MECHANISMS FOR BUILDING COLLECTIVE IDENTITY IN TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

Ilya S. Gomonov¹ , Roman V. Tamilin²

¹ Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
gomonov.ilya00@mail.ru, orcid.org/0009-0008-3395-5926

² Krasnoyarsk V.I. Surikov Art Museum, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation.
rvtamilin@gmail.com, orcid.org/0009-0009-0490-844X

Abstract. This article is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of collective identity production in tabletop roleplaying games (RPG). The premise of the study is the observation that gaming groups consistently form a pronounced “sense of us”, which is not explained by either the commonality of rules or the coincidence of individual preferences of participants. The purpose of the work is to theoretically describe and analytically test the mechanisms by which a small gaming group establishes its collective identity.

Pierre Levy’s model of collective intelligence was chosen as the main theoretical framework, according to which the collective is constituted not through the division of common content, but through the coordination of differences. The Levy model is compared with the Taschfell and Turner theory of social identity, and the Ricoeur concept of narrative identity; its advantage in ontological, temporal and practical dimensions is substantiated. Methodologically, the work is a qualitative theoretical and analytical case analysis of three game systems – Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, Blades in the Dark, and systems that dispense with the role of master mediator Fiasco and Ironsworn (together).

The main results show that collective identity is produced through the co-authorship of narrative and the accumulation of “narrative sediment”, and the specific mechanics of the system act as active rather than neutral agents of this process. D&D 5e forms identity through functional interdependence, Blades in the Dark – through direct mechanical institutionalization of collectivity, systems without the participation of masters – through alternative modes of narrative coordination.

The novelty of the research lies in the application of the Levy model to the analysis of NRI and in demonstrating that collective identity is not a side effect, but a structural invariant of game practice, implemented through various coordination configurations.

Keywords: tabletop role-playing games, collective identity, collective intelligence, narrative coauthorship, game mechanics, Pierre Lévy.

For citation: Gomonov I.S., Tamilin R.V. Mechanisms for Building Collective Identity in Tabletop Role-Playing Games // Game Laboratory, 2026, 1 (2), рр. 37-45. [in Russian]. EDN: VLLQUX.