Pivotal Play: Rethinking Meaningful Play in Games Through Death in Dungeons & Dragons

Abstract

In game studies, meaningful play is commonly discussed and situated through Salen and Zimmerman’s (2004) definition describing it as the integrated and discernible relationship between player actions and system outcomes within the context of the game. However, this overlooks other ways that play can be meaningful. Based on observation and interviews with 20 Australian players, this article examines experiences with death in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). In the context of meaningful play ( Salen & Zimmerman, 2004 ) and positive negative experiences ( Hopeametsä, 2008 ), we discuss (1) the impact of shared physical and social realities on death in D&D, (2) the design of death in D&D, and (3) how death in D&D shapes the future play and lives of players. From this, we argue that play can have meaning that transcends game boundaries, subsequently proposing the concept of “ pivotal play” to describe appealing, memorable, and transformative play experiences.

Identity Fusion between Imaginary Characters and Oneself during Moral Dilemmas: An examination of cognitive quarantine during adult pretend play.

“…In such cases, it seems untenable that "the events that occured in the context of the pretence have only a quite limited effect on the post-pretense cognitive state". Indeed, qualitative research consistently shows that "group members' real-world needs [are] met through symbolic in-game interactions" (REF), that in-game events such as player-character death "shapes the lives of players" (Sidhu & Carter, 2021) and that game experiences can meaningfully "transcend game boundaries" (Sidhu & Carter, 2021). Such claims are plainly obvious to folks who regularly engage in this sort of pretence (including all three authors!…”

“…In TTRPG's, players create fictional player-characters. Players recognize that player-characters are fictional, that they do not exist, and cannot exert any effect upon the world (and are, meanwhile, immune to influences from the real world), and yet many qualitative studies report an affiliative kinship between player and player-character (Sidhu & Carter, 2021;Wright et al, 2020). A rich accounting of cognitive quarantine should hold that the player-character should have no real influence upon the real-world of the player, and that the player, in principle, should be free to operate a player-character in whatsoever manner they choose without repercussion.…”

Benevolent Transgressive Play in Dungeons & Dragons [D&D]

“…To investigate the contemporary appeal of D&D, we developed a four-part taxonomy for open-ended questions. This taxonomy was based on our previous findings and prior work into meaningful D&D play (Sidhu & Carter, 2020, 2021). The open-ended question on memorable play captured play experiences at the forefront of players’ minds or experiences of D&D that sustained substantial player interest.…”

“…Until recently, D&D was often perceived as a complex and niche high fantasy hobby, further maligned when it became associated with the ‘Satanic Panic’ of the 1980s (Laycock, 2015). The reception of D&D has developed significantly since then and the game is experiencing a modern resurgence in play and research (Sidhu et al, 2024). However, scholars have been analyzing D&D long before its current cultural cachet.…”

From Tabletop to Screen: Playing Dungeons and Dragons during COVID-19

“…Other research has explored how D&D can be a vehicle for learning how to negotiate moral dilemmas [17] and to promote moral development [18]. There is also evidence that the socially interactive, role-play nature of D&D can have something of a therapeutic benefit, such as the working through of personal issues through play [19], helping younger players improve their literacy and social skills [20], and even dealing with the concept of death via the loss of a player's character [21].…”