[Commlist] CFP: The UK Tabletop Role-Playing Game Scene – Histories, Cultures, and Legacies

*Symposium: The UK Tabletop Role-Playing Game Scene – Histories, 
Cultures, and Legacies*

We are pleased to invite scholars, researchers, designers, and 
practitioners to participate in a symposium dedicated to examining the 
histories, cultures, and legacies of the UK tabletop role-playing game 
(TTRPG) scene. Hosted by the Center of Excellence in Game Culture 
Studies at Tampere University and co -chaired by Dr Tom Apperley 
(Tampere) and Associate Professor Nick Webber (BCU), this event offers a 
timely opportunity to reflect on the distinctive contributions of 
British game cultures to the broader development of role-playing games, 
as well as their intersections with related traditions including board 
games, wargames, computer games, and miniatures.

This one-day symposium aims to foster critical dialogue across 
disciplines, methodologies, and communities. We particularly welcome 
contributions that engage with questions of exclusion, innovation, and 
cultural specificity within British gaming practices.

For full details regarding the call for papers, abstract submission, and 
key dates, please refer to the information below. We look forward to 
your proposals and to welcoming you to Tampere in September.


*Symposium Details*
Date: September 16, 2025
Location: Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
Participation: On-site or online
Contact: (thomas.apperley /at/ tuni.fi) <mailto:(thomas.apperley /at/ tuni.fi)>

*Submission Details*
Abstract submission deadline: August 08, 2025
Length: 200-250 words (as an attachment or in the body of an email)
Submit to: (thomas.apperley /at/ tuni.fi) <mailto:(thomas.apperley /at/ tuni.fi)> AND 
(Nick.Webber /at/ bcu.ac.uk) <mailto:(Nick.Webber /at/ bcu.ac.uk)>

*_No Participation Fees_*

*Call for Papers:*
The UK has played a critical role in shaping the global landscape of 
tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), yet its contributions are often 
overshadowed. This workshop foregrounds the impact of the UK’s TTRPG 
scene while recognizing its deep entanglements with other gaming 
cultures, including tabletop board gaming, tabletop war gaming, computer 
gaming, and miniatures. British RPGs emerged not in isolation but within 
a rich ecosystem of interconnected game design practices, publishing 
networks, artistic traditions, and player communities. By exploring 
these intersections, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of how 
British game cultures evolved and their contributions to broader gaming 
histories. 1986 marks the end of the first phase of British RPG 
history—one defined by small-scale, highly experimental publishing—and 
the beginning of a more structured, corporate approach that would 
dominate the following decades.

We welcome a diverse range of perspectives, including material 
approaches that examine physical artifacts, production cultures, and 
game mechanics; theoretical approaches that engage with 
historiographical, cultural, and sociopolitical frameworks; and 
experimental approaches that explore alternative methods of analysis, 
creative interventions, and practice-based research. We are particularly 
interested in perspectives that conceptualize exclusion within gaming 
cultures, industry structures, and historical narratives, as well as 
contributions that foreground the experiences, creative practices, and 
perspectives of marginalized communities.

We invite contributions that critically engage with the UK’s gaming 
scene from interdisciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to 
history, media studies, game studies, cultural studies, and archival 
research. Topics of interest include:

  * The role of British fanzines, pro-zines, and early game publications
    in shaping TTRPG discourse and design.
  * The development of UK-specific game systems and mechanics, e.g.
    Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Fighting Fantasy RPG, and Maelstrom.
  * The intersections between RPGs, wargames, and board games in the UK
    scene, including Games Workshop’s RPG-adjacent titles like Warhammer
    Fantasy Battle and the influence of wargaming on RPG mechanics and
    aesthetics.
  * The impact of British board games with RPG mechanics, such as
    Talisman, HeroQuest, and Space Hulk, in bridging board gaming and
    role-playing experiences, and their role in introducing new
    audiences to RPG-like play.
  * Alternative approaches to fantasy world-building, including the UK’s
    distinctive focus on historical realism, urban environments, and
    anti-megadungeon design.
  * The visual culture of British RPGs, considering influences such as
    New Worlds, 2000AD, and heavy metal and punk aesthetics.
  * The implications of the rise of Gamebook series, such as Fighting
    Fantasy, Lone Wolf, and Cretan Chronicles, as an alternative to
    TTRPG experiences, and their role as a bridge between TTRPGs and
    broader gaming cultures.
  * The intersection of the UK TTRPG scene with broader trends in UK
    computing and creative industries.
  * The localization of RPGs to Britain, including adaptations of
    American games, shifts in terminology, cultural reinterpretations,
    and the role of British publishers in modifying content for local
    audiences.
  * The socio-political and economic contexts of British RPG publishing,
    including soft power and the impact of Thatcher-era cultural policy.
  * The legacy of UK RPG design in the Old School Renaissance (OSR) and
    contemporary indie RPG movements.
  * The impact of sculpting, painting, and collecting miniatures in
    British gaming communities, the role of UK-based miniature
    manufacturers, and the influence of British artistic traditions on
    figure design.
  * The role of PBM (play-by-mail) games in British RPG culture,
    including their development, popularity, and connections to computer
    programming.


These suggestions are not intended to be prescriptive, and we encourage 
people working on TTRPGs, board games, wargames, and minatures more 
broadly to consider how their work is relevant for developing this area 
of study.

	

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