Three yardsticks worth comparing them by

  • PaceA reply in a minute and a reply in a day are two different activities. A slow pace gives you a thought-through text; a fast one gives you the feel of a live conversation.
  • Barrier to entryIn some places you can write your first message right now; in others you first have to read the rules, fill out an application and wait to be approved.
  • Who drivesIs there a game master moving the plot? Is it you? Nobody? The answer decides whether you're relaxing in the game or working.

1. Forum roleplay

The classic: a dedicated forum with its own world, character applications, location threads and posts several paragraphs long. The pace is slow — a reply every day or two. The barrier is high: rules, an application, sometimes a selection process. Game masters and admins run things.

The strength is the writing. People write at length, plots live for months, and the world has shared events. The weakness is the waiting: your partner went on vacation, and your storyline is stuck. Good for people who love to write, not to chat.