“I Have to Tell You Something”

In this paper, we explore learning and play within the context of rules-light, narratively- focused tabletop role-playing games, colloquially called “story games.” Focusing on data drawn from the Story Games Project, we highlight exchanges within a game session of the game Fiasco, which illustrate a negotiation of roles and collaborative narrative construction among players. With an emphasis on revoicing and pretend play, we discuss implicit mechanics which guide the enaction of roles within the play of these games, as well as the means by which players learn to embody different identities through play.