RPG Errata: Basic D&D, and Fun

“This is a game that is fun.”

When I wrote my original post on Into the Woods, I mentioned the original box-set rules for Basic D&D, also known as “The Red Box.”¹ The first line of this rule book: This is a game that is fun.

Let’s ignore both the clumsy childish sentence structure and the somewhat cringy “I have to tell you it’s fun or else you might not realize it” sentiment, and focus on the content. “This,” meaning the original Basic D&D RPG, “is a game,” meaning not a sport or tool but something to enjoy in your leisure hours, “that is fun.”

I’ve talked a lot about this amorphous concept, both in passing and as a nebulous “good” that we should all be aiming for in our RPG games. I’ve talked about how competition is a kind of fun that RPGs tend to eschew, opting for a co-op play-style. I’ve talked about how different kinds of practices both support and weaken the “fun” of the medium. I’ve talked about how the “Tyranny of Fun” can limit the medium, and how “fun” might not even be the be-all-end-all of our games.

I think it’s time to stop beating around the bush, be a Better Socrates, and explore this core concept of our hobby.

What is fun?

I don’t mean what things do you find fun, I mean what is the actual definition of the adjective? Oh, stop rolling your eyes, I enjoy this kinda stuff, and you don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to. The close-tab button is right up there.

Really, come to think of it, I don’t care so much what the definition of “fun” is. This is probably the best time for our inner Wittgenstein to pop out and say “that’s fun, because I enjoy it, and that’s how we use the word.” Being a Better Socrates means not getting hung up on categorizing and labeling things; sure, it’s good to know the limits of our knowledge, but it’s also important to recognize that knowledge isn’t the be-all-end-all of virtue. It doesn’t just matter what “fun” is, what matters is what “fun” does.

It’s very easy to equate words like fun to pleasant feelings. If I enjoy playing Spirit Island,² I can say it’s “a good game” and move on. I don’t have to analyze or scrutinize pleasant feelings. At the same time, saying a piece of media is “good,” “fun,” or “enjoyable” is kind of a conversation ender. Look at all the modern critical media, and how common the “I’m not slagging off your jam; more power to you if you liked it, but here’s why I didn’t” caveat is.

I’m not sure this is entirely a bad thing. Finding joy where we can is important, especially these days.³ Saying “I like this thing” is a useful social cue. It tells others that there is delight in this subject, and if they aren’t careful with their critiques, they can crush a small spark of joy in an otherwise uncaring universe.

So…never critique anything? No, critiquing is important to improve, but how we critique is just as important, to say nothing of how we want to improve.

Down this road lies complement sandwiches and other social tricks, but I want to focus more on the “this is fun” sentiment. Specifically, how it is also a conversation ender for ourselves.

See, once you find something “fun,” is there really any more thought that needs to be put into it? It’s fun! If you enjoy it, find out what it does the most and call that the fun part! What’s fun about Doom is shooting demons. What’s fun about D&D is fighting orcs. What’s fun about Sixth Sense is the twist at the end.

In his video on Rage 2 and Game Feel, Errant Signal discusses how easy it is for reviewers to walk down the path from “playing this game was fun” to “this game has good game feel” to “this is a good game.” Implicit in this discussion is the idea that a game can be “fun,” can feel good and trigger dopamine, and yet not be a good game.

In their video on additive video games, self-described trash-girl from the gender dumpster Stephanie Sterling challenges the idea that an “addictive” game must therefore be a “fun” game. Dopamine is the only reason anything feels “good,” after all, and slot machines promise that in spades if you ever win.

Are slot machines a good game? A fun game?

Well, consider how much money people pay into them. Now consider a big-budget game that is nothing more than a slot machine, and it costs $70 to buy. Heck, Luck be a Landlord is a slot machine game that costs $10, and it doesn’t have any microtransactions. Is it “fun?”

I find it fun, yes.

But why?

Why do I find both Lancer and FATE fun, when they’re so very different? When I say I found a game fun, was I talking about the system, the module, the group of players, or the individual session? Do I hate encumbrance rules, or are they important for the overall feeling of tense uncertainty that I enjoy? Do I hate tactical combat, or do I just hate how long it takes my best friend to finish their turn? Is it fun because of “good game feel,” or something more concrete?

But this also gets close to a nasty little thought expressly stated by Moe Szyslak: “Rich people aren’t happy. From the day they’re born till’ the day they die, they think they’re happy but trust me, they ain’t.” What if you think a game is fun…but it really isn’t?

If you didn’t laugh at that sentiment, you should reconsider your media-critic diet.

Because if you think a game is fun, then it’s fun! I can’t take that away from you. What I can ask you to do is at least explore why you find it fun. Is it because the game keeps dropping new and better loot, teasing you along like a cat with a string-toy? Is it because you enjoy spending time with friends, regardless of what you’re doing? Is it because it’s hard, and you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finally succeeding?

None of those reasons is better or worse than any other.

The more you explore your own feelings on the subject of “fun,” the better and more discerning you’ll be when it comes to your time. I can’t help but think that’s the whole point of being a Better Socrates; to free ourselves from the amorphous uncertainties of a cultural “status quo” that no one asked for, and grow into our own individual selves.

Of course, they also say “ignorance is bliss.” I personally disagree, but hey, if you’re having fun…

Next time, I’d like to take a closer look at the work of someone who has been trying to do what I’ve been doing, and categorize the kinds of fun the RPG medium has.