This article was written by =KageAkumu and =Hyourin

Roleplaying games on the Internet and off have been popular for quite some time now, as evident by the many forums on host sites such as Proboards. They are a fun way to pass the time for many, as well as express creativity and let off a bit of steam. However, a new movement has taken form on deviantART itself, combining the art which its users post and the roleplaying games they love.

They are called 'art' roleplaying games, and although their numbers are small, they are immensely popular. Not only are they interactive games where a player can create a character and play them, but also be able to practice their art skills, perhaps also taking a break from commissions and schoolwork. It allows them to delve into something or a species that they love, but cannot always draw due to time constraints of work. A plus to these that many users find is that they can actually 'see' the environments the characters are in, as well as true-to-art appearances of the players of the game. While some Art-RPGs focus just on breeding and competing, others focus on character interaction.

One of the first noted Art-RPGs to bring attention to the form of game play was created by *moonfeather. ~HorseArt-RPG allows players to create horses of any sort (this includes fantasy), centering around having them breed and compete with other players' horses.

is set up to allow the players to compete with their horses, and has some nifty prizes to boot.





Following suit to HARPG, was created by =KlakKlak. *WolfArt-RPG delves a bit deeper into its world, allowing players to form and join packs of wolves (including fantasy). Players are urged to have their characters interact via drawings by drawing in the format of a comic, a collaboration piece, or simply successive pieces of artwork.





Inspired by both HARPG and WARPG, =Hyourin created . =DogArt-RPG follows a bit more closely to the typical literary dog roleplay. Players can create realistic dogs (fantasy species are not allowed ) and owners that can interact in just about anyway they please in the fictional town of Elkwood, whether it be showing, agility trials, living as a stray or simply just living life as a normal house dog.




For those more interested in just breeding and competing with dogs , created by ~Kiraiko44, is available to them. ~DA-KennelClub allows players to create a kennel where they can have realistic or fantasy dog breeds (designer dogs are not permitted) that are enhanced with stats.




Other promising art based games that are on their way to getting up on their feet are ~CatArtRPG and ~DragonArt-RPG.

As these art based games continue to grow in popularity, it's likely that more and more will start to pop up all over deviantART, allowing for greater variety and subject matter that will attract other deviants' attentions. The games also promote a good bit of community interaction; something that is good for everyone c: