The biggest hurdle for getting friends to play TTRPGs is…
Playing TTRPGS is a deeply rewarding and enjoyable hobby, and yet seems out of reach to many.
We recently conducted a poll asking TTRPG players what challenges they face bringing their friends into the hobby. Clearly this is an issue that frustrates many, because 849 people responded. In addition to answering the poll, many shared insights on how they navigate these challenges.
The biggest challenge is scheduling and time commitments.
Scheduling provides a number of specific challenges.
For many adults, especially those with families and other time commitments, committing oneself to meeting on a weekly basis at the same time is simply impossible.
That level of weekly commitment— for 3+ hours every week— just isn’t feasible for many.
It’s not only the recurring commitment, but also the number of hours involved that poses a difficulty.
“Kids, work, hospitals, it’s not that people aren’t prioritizing the game high enough; there’s never a point where the game should be expected to compete with (other responsibilities)”
Perceptions of rule complexity is the 2nd largest challenge.
Rule complexity and time are deeply connected, of course. As reddit user Tarilis put it, “Time mostly, time on reading the rules and time playing. The schedule is already full, so they prioritize other things.”
… Also, some people are just allergic to reading. As reddit user TotallyMojo put it, “Scheduling and they just.. won't.. fucking.. open.. a rulebook. Had to switch to low-rule pbta games.”
Playing low-rules games and environments is a popular strategy for avoiding rule allergies.
“This is why I’ve fallen in love with the various rules light games, I’ve indoctrinated many friends to start playing via simple rules systems”
Simple rule systems as the “gateway drug” to TTRPGs
Time commitment, difficulty scheduling, and complexity of rules all keep new players from entering the TTRPG hobby.
Simple rule systems make a good entry-point for new TTRPG players, many of whom are used to playing games that don’t require as much up-front commitment to get playing.
There are many great options when it comes to low-rules TTRPGs— one of them is Inventures, which might well be the fastest-to-learn TTRPG platform out there.
Inventures is an upcoming TTRPG platform that allows your group to learn the game AND play a mini-campaign from start to finish, all within 90 minutes. (You can also play campaigns as long as you’d like).
The game was built from the ground-up to help new players get into RPGs.
What makes Inventures so easily accessible is its novel symbol-interpretation mechanic, which enables deep and satisfying RPG experiences without dice, DMs, or any pre-planning. You can Learn more here and Follow the pre-launch page on Kickstarter.
Inventures provides a rich and challenging lightweight RPG experience for new and experienced players, and can help you introduce new friends to the TTRPG hobby who aren’t yet ready to jump into more complex systems.