your DM and fellow players.

Therapeutic Applications

Many therapists have been incorporating TTRPGs into treatment plans to help clients manage anxiety, build confidence, and improve social skills. Studies indicate that these games provide a structured yet imaginative way to practice coping mechanisms and develop self-awareness. 

Therapists report that roleplay is “associated with higher levels of reflection, empathy, insights about the client, and peer learning." Roleplaying games can help to simulate real situations while remaining in a safe space for participants and can lead to better understanding of the individual. Tabletop games can be used in psychodrama therapy, a controlled approach in simulating real situations to allow participants to practice skills in context; can allow patients to explore feelings in a safe environment; improve self-efficacy; reduce anxiety; and promote creativity and flexible thinking (Baker, Turner, Kotera, 2022).

Current studies are gateways to learning more about the potential benefits of gaming. They show that there are cognitive, social, and emotional benefits to gaming, but there remains much work to be done to learn about how gaming may be practically applied to research, and which aspects of gaming benefit which areas of emotional and cognitive growth. There are many questions to explore: What conditions can games help with? What specific games or types of games are most beneficial for certain types of learning, or in specific clinical settings? There is much clinical potential in games, and it will be exciting and enlightening to see how their use expands beyond simply entertainment.

Social and Emotional Benefits

TTRPGs promote teamwork, empathy, and communication as players must work together to solve problems and progress in the game. This fosters a sense of community and belonging, which can be beneficial for mental well-being. TTRPGs offer a social experience with relatively few physical and social barriers, especially with the proliferation of online services in recent years. TTRPGs, as social, collaborative, narrative-based games, are inherently accessible and inclusive, at least far as the play group is willing to be, and the creative and improvisational nature of gameplay in TTRPGs means groups are easily able (and encouraged!) to adapt gameplay to their own needs and preferences.

AbleGamers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "combatting social isolation" and "improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through the power of video games" emphasizes the impact that games, in particular roleplaying games, can have in the lives of people living with disabilities. People can interact socially in environments free of the same social and physical barriers they may face in the real world and offer the benefits of stress relief and improved self esteem.

TTRPGs and Brain Development in Youth

For younger players, tabletop RPGs can serve as an environment in which to practice skills involving literacy, mathematical thinking, and creativity. The storytelling and decision-making aspects of these games engage different areas of the brain, making them a fun and educational tool for children and adolescents. The use of creativity and play in order to promote intellectual development is nothing new, with some educational philosophies (such as Montessori) even focusing on play and open-ended, self-directed learning as a primary method of early developmental education. Tabletop RPGs offer the type of open-ended, creative structure that allows children to play, experiment, and learn in a “sandbox” style. In particular, utilization of the theater of the mind (using the “mind’s eye” to mentally visualize narrative events and even the particulars of combat action) stimulates strong neural activity, and the entertainment and social aspects of tabletop game play can reduce anxiety.

A Look Towards the Future… 

RPG enthusiasts will always love board games because they're a fun way for us to socialize, think analytically, and express our creativity. It's fascinating to think that your favorite pastime could have measurable health benefits as well. Hopefully, research into games and their measurable effect on us can lead to new insights into how games work, how our brains work, and lead to new developments in the use games and roleplaying in various clinical settings. I always had a feeling my gaming habit could help improve humanity someday.

‍

-Devon Chulick