Spanning from the earliest iterations like Dungeons & Dragons to modern indie and mainstream titles, this encyclopedia offers detailed entries on game systems, mechanics, designers, publishers, and cultural impact.
Encyclopedia of Role-Playing Games offers a sweeping overview of the history and cultural significance of role-playing games across tabletop and digital platforms. Beginning with Dungeons & Dragons in the mid-1970s and continuing today, this reference work explores game systems, narrative structures, and the evolution of player communities. It highlights the creative and collaborative nature of RPGs, their educational potential, and their influence on storytelling, identity, and social interaction, celebrating the enduring power of imagination in interactive play.
It includes historical timelines, genre classifications, and thematic analyses, making it an essential resource for educators, game designers, and enthusiasts alike. Each entry provides context on gameplay style, narrative structure, and community reception, while also highlighting innovations that shaped the evolution of RPGs. With extensively cross-referenced topics, the encyclopedia celebrates the creativity and collaborative spirit that define role-playing games. This volume offers both depth and accessibility to the student, scholar, or layperson interested in the development and impact of role-playing games.

Mark A. Fabrizi is a Professor of Secondary Education at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, USA and is Chair of the Education Department. He authored the Dictionary of Horror Literature and has written extensively on pedagogical applications of a variety of literary texts and films, including Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter novels, Pet Sematary, 1984, and It Follows. A professional educator since 1995, he was selected as a high school Teacher-of-the-Year in 2001 and received the Connecticut Board of Regents Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in 2019.


Neil McGarry is a writer, comedian, podcaster and long-time gamer from Philadelphia, USA. With Daniel Ravipinto, he has authored the fantasy novel series The Grey City and hosted The Nitpicking Podcast.

Daniel Ravipinto is a writer, Emmy-award winning computer programmer, musician, and gamer. He has written a chapter in Fantasy Literature: Challenging Genres, The Grey City fantasy series, and The Nitpicking Podcasts, all of which he co-authored with Neil McGarry. Daniel is author of several award-winning interactive-fiction games as well as the RPG The Glass Bead Game which was a finalist in the Game Chef 2006 competition, the RPG Joe in Ten Persons (2009), and the card game Real Politik (2007).