I always see people debating over terms for different RPG games, but I've devised a foolproof way to make sense of it. Once and for all, here's the new official RPG terminology:
- Western style RPGs were originally created for computers, so we should call them computer role playing games, or CRPG
- Japanese style RPGs were originally created for consoles, so naturally we should call them console role playing games, or CRPG
- Chinese style RPGs are developed in Chinese-speaking places, so we can differentiate them by calling them Chinese role playing games, or CRPG
- Analog RPGs that you play with dice and paper are developed to be played on a surface, so we can differentiate them by calling them countertop role playing games, or
- other types of RPG that don't fit these common archetypes demonstrate a lot of creativity to break out of established boxes, so in the absence of a more specific term, we can call them creative role playing games, or CRPGs
- there is also a very narrow genre of RPGs designed to entertain automobile passengers on long road trips. They may be a small group, but an important one, and deserve a designation as well. Though referring to them as "car role playing games" seems to infer that they would be solely about characters who are themselves, cars. Instead for their portability they might be called compact role playing games, or CRPGs
- Some RPGs require you to be tactical and command lots of different units on a grid. We'll call these command role playing games, or CRPGs. stolen from a friend outside cohost
