The Lantern Hall
Painting: an ancient lexicon open on a carved lectern in a dark chapel of books, glowing runes and symbols lifting off its pages like fireflies.
TermTabletop term1999

GNS theory

Ron Edwards's model of roleplaying that sorts players' priorities into Gamism (overcoming challenges), Narrativism (creating meaningful story) and Simulationism (exploring a consistent world). Controversial and much revised, it shaped a wave of indie story games.

Ron Edwards's model of roleplaying that sorts players' priorities into Gamism (overcoming challenges), Narrativism (creating meaningful story) and Simulationism (exploring a consistent world). Controversial and much revised, it shaped a wave of indie story games.

Origin

First set out in Edwards's essay System Does Matter, posted in July 1999, and developed on The Forge forums.

Quick answers

What does "GNS theory" mean?
Ron Edwards's model of roleplaying that sorts players' priorities into Gamism (overcoming challenges), Narrativism (creating meaningful story) and Simulationism (exploring a consistent world). Controversial and much revised, it shaped a wave of indie story games.
Where does the term "GNS theory" come from?
First set out in Edwards's essay System Does Matter, posted in July 1999, and developed on The Forge forums.

Nearby in the archive

Narrative & Story Games (incl. Powered by the Apocalypse)

Tabletop genre1999

Roleplaying games built to tell a particular kind of story: the indie-design movement of the Forge, Dogs in the Vineyard and Apocalypse World, whose 2d6 "moves" spawned hundreds of Powered by the Apocalypse games.

Powered by the Apocalypse

Tabletop term2010

A family of games built on the design of Apocalypse World, in which players trigger moves by describing fictional actions and roll 2d6, where 10+ is a success, 7–9 a success with a cost and 6 or less lets the GM make a move. Dungeon World and Masks are well-known examples.

Vincent Baker

Game designer

The indie designer and Forge theorist behind Dogs in the Vineyard and, with Meguey Baker, Apocalypse World, whose 'moves' became Powered by the Apocalypse, the most imitated RPG engine of the 21st century.

Fantasy heartbreaker

Tabletop term

A lovingly made independent fantasy RPG that contains genuinely good ideas but is so close to D&D in its assumptions that it has little chance of finding an audience. The phrase is affectionate and rueful at once.