Indie role-playing game
Encyclopedia
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game
published
outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate
environment. The validity and exact definition of the "indie" label is disputed.
by one or a few people who themselves control all aspects of design, promotion and distribution of the game. An independent role-playing game publisher usually lacks the financial backing of large company. This has made forms of publishing other than the traditional three-tier model more desirable to the independent publisher.
, text, blog
, or PDF
form. Gamer
s may print the game documents, use a in electronic form on a laptop, or use an eReader. Desktop publishing
technologies have allowed indie designers to publish their games as bound books, which many gamers prefer. The advent of print on demand
(POD) publishing has recently lowered the costs of producing an RPG to the point at which role-playing games can be produced and distributed with minimal financial investment. Indie games are often conflated with small press
games, because of the great overlap between creator ownership and small press publishing.
is a key concept in indie game distribution; independent publishers typically lack established business relationships with distributors and retailers. Indie distribution is often achieved directly by the game's creator via e-commerce or in-person sales at gaming conventions. However, some fulfillment houses and small-scale distributors handle do indie products using the traditional three tier system.
Several organizations specialize in sales of indie games using a two-tier system. Indie Press Revolution
distributes games that it labels as independent. RPGNow and DrivethruRPG are two companies that sell such small press offerings (as well as mainstream products) as downloadable PDFs. RPGNow created a separate storefront for low-selling or new entries to this market. Initial plans called for this storefront to use the "indie" moniker, but it was eventually decided to call the storefront RPGNow Edge instead. As of 2007, RPGNow Edge is not operating. RPG Now and Drive-Thru RPG were consolidated into a single company OneBookShelf, which still maintains both sites. In August 2007, the two sites were rebranded, with RPG Now bearing the subtitle: "The leading source for indie rpgs". All of the above sites include creator-owned content, as well as other products that are not readily identified with the role-playing game industry mainstream.
, publishing
or music industries. The dynamics that inspired well-known independent movements in these industries, such as the independent film
movement, are not necessarily present in the role-playing game industry. Even prominent role-playing game companies often publish on a comparatively small scale. Thus, the RPG industry is unlike larger creative industries, whose indie communities formed to react to elaborate bureaucracies and corporate control of content. The question of whether indie role-playing games can be defined precisely, abstractly or not at all sparks ongoing discussion among RPG hobbyists and creators.
, this community generally defines indie games as those where the creator maintains control of his or her work and eschews the traditional publishing and sales model, though there are exceptions. The Forge is strongly influenced by Ron Edwards' essay "System Does Matter".
In the Forge community, indie RPGs often represent a more narrativist school of game design
, focusing on strong characters confronting difficult moral choices. These games may be strongly tied to a very specific setting; in this respect, they can be seen as the antithesis of generic role-playing game system
s. This is not always true however, since many games from that community instead focus on play dynamics that can be transplanted to a number of settings. For example, a game might focus on the moral question "What will you do to get what you want?" but is not tied to playing the question out in any particular fictional world. No matter the strategy, tightly focused designs are traditionally a hallmark of this community.
Games of note from the Forge community include, in roughly chronological order:
), but are played around a table by describing what happens in the story, rather than by getting up and acting it out. A story game is a type of role-playing game experience with a lesser focus on "My Character" and a greater focus on "Our Story" (meaning the story that all the players at the table want to make). As an experience, most RPGs can be played "Story Games Style" with a little adjustment. As a game, some games are particularly created by their designers to aim for a meaningful 'Story Games' experience.
A majority of the games discussed and created on Story Games are indie and/or small press games. While the site does not offer any games for sale, several creators use it to discuss design issues, report progress, and promote their games. Some games are hosted on the Story Games site. The wiki section hosts information on over 80 story games as well as a variety of related resources.
. This imprint includes games by a number of designers. Game designer Greg Stolze
has produced games using the Ransom model, without resorting to traditional publishing and sales. Others, such as the Free RPG Community, pursue self-publishing without any intent to make a profit. Self-publishing sites such as Lulu.com
also have a number of RPGs available from publishers unaffiliated with any formal community.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
published
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
environment. The validity and exact definition of the "indie" label is disputed.
Independent publication of role-playing games
Indie role-playing games (RPGs) can be self-publishedSelf-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
by one or a few people who themselves control all aspects of design, promotion and distribution of the game. An independent role-playing game publisher usually lacks the financial backing of large company. This has made forms of publishing other than the traditional three-tier model more desirable to the independent publisher.
Formats
Independent publishers may offer games only in digital format, only in print, or they may offer the same game in a variety of formats. The major RPG publishers have largely abandoned PDF publication, probably as a counter-piracy effort. Common digital formats include HTMLHTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, text, blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, or PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
form. Gamer
Gamer
Historically, the term "gamer" usually referred to someone who played role-playing games and wargames. Since they became very popular, the term has included players of video games...
s may print the game documents, use a in electronic form on a laptop, or use an eReader. Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal computer.The term has been used for publishing at all levels, from small-circulation documents such as local newsletters to books, magazines and newspapers...
technologies have allowed indie designers to publish their games as bound books, which many gamers prefer. The advent of print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
(POD) publishing has recently lowered the costs of producing an RPG to the point at which role-playing games can be produced and distributed with minimal financial investment. Indie games are often conflated with small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
games, because of the great overlap between creator ownership and small press publishing.
Distribution methods
DisintermediationDisintermediation
In economics, disintermediation is the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain: "cutting out the middleman". Instead of going through traditional distribution channels, which had some type of intermediate , companies may now deal with every customer directly, for example via the Internet...
is a key concept in indie game distribution; independent publishers typically lack established business relationships with distributors and retailers. Indie distribution is often achieved directly by the game's creator via e-commerce or in-person sales at gaming conventions. However, some fulfillment houses and small-scale distributors handle do indie products using the traditional three tier system.
Several organizations specialize in sales of indie games using a two-tier system. Indie Press Revolution
Indie Press Revolution
Indie Press Revolution is a sales network that acts as a fulfillment house for publishers of indie role-playing games. It was founded in 2004 by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games. IPR represents over 100 author/publishers involved in role-playing games...
distributes games that it labels as independent. RPGNow and DrivethruRPG are two companies that sell such small press offerings (as well as mainstream products) as downloadable PDFs. RPGNow created a separate storefront for low-selling or new entries to this market. Initial plans called for this storefront to use the "indie" moniker, but it was eventually decided to call the storefront RPGNow Edge instead. As of 2007, RPGNow Edge is not operating. RPG Now and Drive-Thru RPG were consolidated into a single company OneBookShelf, which still maintains both sites. In August 2007, the two sites were rebranded, with RPG Now bearing the subtitle: "The leading source for indie rpgs". All of the above sites include creator-owned content, as well as other products that are not readily identified with the role-playing game industry mainstream.
Business models
Some publishers have no interest in financial success; others define it differently than most mainstream companies by emphasizing artistic fulfillment as a primary goal. The division between what is technically profitable and what would be considered financially viable for a business is another oft-debated element of independent role-playing publishing. Some independent publishers offer free downloads of games in digital form, while others charge a fee for digital download.Disputed definitions
Some contend that the term "indie" applies only to members of a self-defined "indie" RPG community. The definition of indie in the context of role-playing games is difficult, because the role-playing game industry operates with a different organization and smaller scale than the computer and video gamesComputer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
, publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
or music industries. The dynamics that inspired well-known independent movements in these industries, such as the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
movement, are not necessarily present in the role-playing game industry. Even prominent role-playing game companies often publish on a comparatively small scale. Thus, the RPG industry is unlike larger creative industries, whose indie communities formed to react to elaborate bureaucracies and corporate control of content. The question of whether indie role-playing games can be defined precisely, abstractly or not at all sparks ongoing discussion among RPG hobbyists and creators.
Indie communities
As indie roleplaying game publishers are often not professionally trained or experienced publishers, a number of communities have developed over time where designers and publishers can share experiences, collaborate, and support each other.The Forge
One self-identified indie RPG community is centered on The Forge. Overseen by Ron EdwardsRon Edwards (game designer)
Ronald Edwards is a game designer, theorist, and an influential member of the indie role-playing game community. Notably, he is the creator of the Sorcerer RPG, the GNS Theory of gameplay, and The Big Model....
, this community generally defines indie games as those where the creator maintains control of his or her work and eschews the traditional publishing and sales model, though there are exceptions. The Forge is strongly influenced by Ron Edwards' essay "System Does Matter".
In the Forge community, indie RPGs often represent a more narrativist school of game design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
, focusing on strong characters confronting difficult moral choices. These games may be strongly tied to a very specific setting; in this respect, they can be seen as the antithesis of generic role-playing game system
Generic role-playing game system
A generic role-playing game system or universal role-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre...
s. This is not always true however, since many games from that community instead focus on play dynamics that can be transplanted to a number of settings. For example, a game might focus on the moral question "What will you do to get what you want?" but is not tied to playing the question out in any particular fictional world. No matter the strategy, tightly focused designs are traditionally a hallmark of this community.
Games of note from the Forge community include, in roughly chronological order:
- Sorcerer: An Intense Role-playing GameSorcerer (role-playing game)Sorcerer is an award winning occult-themed indie role-playing game written by Ron Edwards and published through Adept Press. The game focuses on sorcerers who summon, bind, and interact with demons, which are powerful non-human entities who work with and against the sorcerer.-Setting:The game has...
- DonjonDonjon (role-playing game)Donjon is an independently published role-playing game by Clinton R. Nixon, published by Anvilwerks. It is a fantasy game that is both a parody of and an homage to Dungeons & Dragons...
- Dust DevilsDust DevilsDust Devils is an independently published role-playing game set in the Old West, written by Matt Snyder. It was voted the 2002 Indie RPG of the Year; it also won the Best Synergy of Game and Rules category, as well as placing in the Best Production and Most Innovative Game categories.The game uses...
- My Life with MasterMy Life with MasterMy Life with Master is an independently published role-playing game written by Paul Czege and published by Half Meme Press ....
- Dogs in the VineyardDogs in the VineyardDogs in the Vineyard is an independently published role-playing game based on the history of the Mormons. It was written by D. Vincent Baker and published by Lumpley Games....
- Primetime AdventuresPrimetime AdventuresPrimetime Adventures is a role-playing game by Matt Wilson, independently published by Dog-eared Designs. The players create a TV-show together, establishing setting elements and potential main characters. One player takes on the role of the producer, while the rest of the players take on the role...
- Shock: Social Science FictionShock: Social Science FictionShock: Social Science Fiction is a pen-and-paper indie RPG about the effects of the shock of cultural change on the individuals who make up that culture...
Story Games
Story Games is a discussion forum dedicated to role-playing games that focus on shared story creation. Many of the story games discussed on this site take their core from improv theater games (like in the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Whose Line Is It Anyway? is a short-form improvisational comedy TV show. Originally a British radio programme, it moved to television in 1988 as a series made for the UK's Channel 4, for a 10 series run...
), but are played around a table by describing what happens in the story, rather than by getting up and acting it out. A story game is a type of role-playing game experience with a lesser focus on "My Character" and a greater focus on "Our Story" (meaning the story that all the players at the table want to make). As an experience, most RPGs can be played "Story Games Style" with a little adjustment. As a game, some games are particularly created by their designers to aim for a meaningful 'Story Games' experience.
A majority of the games discussed and created on Story Games are indie and/or small press games. While the site does not offer any games for sale, several creators use it to discuss design issues, report progress, and promote their games. Some games are hosted on the Story Games site. The wiki section hosts information on over 80 story games as well as a variety of related resources.
Other communities
Many other groups produce games outside of the mainstream. Many of these primarily sell PDFs, with some supplementary print sales at specific venues. One example is Wicked Dead Brewing CompanyWicked Dead Brewing Company
The Wicked Dead Brewing Company is a "micro brew" publishing house specializing in roleplaying games.Founded in 2004 by John Wick and Jared Sorensen, by 2005, it has more than a dozen roleplaying games available on its website...
. This imprint includes games by a number of designers. Game designer Greg Stolze
Greg Stolze
Greg Stolze is an American novelist and writer, whose work has mainly focused on properties derived from role-playing games.Stolze has contributed to numerous role-playing game books for White Wolf Game Studio and Atlas Games, including Demon: the Fallen...
has produced games using the Ransom model, without resorting to traditional publishing and sales. Others, such as the Free RPG Community, pursue self-publishing without any intent to make a profit. Self-publishing sites such as Lulu.com
Lulu.com
Lulu is a company offering publishing, printing, and distribution services with headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. Since their founding in 2002, Lulu has published over 1.1 million titles by creators in over 200 countries and territories and adds 20,000 new titles to their catalogue a month...
also have a number of RPGs available from publishers unaffiliated with any formal community.
Footnotes
- The three-tier model is a distribution model with three levels: publisher, distributor and retailer.
- The two-tier model is a distribution model with two levels: publisher and retail outlet.
- Example formats are: The Shadow of Yesterday first edition (HTML) and revised edition (text), and FATE (pdf).
External links
- The Forge – A site dedicated to the promotion, creation, and review of independent role-playing games.
- Indie RPG Awards – Site for the annual Indie RPG Awards.
- The Indie RPGs Un-Store – A "middleman-free" site selling independent role-playing games.
- Indie Press Revolution – A commercial site with PDF and printed indie role-playing games.
- Story Games – A non-commercial discussion forum with focus on shared story creation games, most of which are indie.
- Story Codex – A wiki hosted by Story Games, which hosts information on numerous indie and small pressSmall pressSmall press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
games. - The 20' By 20' Room – An Indie RPG blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
with multiple contributors. - Wicked Dead Brewing Company – A company featuring small press games.
- World's Edge Indie RPG – An independent "realistic" fantasy RPG.
- RPG Nation Independent RPG Games and tabletop battle/war game designers using bespoke rule sets