Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, playing a major role in Stranger Thingsfor example, and generating a blockbuster movie that came out last year. In the past decade or so, researchers have focused more on the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the game environment provides clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped increase the self-confidence of players with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or connectedness, among other things.
“There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, some of the biggest of which are that people with autism are not socially motivated or lack imagination,” said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth.Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, and is about working together as a team, all taking place in a completely imaginary environment. The participants in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on another persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it to their daily lives.”
Previous research has shown that autistic people are more likely to feel lonely, have smaller social networks, and often experience anxiety in social situations. Their desire for social connection leads many to “hide” their neurodivergent traits in public for fear of rejection due to social blunders. “I think every autistic person has had multiple instances of social rejection and loss of relationships,” said one of the study participants when interviewed by Atherton et al. about their experiences. “You’ve done something wrong. You don’t know what it is. They don’t tell you, and you find out when you’re just, you know, ostracized from relationships, left out… It’s traumatic.”
TPRGs such as D&D can serve as a social lubricant for autistic players, according to a yearlong study published earlier this year and co-authored by Atherton, because there is less uncertainty about how to behave in-game, as opposed to the plethora of unwritten social rules that make navigating social environments so daunting. Such games immerse players in fantastical worlds where they create characters with unique backstories, strengths, and weaknesses, and work together with others to complete campaigns. A gamemaster guides the overall campaign, but the game itself evolves based on the different choices different players make throughout the game.
A critical hit
It is no wonder then that there are generally higher percentages of autistic TRPG players than in the general population. For this latest study, Atherton et al. specifically wanted to investigate how autistic players D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It is essentially a case study with a small sample size – only eight participants – and qualitative in nature, as the post-play analysis focused on semi-structured interviews with each player after the online campaign, to better highlight their individual voices.
The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&DReddit and Discord online communities; all had been diagnosed with autism by a medical professional. They were divided into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who D&D years) who served as a dungeon master. The online sessions covered in the study were the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks).
Participants repeatedly spoke about the positive benefits they received from playing D&Dwhich provided them with a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressure. “When you deal with people about D&D“You’re more likely to understand what’s going on,” one participant said in their study interview. “That’s because the method you use to interact is written down. You can see what to do. There’s a kind of reference sheet for some of the social interactions.” That, in turn, helped foster a sense of connection and kinship with their fellow players.
Participants also reported feeling emotionally invested in and close to their characters. Some preferred to break away from their characters to explore other aspects of their personality or even a whole new persona, broadening their perspectives. “I can make a character very different from how I interact with people in real life,” said one participant. “It helps you put yourself in the other person's perspective because you're technically stepping into a persona that is your character. You can then try to see what it feels like to be in that interaction or in that scenario through a different lens.” And some participants said they were able to “rewrite” their own personal stories outside of the game by taking on some of the traits of their characters, a psychological phenomenon known as “bleed.”
“Autism comes with a lot of stigma, and that can lead to people being judged or scorned,” said co-author Liam Cross, also from the University of Plymouth. “We also hear from a lot of families who are concerned about whether teenagers with autism are spending too much time playing things like video games. Often that's because people have an image in their head of how a person with autism should behave, but that's based on neurotypical experiences. Our research has shown that there are everyday games and hobbies that autistic people not only enjoy, but that they also gain confidence and other skills from. It may not be the case for everyone with autism, but our work suggests that it can enable people to have positive experiences that are worth celebrating.”
Autism, 2024. DOI: 10.1177/13623613241275260 (About DOIs).
