Here in the UK, movies can be rated U, suitable for all, and PG, which means parents should watch first, decide whether the content is appropriate for their kids and watch them, and three age tiers after that.
The age tiers are 12, 15 and 18, and you must be that age to watch the video or movie.
There’s also 12A which is the same as 12 but only applies to cinemas, and an R18 rating which is strictly adult and in specially licensed premises only.
Similar systems have been applied to computer games, but what about tabletop roleplaying games?
Today, TTRPG publisher Fat Goblin Games has released the free-to-download Tabletop Roleplaying Game Content Rating System. It’s suggested content for other publishers to use if they will but not Fat Goblin trying to exert their way on the market.
The download has several images for the proposed ratings and a two-page explainer. It suggests games could be rated on violence, language, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, horror and mature themes.
There’s example language to share content warnings, but no suggested tiers. However, there are three tiers in the provided graphics;
- Family Friendly
- Teen Gaming
- Adult Gaming
What do you think? I understand the latter two, but “Family” seems to be used here to mean “young children”; regular readers will know that’s a bugbear of mine. You don’t need kids to have a family, and you can be a kid without a family. Kid Friendly would do just as well.
Quick Links
- Free to Download: Tabletop Roleplaying Game Content Rating System.
What are your thoughts? Strike up a discussion and leave a comment below.
