Post Game Character Prequels in Educational Tabletop RPGs: Enhancing Character Identification with Interactive Digital Narratives

This study investigates the use of brief post-game Interactive Digital Narratives (IDNs) to enhance character identification in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), aiming to support historical empathy in history education. While previous research highlights the educational value of TTRPGs, challenges remain—particularly the limited character identification often observed in short, one-shot game sessions. To address this, we propose a supporting activity that strengthens characterisation and deepens players’ connection to their roles. The activity introduces a post-game IDN, designed as a visual novel that presents the player character’s perspective in a prequel narrative to the TTRPG adventure. Grounded in theories from psychology, education, and game studies, we argue that character identification is central to fostering historical understanding and shaping identity. Offering the character’s backstory through an IDN encourages deeper perspective-taking and critical reflection, thereby amplifying the transformative potential of TTRPGs in education. This work serves as an exploratory step in refining educational TTRPG design through digital supplements and invites further empirical research to evaluate their impact.