Role-Playing Game, either a tabletop game where players assume character roles guided by rules and dice, or a video game genre emphasizing character development and story. Can also refer to rocket-propelled grenades in military contexts.
Gaming acronym from 'Role-Playing Game,' popularized in the 1970s with Dungeons & Dragons. The concept draws from military war games and improvisational theater, creating a new form of collaborative storytelling and strategic gameplay.
RPGs essentially formalized the imaginative games children play naturally - 'let's pretend to be knights and dragons' - but added mathematical systems to resolve conflicts fairly. They created the first virtual economies and character progression systems that would later influence everything from video games to employee training programs.
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