JARPS 2025 Symposium (online; program released)
Join a 3-hour conference on analog role-playing games, featuring the 2025 special issue of The Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies (JARPS), which explores the theme of Tools of the Trade: Props, Techniques, and Inspirations for Analog Role-Playing. The symposium is supported by Game in Lab and linked to the eduRPG Barcamp 2025.
Please find the program below, which will also be sent to registered participants.
Date: 2025/11/22 (Sat)
Time: 12:00-15:00 CET | 20:00-23:00 JST
This year’s symposium 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). The event explores questions about how tools—ranging from physical props to digital applications—shape the evolving landscape of analog role-playing games and related play forms, as well as 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 symposium aims to explore how creators and players utilize these tools to construct immersive worlds, promote collaboration, and address challenges in storytelling and inclusivity.
The 2025 JARPS Symposium features presentations from scholars and practitioners worldwide addressing various aspects of tools, frameworks, and the materiality of play. The presentations are based on articles submitted to the 2025 special issue of the journal. The issue will be released in November. Pre-print versions of the articles will be made available in October to registered participants.
Program (tbc; times are JST):
20:00-20:20 Welcome Remarks
20:25-20:45 Campaign Board Games as a Steppingstone towards TRPGs: An Examination of a New Phenomenon in Tabletop Gaming — J. Reed
20:50-21:10 Short-Term Interest, Long-Term Stagnation? An Exploratory Study of Learning Retention in Board Games as Educational Materials — T. Terashima, R. Fukamatsu
21:10-21:20 Break
21:20-21:40 The “Stories” of Real Escape Games Created by High School and Technical College Students: An Analysis of Proposals Submitted to the National High School Real Escape Game — K. Ishida
21:45-22:05 Field Report on the Practical Application of NotebookLM as a Support Tool for LARP Event Participants — T. Moroishi, CLOSS
22:10-22:30 What Makes a Rulebook Accessible and Entertaining? Recommendations of Best Practices — C. Casimiro, M. Heron, S. Sousa
22:35-22:55 General Discussion
22:55-23:00 Closing Remarks
With simultaneous interpretation between Japanese and English.
Preprint versions of the articles which will feature in the symposium are available here.
Linked Event: eduRPG Barcamp
This year, the symposium partners again with the eduRPG Barcamp, an open and participatory workshop-event about educational role-playing games (RPGs), in which participants provide the content. The Barcamp is held in German, but if requested, sessions will be held in English.
The Barcamp eduRPG team invites JARPS symposium participants to a get-together after the symposium to discuss and exchange ideas and questions about the presentations.
Registration
Please register here (free) for both the eduRPG Barcamp and the JARPS Symposium to receive the Zoom and Discord links. Please take note of the time zones in which the events take place.
If you experience any issues with registration, please don't hesitate to contact us at symposium@jarps.net.
Image © Gwendoline Lefebvre (Game in Lab)