A Roleplaying Game (RPG) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules. Within the rules, players can improvise freely, with their choices shaping the direction and outcome of the game. RPGs are typically more collaborative and social than competitive. A typical role-playing game unifies its participants into a single team, that plays as a group.

A RPG rarely has winners or losers. This makes RPGs fundamentally different from board games, card games and most other types of games. RPGs are a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Like novels or films, RPGs appeal because they engage the imagination.