If you are a forever DM/GM (like me) then you already know the four TTRPG player types.

• The Rules Lawyer – the one ready to argue to the death
• The Rules Writer – pulls a rule right out of their draconian marsh
• The Innocent Nobe – still learning the rules and is willing to listen and learn… Awe, Sweet summer child, we love you!
• Nom-Goblin: – just shows up for snacks

But there is a more scientific player type list out there. As the OG tabletop role-playing games provided the framework for early video games, a powerful tool for understanding player interests as emerged from the study of video games and can be used to better understand TTRPG player types.

It’s come full circle!

Bartle’s Taxonomy, a framework for video game player types, categorizes players into four types—Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, and Killers. These archetypes focus on player motivations. However, it’s easy to see how they can be reoriented for the gaming table.

By exploring how this framework applies to TTRPGs, you gain a better understanding of TTRPG player motivation. This taxonomy will improve your sessions, whether you’re a player or a GM.

Let’s take a look at what TTRPG player type you are, and how recognizing these types improves your game?

What is Bartle’s Taxonomy of TTRPG Player Types?

Bartle’s Taxonomy breaks players into four types:

• Achievers: Goal-oriented players who enjoy completing objectives and earning rewards.
• Explorers: Curious players who seek to uncover the mysteries and lore of the game world.
• Socializers: Players who thrive on interaction and role-playing.
• Killers: Competitive players who revel in combat and winning through dominance.

This taxonomy originally applied to video games but can easily translate to TTRPG personality types. Clearly, GMs/DMs that understand these types can craft better sessions; sessions that fit the table’s interests.

But it is just as important (if not more important) for players to understand this archetypal list. They need to explain their play style and interests to DMs and GMs. These games are collaborative in nature, so expressing yourself well ensures a better experience for everyone.

Who is Richard Bartle and How Did He Develop TTRPG Player Types?

Richard Bartle is a British game researcher and developer, best known for his pioneering work in the field of multiplayer online games. In the late 1970s, Bartle co-created MUD1 (Multi-User Dungeon), the world’s first virtual multiplayer environment, laying the foundation for modern MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games).

In the 1990s, as these multiplayer games grew in complexity, Bartle sought to better understand player behavior. Through his observations, he developed Bartle’s Taxonomy of Player Types, which was first published in 1996. His goal was to categorize players based on their in-game motivations and interactions, identifying patterns that could help game developers design more engaging experiences.

The taxonomy became an influential framework in game design, as it gave insight into how different players engage with virtual worlds—insights that are still valuable today, especially when applied to TTRPGs.

How to Adapt Bartle’s Taxonomy for TTRPGs

While Bartle’s Taxonomy was designed for digital games, it can be adapted for TTRPGs, where player interactions are collaborative. In a tabletop setting, the Game Master (GM) acts as the world’s mediator, responding to each player’s actions. Understanding player archetypes in TTRPGs allows for better storytelling and a more balanced, engaging game. Let’s explore how the four player types fit into tabletop game dynamics

Note:

I’ll be mixing up the titles given to these archetypes so they are more aligned with the TTRPG colloquial and culture.

The Four TTRPG Player Types Explained Using Bartle’s Taxonomy

1. Levelers (Achievers)

Levelers love progress and accomplishment, focusing on mastering mechanics, completing quests, and obtaining powerful loot. They enjoy optimization, leveling up, and earning in-game rewards. GMs can engage Achievers by creating clear goals and meaningful challenges with measurable progression.

• Best-fit TTRPG systems: Achievers thrive in games like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, where progression and item acquisition integral to gameplay.

2. Adventurers (Explorers)

Adventurers are curious players who delight in uncovering hidden details about the world, its lore, and its characters. They thrive in games that emphasize exploration and deep world-building. To satisfy Adventurers, GMs should create rich settings and opportunities for discovery.

• Best-fit TTRPG systems: Adventurers enjoy narrative-driven TTRPG systems like Numenera or The One Ring, where the lore and world are expansive and intricate.

3. Immersive (Socializer)

Immersives prioritize interaction, role-playing, and character development over mechanics. They find fulfillment in cooperative storytelling and thrive in games that emphasize social dynamics. For Immersives, a game’s social structure and relationships between characters are paramount.

• Best-fit TTRPG systems: immersives excel in games like FATE, Fiasco or Vampire: The Masquerade, which prioritize relationships and cooperative storytelling over combat.

4. Warriors (Killers)

Warriors are competitive and dynamic thinkers. They seek opportunities to gain the upper hand in battles, outsmart opponents, and defeat the enemy. In a TTRPG, warriors enjoy combat-driven challenges, but will also find many games and skill style challenges interesting.

• Best-fit TTRPG systems: Killers thrive in combat-heavy games like Shadowrun where tactical skirmishes and competitive gameplay are central to the experience.

Choosing the Right TTRPG for Your Group

Finding the right TTRPG system for your group can significantly enhance the experience for all players. Choosing the right TTRPG for your play style involves matching player types to systems that align with their motivations.

For example, a group composed of Levelers and warriors might enjoy a game with a strong focus on combat and progression, while Immersives and Adventurers may prefer a system centered on storytelling and lore.

For mixed groups, systems like Dungeons & Dragons provide enough versatility to accommodate all types, but more specialized systems can cater to groups with a more specific interests. Understanding tabletop role-playing group dynamics is key for both players and GMs looking to create a balanced and enjoyable experience.

Balancing Different TTRPG Player Types

In many TTRPG groups, players will embody a mix of the different archetypes. GMs/DMs must be mindful of this and strive to balance game sessions accordingly.

Understanding how to balance different TTRPG player types becomes crucial for ensuring everyone enjoys game day.

• For GMs: Incorporate a variety of challenges that appeal to all types: role-play focused social encounters for Immersives, puzzles and mysteries for Adventurers combat and strategic challenges for Warriors and Levelers. (Don’t forget to reward with loot)
• For Players: Knowing your player type can help you communicate with your GM and express your preferences. Remember, this is a collaborative game. Everyone needs to have a voice.

How to Improve TTRPG Sessions Based on Player Motivation

Improving your game sessions often boils down to understanding the TTRPG player motivation within your group. By recognizing what drives each player, GMs can craft more engaging encounters, while players can better understand their own preferences and how to align them with group dynamics.

Words of Wisdom

Bartle’s Taxonomy provided video game designers a powerful tool, and there’s no reason why that resource can’t be employed at the TTRPG game table. Understanding player types in role-playing games bestows the table a legendary level skill, communication!

This should provide a framework for expressing what you really enjoy about TTRPGs to your friends.

“Hello, I am X and I am looking for Y.”

Whether you’re looking for the best role-playing game for your home table or a new table to start playing with, being able to express your interests is an invaluable skill. Hopefully, this retrofitting of Bartle’s Taxonomy to fit TTRPGs will provide the vocabulary necessary to do just that.

I wish you luck in finding or crafting the right game table for you and your friends.

Until next time, keep rolling them dice!