This guide covers what roleplay means, the main types, and how to start your own, with links to our deeper guides on each step.
What roleplay means
Wikipedia describes role-playing as changing your behavior to take on a role, either unconsciously, as in social roles, or consciously, by acting out an adopted role. In everyday use, people mean three different things:
- Storytelling and games: playing a character in a shared story. This is what most of this guide is about.
- Education and training: acting out a situation to practice, such as a job interview or a difficult conversation.
- Children's pretend play: kids taking on roles like doctor or astronaut.
When people online say "RP," they almost always mean the first one.
The main types of roleplay
| Type | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Tabletop roleplaying games | A group sits around a table (or a video call); a game master runs the world and dice decide uncertain outcomes | Groups who enjoy rules and campaigns |
| LARP (live-action roleplay) | Players act out characters physically, often in costume | People who like performance and events |
| Text-based roleplay | Players write their characters' actions and dialogue on forums, chat servers or Discord. See our text-based roleplay guide | Writers, and people who play across time zones |
| AI roleplay | You write your character's turn and an AI plays the other characters. See AI roleplay | Solo play, any time |
| Improv | Unscripted scenes performed live | Quick thinking and performance |
How to start roleplaying
- Pick a format that fits your time and mood: a group game, a writing partner, a community, or an AI story app.
- Choose or create a character. One present goal is enough to begin; see our OC ideas if you need a starting point.
- Pick a situation with pressure in it. Our 100 roleplay ideas and ready-to-send roleplay prompts give you one.
- Write an opening that's easy to answer. Give a place, your character doing something, a reason to interact and an open end, as in our roleplay starter guide.
- Take turns. Each turn needs one intention and one action, and room for the other side to respond. See how to write roleplay dialogue.
- Learn the basic terms like IC, OOC and godmodding from our roleplay terms glossary.
Roleplay tips that make it more fun
- Play to find out. Don't script the whole story; leave room to be surprised.
- Say yes to what's interesting. Build on your partner's ideas instead of blocking them.
- Give your character a flaw. Perfect characters are hard to write scenes for.
- Match your partner. Similar reply length and tone keep a scene balanced.
- Check in out of character if you're unsure whether a direction works for everyone.
- Keep real personal details out of the story, and follow each group's age and content rules.
Romance and drama roleplay
Romance is one of the most popular kinds of roleplay because relationships give every scene built-in tension. If that's what you enjoy, start with a familiar dynamic from our romance tropes list, such as enemies to lovers or a slow burn. Be My Story is built for this: ten curated romance and drama story experiences in which you write your character's dialogue and actions in your own words.
Frequently asked questions
What does RP mean?
RP is short for roleplay: telling a story together by playing characters, in person, in writing or with an AI.
Is roleplay the same as acting?
They overlap, but roleplay is usually interactive and unscripted. You decide what your character does in response to others, rather than performing written lines.
How do I roleplay for the first time?
Pick a format, choose a character with one goal, start from a simple situation, write an opening that's easy to answer, and take turns. An AI story app or a one-on-one partner is the gentlest way to start.
Can you roleplay alone?
Yes. With an AI story partner, the AI plays the other characters and the world while you play yours, so you can roleplay any time without a group.
Sources
- Role-playing — Wikipedia; checked October 25, 2026.
- Online text-based role-playing game — Wikipedia; checked October 25, 2026.
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