Intentionally therapeutic TTRPGs and TTRPG resources
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Notes on the games/resources in this list AND therapeutics vs therapy:
This list is intended to help you locate resources and games that were built with therapeutic intent or that can help you learn about applied gaming. While many TTRPGs have therpeutic benefits just by nature of being a TTRPG, these games and resources were built with those elements in mind.
Also, there is a difference between “therpeutic” and “therapy”. Therapeutic refers to something that can have a positive impact on one’s well-being (ex: creative time, yoga) whereas therapy is intentional time with a trained and licensed therapist to address specific concerns. Attempting to enact therapy on your players when you are not trained or without their consent can have a detrimental impact on everyone involved. You should not attempt to enact therapy (ex: orchestrating scenarios in a game to get a player to overcome trauma) unless you are trained professional and have player consent to do so.
Intentionally therapeutic TTRPGs and TTRPG resources featured on TTRPGkids
Venture Society
Venture Society is a TTRPG designed for young players that teaches about empathy and social skills while on a fun non-violent adventure! It was designed by therapists and educators with the developmental needs of kids in mind so that scenarios would help them gain experience interacting with NPCs who need to talk about their problems, work through conflict resolution with other NPCs, or could just use a hand from a helpful passerby. I got a sneak peek of the prototype version of the game while at Origins Game Fair, and there’s a full review of it here if you want more detail.
Critical Core
Critical Core is a therapeutic tabletop RPG built off of D&D 5e mechanics! With its intuitive format, focus on social interactions, and clear facilitator guide, this is an awesome TTRPG and tool for players to have fun while building skills and for parents, educators, and facilitators to be able to smoothly provide a welcome gaming environment. Adventures are labeled with the skills they help practice and there’s a wonderful facilitator guide that gives tips on running the game and with seeing growth in players. Check out here for a full review.
Wizards, Warriors, and Wellness
Wizards, Warriors, and Wellness by Jack Berkenstock and Baron Blakley from The Bodhana Group is a wonderful intro to therapeutic tabletop RPGs whether you’re a therapist or layperson and experienced or new to applied gaming. This is a guidebook, not a game, so it falls into the resources category of this list, and it’s a great read for learning more about the therapeutic benefits of TTRPGs. I have a review here of the book if you’re looking for more info!
Gratitude Guardians
Gratitude Guardians is a creative self-expression therapeutic tool, inspired by monster collecting card games, that was made with the intention of promoting positive thinking, self-reflection, and self-regulation techniques. It’s made to cross over other interests (like collecting trading cards and making up superpowered creatures) with therapeutic benefits so kids will find engaging with these practices fun instead of seeing them as something that they’re being told to do because it’s good for them. Check out this feature on the game here for more!
Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master
Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy by Dr. Megan Connell is a guide for clinicians looking to use TTRPGs with their clients. As a layperson, this was also an amazing exploration into why our regular, non-guided sessions and campaigns can feel therapeutic, and it has deepened my perspective on what TTRPGs can be. Just, please note, that this is made FOR clinicians, so a lot of the practices that you see here should only be used if you have training in this. Like I said though, as a layperson, it did give me some great insights that helped me understand the game and it’s therapeutic benefits to a greater level!
Therapeutic Organizations and Websites
There are also several therapeutic organizations and advocates out there that can offer additional guidance from trained professionals and people who are studying the therapeutic use of TTRPGs! Some reputable sources that I have found are:
I have interviewed founders, teammembers, and writers from these organizations/sites (if you search for these names on the site, the interviews should come up), read their works, and met many of them in person at conventions, and these wonderful groups and individuals are doing their work with the intention of helping others in mind. They are awesome sources of information and further resources, if you’re looking for more.
Intentionally therapeutic TTRPGs and TTRPG resources recommended by others
For additional games and resources that you want to see here, let me know what you’d recommend to check out! There’s a lot of TTRPGs and other resources out there, and I’m looking for ones that are specifically made with therapeutic elements built in. Many TTRPG experiences can be therapeutic because of what TTRPGs naturally are, but I’m looking for ones with very intentional game structuring to add to the list. If you have a suggestion for a game or resource to check out, let me know in the comments, fill out the form here, or email hello@TTRPGkids.com so I can take a look and add it to this section!
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