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Some of my most satisfying #TTRPG experiences have been when the group uncovers something surprising about the fiction. This happens most often for me in collaborative games; someone suggests some fictional element, then everyone lights up and starts riffing on it. It is absolutely the best feeling! But I'm going to put a pin in that, and move that kind of play to the "Writer's Room" category. More rare for me is experiencing "Delightful Discovery" in a more traditional, GM-led game.

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So in a traditional #TTRPG, I get that "discovery" thrill as a player in two ways:

1: The GM lays out clues for us to discover, and plans a reveal where the last piece of the puzzle slots into place. It's easy to do poorly: uncompelling clues, missing information, a plot that doesn't make sense. But when it clicks, it's as satisfying as reading a really good mystery novel. The best version of this I've experienced personally was in a #TrailofCthulhu one-shot.

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2: Discovering actionable lore that unexpectedly becomes useful through emergent play.

This is a more rare and special kind of "Delightful Discovery" in a #TTRPG for me, because it requires a GM who has prepared useful and fun discoverable material in advance. Emergent play / sandbox games have been described as "digging around for the plastic dinosaurs", looking for where the fun is buried. Robust actionable lore is like having Legos instead of dinosaurs, and they're all over the place. (4/?)

Making up an example:

Your character spontaneously asks a shopkeeper about their tattoos. The GM has notes for shopkeeper: "magic tattoos, inked at the Painted Rose parlor." Later, you run across someone, enemy or ally, with the same kind of tattoos. Since you learned where these tattoos come from and why people get them, you know something about this person you wouldn't otherwise. Because you happened to pick up a bit of actionable lore earlier, the direction of the story changes. (5/?)

A key factor here is that this is *pre-determined lore*. Don't get me wrong: I love play where GMs improv where secrets and clues can be found, to move the story along. (An excellent GM tip from @slyflourish .)

But there's something special about stumbling on pre-written lore that unexpectedly comes into play later. I'm not sure why. I think it rewards immersion. The more actionable lore a setting has, the more often you can discover connections, and the easier it is to get invested.

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I think this is why I've always been fascinated by West Marches-style games. (https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2021/10/27/meet-the-campaign-intro-to-west-marches/) I think adding a great deal of actionable lore to a West Marches game would really make it sing. The format already demands a high level of player investment; a robust series of useful secrets, clues, and lore scattered around the area would reward that investment.

And not just lore: PCs could uncover entire gaming subsystems. Potion brewing recipes, new types of magic, etc.

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OK, that covers Delightful Discovery in a #TTRPG . Now on to what I'm calling Dollhouse Play!

There's a lot less to unpack here. Dollhouse Play is just playing with the toys that are in front of you: the established fiction and the rules of the game. It's riffing, remixing, and puzzle-solving, but not uncovering or creating a lot of new fictional elements. (Or unlocking new rules subsystems, for that matter.)

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And look, I'm not made of stone. It is hugely satisfying to beat or subvert an encounter in #5e with a Very Clever Spell Choice, or through smart fictional positioning. That's all part of Dollhouse Play: moving the toys around to a surprising configuration.

Roleplay is part of Dollhouse Play, too. Two PCs miscommunicating and getting embarrassed for dramatic or humorous effect, for example. It's all playing with the fiction that's already in front of you, and can be super satisfying.

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I think the pleasure of reading a really evocative game book falls under Dollhouse Play, too. When I'm inspired by a game text, I'm mentally playing with the fiction and tools presented therein. A lot of "lonely fun" #TTRPG activities fall under Dollhouse Play for me. (But not all! Again: these are very nebulous categories.)

Next up: Writer's Room play!

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Aww yeah, this is the good stuff. Writer's Room is collaborative #TTRPG play where everyone's a writer in the story. When it works, everyone's collaborating seamlessly, grabbing each other's ideas, riffing on them, adding to them, enriching them, and spinning them out into the fiction. Some of my very best, pinnacle-level game experiences have been Writer's Room-type games. Traditional, GM-led RPGs don't generally support this kind of play; this is the realm of the #indierpg .

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It's interesting that I think of Apocalypse World, #monsterhearts , and other #PbtA games as collaborative Writer's Room games, when really they're not; they have a GM role distinct from the player's role. And yet, they are collaborative in ways traditional GM-led games aren't. Players collaborate to determine how their PCs are interconnected, and GMs riff off the characters' actions to shape the story. It's those collaborative elements that make PbtA games sing for me.

Next: Pinpricks!

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Bleed in a #TTRPG is when "emotions bleeds over between player or character, in either direction." It's never been a big part of play for me. I've always been...guarded. But I'm at a point in my life where I'm connecting with my emotions in a way I never have before. So, I'm cautiously seeking targeted bleed experiences. Pinpricks. Opening myself to specific emotional experiences in gaming.

Games that elicit positive emotions are easy. Games that elicit negative emotions Challenging.

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