Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies

Tools of the Trade: Props, Techniques, and Inspirations for Analog Role-Playing (2025/03/31; 2025/11)

2024-11-23

The Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies (JARPS) invites submissions for a special issue exploring the theme of Tools of the Trade: Props, Techniques, and Inspirations for Analog Role-Playing. This issue focuses on the equipment, methods, and technologies that are part of and enhance the creation, design, and play of tabletop/table-talk role-playing games (TRPGs) and live-action role-play (larp). We aim to investigate how tools—ranging from physical props to digital applications—shape the evolving landscape of analog role-playing games and the creative practices that support them.

The tools we use as designers, writers, and players form the backbone of our games. From rulebooks and dice mechanics to narrative frameworks and digital aids, these tools not only facilitate play but also inspire innovation. This issue seeks to explore how creators and players harness these tools to build immersive worlds, foster collaboration, and tackle challenges in storytelling and inclusivity. We welcome submissions that examine these tools’ historical, cultural, and practical dimensions, as well as their future potential.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Dice and Beyond: Exploring how dice systems and alternative mechanics shape player engagement and storytelling.
  • Rulebook Design: What makes a rulebook accessible and engaging for players of different skill levels?
  • Generative AI in RPG Design: How are large language models and other generative AI tools used to create game content, and what ethical questions do they raise?
  • Game Master’s Toolkit: Techniques and tools for improvisation, encounter design, and spontaneous storytelling.
  • Hybrid Play: Integrating apps, virtual tabletops, and digital resources with traditional analog gameplay.
  • Inclusive Design: Tools and techniques for creating diverse and inclusive gaming experiences.
  • Narrative Co-Creation: Innovations in mechanics and tools that encourage collaborative storytelling.
  • Visual Aids and Props: The role of crafted materials in enhancing immersion and engagement.
  • Campaign Organization: Tools for managing timelines, pacing, and complex narratives in long-term games.
  • Ethical Worldbuilding: Methods and tools for creating responsible, inclusive, and compelling game worlds.

We encourage submissions that consider questions such as: How do tools and techniques evolve to meet the needs of diverse gaming communities? What role does technology play in bridging the gap between analog and digital play? How do game masters and designers strike a balance between providing structure and allowing creative freedom? What innovative tools are emerging in the field, and how are they reshaping the experience of role-playing?

This issue is also part of JARPS' ongoing exploration of role-playing and adjacent genres. Submissions analyzing narrative-centric board games, escape games, or other activities with role-playing components are welcome. We encourage contributors to contact us in advance to ensure alignment with our guidelines.

 

Submission guidelines

The Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies (JARPS, https://jarps.net) is a bilingual, peer-reviewed journal published by the Japanese Association for Role-Playing Game Studies. JARPS publishes articles under a Creative Commons license about (primarily) non-digital (“analog”) forms of role-playing, with a focus on table-top/table-talk role-playing games (TRPG) and live-action role-play (larp) in and from Japan but in a global context. JARPS welcomes academic articles of varying scope as well as other forms of contributions, such as educational material, best-practice guidelines, and practical case descriptions.

Original Article: New research. Peer reviewed, ca. 6,000 words (English) or 12-15,000 characters (Japanese).

Theoretical Article: Conceptual essay. Peer reviewed, ca. 6,000 words (English) or 12-15,000 characters (Japanese).

Explorative Paper: An experimental contribution. Peer reviewed, ca. 4,500 words (English) or 8-12,000 characters (Japanese).

Case Report: A hands-on report and/or best practice example. Peer reviewed, ca. 4,500 words (English) or 8-12,000 characters (Japanese).

Educational Material: Tools useful for teaching or calibration. Peer reviewed, ca. 4,500 words (English) or 8-12,000 characters (Japanese).

Essay: Non-academic article or symposium report. Editor review, ca. 3,000 words (English) or 4-6,000 characters (Japanese).

Book Review: Discussion of publications on safety. Editor consultation, ca. 1,500 words (English) or 2-3,000 characters (Japanese).

Please visit JARPS’s website (https://jarps.net) for complete submission guidelines, or e-mail the editors with questions or inquiries at editors@jarps.net.

Due Dates: Please send an e-mail expressing your intent to submit a contribution by January 31, 2025, to issue_6@jarps.net, including the section (theory, case, material, etc.) and the topic of your contribution to allow for timely reviewer recruitment. Please also state in which language you intend to submit your contribution or if you seek to have the paper published in both languages, English and Japanese. The submission deadline for manuscripts is March 31, 2025, for publication in late November 2025.

Symposium

If their submissions are accepted, we ask contributors to participate in our annual symposium and present their work. The symposium will be held in late November 2025, after the issue is published. Please save the date.