The Australian roleplaying community has expanded and welcomed new demographics in recent years, offering different types of tabletop experiences to broader audiences.
To discuss how the tabletop roleplaying community has evolved and where this growth is coming from, Game Designer and Mentor at Australian Roleplaying Community (ARC) Logan Timmins, and Content Manager and Lead at PAX Kitty Grace, both joined the MIGW podcast.
“This year, seeing the amount of people from queer communities put their hand up to get involved in panels, or tournaments, or freeplay… it honestly makes my heart want to burst, because in the past people have been really too hesitant to enter the scene,” said Kitty Grace.
ARC has seen an enormous increase in public interest for the tabletop scene each year, and has expanded its presence beyond the tabletop hall at PAX AUS in recent years, particularly post pandemic. The organisation has aimed to create a less intimidating touchpoint for marginalised communities to participate in the TTRPG space, offering dedicated roundtables and tutorial roleplay sessions at PAX AUS, as well as running ARC mentorship programs.
Melbourne Fringe Festival has also overlapped with MIGW, and May was joined by one of the actors and lead presenters of Melbourne Fringe Festival’s cult hit MAFIA The Game: The Show, Nick Robertson.
The show was led by a cast that has cut their comedic teeth, showcasing performers from the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Thank God You’re Here. Nick shared his experience translating a well loved role-playing strategy game into a Fringe show, and how the audience’s investment in the show’s ‘fake lies’ influenced the game.
Feminine Play premiered during MIGW’s final weekend, presenting a curated games exhibition that celebrates femininity and subverts gendered traditions. The event ran throughout the month of October and offered intersectional perspectives on gaming by reimagining play and accounting for girlhood experiences that often go unnoticed.
Technically Games: Lightning Talks also took place at St Kilda Town Hall, offering a space for professionals, solo devs, and students alike to unpack the technical nitty gritty across game design over one evening of talks and networking opportunities.
