Dungeons & Dissent: Using TTRPGs as Tools for Activism

Resistance. In the first Trump Administration, it became a descriptive word for a particular movement of left-leaning Americans who had decided to speak out against Trump and his men on social media and who worked to organize protests, political advocacy and whatever they could do to stop, slow or block the current President.

As we enter into the third month of the second Trump Administration, there are a lot of concerns about what he’s up to, from his tariffs to his handling of government agencies to the Constitution itself. Congress is struggling to do little, and there are a lot of questions about what impact the judicial system can have on a president who seems to show little desire to respect their orders. In short, there’s a lot of work to do, and many morally wrong things can be overbearing for the average political observer.

It’s also noteworthy when game makers channel their anger and frustration into zines, game systems, and experiences. These games try to capture the ethos of political resistance with different ideas in mind. Resistance in the form of TTRPG is hardly new, as indie game devs have made their version of this for years. Want to punch a Nazi? There are a ton of games on Itch.io that let you do that. But these sorts of games add little beyond a bit of fantasy fulfillment for the more timid individuals and reinforcement for those who already believe that Nazi-punching may be necessary in these tumultuous times.

However, I believe three new games were released in recent months that capture meaningful and engaging interactions with the balancing act of gameplay and actually help the cause.

Resistance is Required: Resistance Today

Resistance is Required is a TTRPG that finished fundraising and was made by Daniel Baker-Zakala, a professional DM and host of One-Shot Tavern. The zine, published in time for Zine Month on Kickstarter, tries to capture the real-life experience of protests and political movements through gameplay. The system focuses on leaders and groups, with players acting as “organizers” in a political movement who hope to get people to work alongside them and stop whatever governmental force restricts their freedoms.

The game is the closest to real life, with Baker-Zakala admitting they relied on historical events and protest practices to inform their writing. While it’s easy to think of rebellion in terms of violent conflicts, like Star Wars, RiR tries to capture a non-violent approach by forcing players to collaborate and overwhelm the opposition through wit, charisma, and passion and force players to realize the risks and necessities that protesting, activism and (when worse comes to worst) rebellion may demand.

You can read our interview with the game’s designer here.

Why We Fight: Resistance with Hope

One of the greatest tools that has captured the notion of resistance is that of what happens when everything ends. While most of our fiction ends up as post-apocalyptic stories reflecting the worst of humanity, the UK-based Stop, Drop and Roll Games Studio took a different approach with Why We Fight. Once society has failed, humanity was presented with one of two choices; to allow a controlling governmental power to maintain control over their lives, or to join together to create self-sufficient communities that can both rely on one another and that can use that trust to push back against fascist powers at play.

The fiction is simple in its narrative, keeping any fantastical elements out so that players can focus on the collaborative effort needed to fix problems and push back on the fascistic governmental powers that wish to challenge those communities. The game approaches this topic from an eco-punk/hope-punk worldview with environmental themes, but its core themes can resonate with any player group willing to give it a look.

You can check out our interview with the game’s designer here.

Troubleseekers: Resistance as Fantasy

Published by the independent Canadian publisher Fool’s Moon, Troubleseekers is a simple game. The wealthy elite stole your luck. How do you get it back? Well, Dame Fortuna (Spirit of Luck) has decided to help you out. Now it’s up to you and your team to break into an oligarch’s house, avoid their cronies, and get your luck back.

On its face, the game has a simple heist premise, albeit one driven by a Robin Hood view of the upper class and a Luigi Mangione-esque disdain for the rich. It draws on retro stylings and vague concepts that can be played out in any setting and asks players to challenge themselves through blackjack rather than dice rolls. It’s an intriguing premise and one that changes how we see gameplay.

While the game designers didn’t intend this to make a political statement by itself, the game reflects a set of core beliefs that resonates with a notable group of left-leaning game-makers and players, albeit in vague terms. Opposition to oligarchs is a prominent populist premise among the political left, and this game certainly leans into it. It’s a revenge fantasy at its finest, ala Ocean’s Eleven.

You can learn more about Troubleseekers in our interview with the game-makers.

TTRPGs as Activism?

There’s a conversation going on right now on Bluesky about whether or not activism-adjacent games like the three covered here actually count as activism. It’s a legitimate conversation, as many members of the TTRPG community are politically active and involved in upholding the rights of women, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants. We love to kill fantasy villains in our campaigns, but it’s also important to advocate for the causes you care for as well.

I asked the game designers for their thoughts on this. “Yes, we need to be out there fighting,” Why We Fight designer Laurie Blake told TTRPG Insider. “We need to be out there making change. It's imperative. But like culture and art and the way that we express ourselves, and the way that we communicate and the way that we can pass on these stories are also really, really important.”

In Blake's eyes, the games supplement political advocacy, not replace it. They help people imagine a better tomorrow and build community, a core element required for organizing and advocating for any cause.

They may also be valuable tools for informing new activists. Daniel Baker-Dazala said that he hopes others play his game and draw upon those experiences while attending political protests so they know what to do or not to do.

The games also play off those very real ideals of concern about oligarchs and the shifting places of power, reflecting what a world could look like if things escalate. Humans can make significant impacts but also require rest, preparation, and relaxation. These games offer one productive way to do so.

While many of these games will not hit the tables of backers and DMs for a while, their core ideas will hopefully spark activism and inspiration within those who find the ideals presented beneficial.