Open worlds: An examination of digital accounts of gender and sexual identity development through the use of tabletop role-playing games among LGBTQ2S+ youth and young adults.

This article examines the role of tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in gender and sexual identity development (GSID) among LGBTQ2S+ adolescents and young adults. Using a digital ethnographic analysis of 211 anonymous social media posts by self-identified LGBTQ2S+ youth, young adults, and adults reflecting on their youth, the study identifies five key themes: identity expression and experimentation through role-play; navigating safety and visibility; enactment of possibilities through fantasy; agency, power, and resistance; and personal significance to life and well-being. Findings highlight how TRPGs provide flexible, collaborative, and imaginative spaces that enable users to explore and affirm complex identities, resist cisheteronormative narratives, build community connections, and support mental health. The study addresses gaps in prior research by focusing on a diverse LGBTQ2S+ sample, including youth, and underscores the importance of safe, affirming social environments within TRPG groups for positive identity development.