Stop using TTRPG Taxonomies Wrong!

2026.05.08. Stop using TTRPG Taxonomies Wrong! One of the most debated, never-ending arguments in the tabletop role-playing community is the classification of rulesets and playstyles (the other being whether systems matter). Having recently joined such arguments on Discord, I've become convinced that any attempts to establish theories of TTRPG taxonomy are inherently futile and their usage impedes substantive discussion. Meta-Taxonomy An important distinction to make is that between system and playstyle. Although one might argue that the latter is determined, or at least influenced, by the former, conflating the two is still unhelpful in our case. Therefore, most taxonomies restrict their domains of discourse to either one, usually praxes rather than rules. This is no doubt partly because of the ongoing debate on whether systems determine actual gaming experiences at the table. Schemes of Classification By far the most well-known theory is that of the "Six Cultures of Play" proposed…