Le jeu de rôle, une autre forme de narration sérielle ? [peer-reviewed article]

Périer, I. (2017). Le jeu de rôle, une autre forme de narration sérielle ? Itinéraires. Littérature, textes, cultures, (2016–2). https://doi.org/10.4000/itineraires.3453

Pen and Paper Roleplaying Game, Another Serial Narration?

Tabletop RPGs are a kind of serial narration based on the principle of expansion. Its fertility and consistency depend on internal mechanisms. There is a transmedia expansion (movies, novels,...) and a publishing expansion (core rulebooks, screen, supplements, modules,...). These expansions are limited by the finances of the players.
The last type of expansion is ludic: a lot of game groups are playing long-lasting and engaging campaigns. Inside these small interpretative communities, the social contrat between the players drives the creativity and regulates the expansion by enforcing its consistency.