Pixels and Polyhedrals: How Multiplayer RPG Video Games Have Changed the TTRPG Landscape

 

By Charlie Stayton, Behind the Die

Over the last two decades, the boundary between digital and tabletop roleplaying has grown increasingly porous. From World of Warcraft to Baldur’s Gate 3, multiplayer RPG video games have exploded in popularity—and they’ve left a distinct mark on the world of TTRPGs.

Some of that change has been invigorating. Other aspects… a bit more complicated.

The Good: Inspiration, Accessibility, and Storytelling Tools

Let’s start with the positives—because there are many.

1. A New Gateway to TTRPGs
For countless players, video RPGs are a gateway into tabletop. A young gamer who once led a party through dungeons in Dragon Age may now be leading their friends through Curse of Strahd. These games help normalize fantasy tropes, party-based narratives, and character progression, making the leap to dice-and-paper storytelling feel less intimidating.

2. Cinematic Thinking
Multiplayer RPGs have raised the bar for storytelling. Games like Divinity: Original Sin II and Baldur’s Gate 3 show how dialogue trees, moral choices, and branching narratives can create a sense of agency and consequence. TTRPG players and DMs alike are now bringing that cinematic, reactive mindset to their tables, enriching the collaborative story experience.

3. Technology at the Table
The influence goes both ways: as RPGs go digital, TTRPGs evolve too. Virtual tabletops (like Foundry and Roll20) and hybrid tools are now commonplace. Players are more comfortable using tech at the table—be it for dynamic maps, digital character sheets, or immersive audio. The line between the analog and digital has blurred into something beautifully hybrid.

The Not-So-Good: Expectation Drift and System Confusion

But it hasn’t all been crits and cooldowns.

1. Power Curve Problems
Video games are built around satisfying power curves. Gear upgrades, skill trees, and endgame builds create a sense of constant reward. This can lead to skewed expectations at the TTRPG table, where leveling is slower, the narrative can be messier, and “winning” isn’t always the goal. Some players feel let down when their paladin doesn’t become a god-slayer by level 5.

2. Railroading vs. Sandbox
In video games, choice is an illusion—cleverly scripted, but ultimately limited. In TTRPGs, players can do anything. New players raised on video RPGs sometimes struggle with that freedom. They might wait for obvious quest prompts or expect strict mission structures, rather than embracing the open-ended chaos that defines the tabletop experience.

3. Roleplay vs. Optimization
Multiplayer RPGs often reward efficiency: min-max builds, meta strategies, DPS meters. When that mentality enters TTRPGs, it can sometimes stifle creative roleplay. There’s nothing wrong with a finely tuned character—but the best tabletop moments often come from imperfection: the failed deception check, the impulsive goblin hug, or the warlock who just wants to run a bakery.

Final Thoughts: Bridging the Gap

Multiplayer RPGs have helped bring new players to the hobby, raise the standards of immersive storytelling, and modernize the way we play TTRPGs. But they’ve also shifted some expectations, and as GMs and players, we need to be aware of those influences.

At the end of the day, tabletop RPGs are still about one thing: people, together, telling stories. Whether you came from Skyrim, Final Fantasy XIV, or straight from the pages of The Player’s Handbook, the table is wide enough for all of us.

Just remember: there’s no save scumming here. And that’s part of the magic.