Player Styles

When it comes to being a player for TTRPGs, there are so many different types of players with various archetypes. Sometimes they work well together, or they should avoid one another at all costs. Everyone is unique with their own interests and personality. It is important as a player to understand your play style. Why? So that you can find the correct type of party, and be able to look for GMs that will adequately meet your needs. It is also important to know what you're good at, but what you also tend to risk doing - or what other players might be like. As a community, we can all improve and do our part to try and help the TTRPG community thrive from good, reputable games.

I have compiled a list of Player styles below that I believe cover every aspect of nearly every player, with endless mix and match combinations being possible. I am hoping that providing this content will mean happier players and Game Masters all around. Each player style description also includes what type of players and GMs will be best for them.

Interested in learning about Game Master Styles? Click here to read.

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Use the carrots to the left of the titles to see the dropdown and learn more about each style!

The Power-Gamer (aka Min-Maxer)

The Power-Gamer is likely the player style most players know. Who are they? They enjoy synergy - maximizing their power, while also minimizing the cost needed to achieve that power. They often have incredible knowledge about the system rules, mechanics, and features, so that they can exploit the system to benefit their character build. This is also called min-maxing. Power-Gamers are Min-Maxers at heart. Even though an RPG doesn’t necessarily call for trying to “win” and instead just having fun, they make a sport out of it.

The Power-Gamer can easily be engaged in a game by a GM who awards items and experience, encourages using unique content (perhaps homebrew content) to think above the rules they have likely memorized, including difficult, rewarding, and tactical combat encounters, while keeping any roleplaying encounters quite simple and straightforward. They run the risk of becoming upset with game balance, or with feeling like their character is not able to ‘show-off’ their capabilities.

These players are fantastic at ensuring a party will stay alive in a difficult combat encounter, able to help share their wealth of knowledge to the other party members to make their builds also more powerful, and they can assist in understanding the rules. However, they can easily get bored with roleplay/social encounters, have little investment into the plot or NPCs, become a bit kill-heavy (murder-hobo prone), or get annoyed or bored with players that don’t ‘try’.

These players are great with the Rules Lawyer, Inciter, Thinker, and potentially the Specialist. They can be helpful with teaching the Fledgling, at risk of not encouraging creativity in character builds.

If using the GM Styles in conjunction with this list, matching GMs for this player include: the Adherent, Warlord, Chaos Gremlin, and the Homebrewer. These GMs should be able to meet and engage a true power-gamer with their chaos, challenges, and understanding of the rules.

The Roleplayer

The Roleplayer is the player who is there for the story, leaving the space of reality, and truly being their character, not just playing them. They are the dedicated roleplayer, interested in having their character’s interaction and backstory meld with the world presented, and have weight and meaning. They might not care too much about the game mechanics, numbers, or crunchiness. The Roleplayer risks becoming annoyed with a game heavy in combat, don’t have opportunities to make meaningful story interactions, have enough NPCs to interact with, or that they aren’t being incorporated into the world and plot.

They can easily be engaged by being encouraged to write full backstories, while working with the GM, having enough social encounters, NPCs, and plot that directly involve their character’s backstory.

They are fantastic at being the “face” of a party, will really try and think through the plotline, remember the details of the story or NPCs, and they can help bring the party together. However, they run the risk of hogging up the spotlight, using a terrible trope that the party does not like (even if the players like them), or will soak up the wrong aspects of a plot. For combat, it is recommended to keep it to a minimum, or at least make sure it is one or both of the following: impactful/meaningful… or that there are spaces for dialogue or decision making role play to keep them invested.

These players are great with the Voyager, Thinker, and Fledgling - possibly the Specialist, depending on their specialty.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, matching GMs for this player include: the Narrator, NPC Hoarder, Creator, Free-Spirit, and the Immerser. These GMs will likely be light-hearted enough in mechanics that they can spend their effort and time incorporating the Roleplayer into their world or campaign.

The Voyager

The Voyager enjoys getting to explore and see the many different places, cultures, people, objects, and creatures in a world. They want to see new things, or enjoy the aspects of an open-world RPG as their chosen TTRPG experience. They risk suffering from the itch to journey and wander - not able to sit in one place, or part of the story. This can lead to a railroaded game quickly becoming a sandbox with too many storylines going on at the same time.

They can be engaged by being provided new experiences (items, stories, NPCs, locations, cultures, etc.), having detailed descriptions to help them visualize or experience their five senses, and having the freedom to explore, being rewarded from exploring.

They are fantastic at being cartographers in a game, retaining details about every new item, person, or place, and finding hidden things. However, they run the risk of adding as many side quests to a storyline as possible, becoming fixated on things that are entirely unimportant leading to dragging on the storyline, and they may spend too much time exploring a space that simply is empty with nothing more. It is recommended to also ensure that any dungeons or investigations have minimal red herrings, and that they have some sort of hidden element.

The Voyager plays well with the Roleplayer, Casual Gamer, and Thinker - possibly the Specialist, depending on their specialty.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, matching GMs for this player include: the Narrator, Creator, Free-Spirit, and Improviser. These GMs should be able to provide enough detail, freedom, and be quick-on-their-toes for anything the Voyager asks or explores.

The Inciter

The Inciter is someone who is ready to get things done, do some crazy shenanigans, and can be unpredictable (you better have those d100 tables ready to go).

They can easily be engaged by a GM who invites some shenanigans and risky decision making, whether it be presenting opportunities to press that red button. They like being rewarded for some risky or shady behavior, or just allowing some recklessness that puts the party into some difficult situations that aren’t impossible or lethal.

They help make the plot continue to move forward, and can help add some fun to everything. They’re likely going to find a way to get something done, even if it is unconventional, and possibly illegal in the world/campaign. However, they run the risk of being a bit too wild, possibly getting the party killed, couldn’t care less about long, meaningful interactions, and likely have an entire folder prepared of chaotic characters. It is recommended to give the Inciter some freedom, shady plotlines, and NPCs that boost their excitement about crazy ideas and possibilities.

The Inciter plays well with the Power-Gamer, Specialist, and Casual Gamer.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, matching GMs for this player include: the Free-Spirit, Improviser, and Chaos Gremlin. These GMs should be able to handle the little firecracker that is the Inciter.

The Specialist

The Specialist is the type of player that just cannot seem to move past a certain character archetype, no matter what the world or campaign is. It could be anything from a trope, race, class, profession, deity, or other. Depending on what the Specialist has honed as their build, they could be interested in roleplay or combat. They run the risk of potentially running a harmful trope that does not match the game, just for the purposes of wanting to act a certain way.

However, they can easily be engaged by simply incorporating whatever they are good at and allowing opportunities for them to show off these abilities.

Depending on the type of Specialist they are, they can work with nearly any player style.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, it is as said above, depending on what they are specializing in, they could work with nearly any of the GM styles. As a GM, be sure to know what and how they plan on running their character’s personality, and make sure that it aligns with your other players’ motivations and goals, along with your campaign/world.

The Casual Gamer

The Casual Gamer tends to not take center stage, feel comfortable roleplaying, and they don’t really mind the rules. They’re just here to enjoy the game and make friends. The Casual Gamer risks distracting themselves in the game with other things of the real world, i.e. their phone or a videogame. They are here to engage with friends and maybe a little bit of the storyline, but overall just are here for the experience and feeling.

It is important as a GM or player to not try and force them to interact, let them do what feels comfortable. This also means avoiding centering a plot around them.

They will give support here and there, and it can be incredibly useful for the player group. They tend to be the neutral mediator when deciding what to do, just because they don’t have a certain motive.

The Casual Gamer plays well with most play groups, since they don’t really mind what’s going on, just as long as they are enjoying some interactions here and there between them and their friends.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, it is more so important for the GM to ensure they are okay with having a Casual Gamer. Some GM Styles that might have difficulty with a Casual Gamer are The Narrator or Immerser. Both of these GM styles look to heavily involve the players with meaningful interactions, and they can potentially be irritated having a Casual Gamer.

The Rules Lawyer

The Rules Lawyer is just what it sounds like. Someone who knows from cover to cover the entirety of the rule books, even the optional rules. They will gladly show off this knowledge by calling out discrepancy in anything RAW, even if it is to the GM. However, they can be helpful by helping decide how to rule a situation, since we all know there’s sometimes those super narrow tricky scenarios that could be ruled both ways. They sometimes mix with the Power-Gamer, as they can use these rules to their advantage, exploiting the game or scenario, especially if the GM is not as experienced with the rules of the system. They risk forgetting that Rule Zero exists, a rule that allows GMs to have the right to overrule any written rule.

To keep them engaged, a GM can ask them to give their knowledge and interpretations in tricky situations, where ruling is genuinely important. Using unique encounters and items that are not in the rule books will also help engage their brain power for something that can’t be exploited easily.

The Rules Lawyer plays well with the Power-Gamer and even the Thinker. They are also extremely helpful with teaching Fledglings their way around their character and the rules (we all remember struggling to remember what we can do and the rules).

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, the best GM styles for this type of a player are: The Adherent, Warlord, or Homebrewer. These types of GMs can easily appease a Rules Lawyer - or just a newer GM wanting an experienced player to help them out with rulings.

The Fledgling

The Fledgling is often newer to the game, or perhaps just the group. They could be quiet and shy, or just don’t know how the game works.

They can be engaged by trying to help ask them questions directly to get them to interact and get comfortable with the group, but not forcing them to contribute anymore than they would be comfortable. Providing any suggestions or helpful understanding of the mechanics or rules will help the Fledgling take their first steps! They, alike the Casual Gamer, run the risk of becoming distracted by other things, have little investment in the game, and might not care about the rules much (if they don’t want to learn more). They also might have trouble solving any problems themself, so it is important for other players to help give ideas but let them present the solution.

However, these players are fantastic at being able to fill any empty role in the party, will take advice, and they won’t take anything too personally. The Fledgling can play well with anyone, since they are just learning or trying to grow their social comfortability.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, any GM can have a Fledgling in their game, as long as they are fine with helping teach someone the game or feel comfortable with interacting with a new group!

The Thinker

The Thinker enjoys getting to plan, make careful strategic plans, be logical, and get to solve puzzles and problems. They love getting a plan to work out, but they usually have something up their sleeve just in case something doesn’t work out right.

They can be engaged by having encounters that require planning and careful strategy to be successful, be rewarded for using tactics, and being provided puzzles, traps, riddles, and other interesting logical problems. However, they risk becoming indecisive if the challenge is too difficult, possibly lowering their self-esteem in their inability to figure something out, wasting time over-planning, or just thinking too hard about something unimportant.

However, the Thinker is fantastic at being a leader for the group, making sure people don’t do anything too stupid, and usually great at keeping track of resources or loot.

The Thinker is best playing with the Power-Gamer, possibly the Roleplayer, the Specialist, and the Fledgling.

If using the GM styles in conjunction with this list, GM styles perfect for this player include: The Creator, Improviser, Immerser, and Homebrewer. These GMs can serve up creative ways to engage the Thinker and how to immerse them with intrigue.

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Just remember, every player is unique, as we are all individuals with unique identities. No one can be entirely boxed in by style labels, but it's still good to have an idea of where you land to avoid Crit Crab moments, just purely due to interest conflicts between other players, the GM, and yourself.

What's your Player Style mix based on this list? Share down below.

Think this could be useful for your own party or community? Make sure to share with them and help everyone get on the same page! And if you're not confrontational but have some concerns about how your players are acting in the game, you can always share this to make them "subtly" aware of their own risks and negative traits.