Player tips: Being interested makes you interesting
A lot of us — especially when we’re new or nervous — sit down at the table thinking:
"I need a cool backstory."
"I need a big voice."
"I need to do something memorable every session."
But when you're only thinking about how to stand out, you miss what’s truly magical about collaborative play: Seeing others.
Yeah, the cool thing you did was cool but I’m willing to bet at least part of what makes it memorable are people’s reactions to it - whether it’s the GM or another player.
And like it’s not just the GM’s job to point out cool and interesting things your fellow players do. You can and should do it too. That’s what’s going to make you a delight at the table. Think about your favourite APs. Players are constantly engaging each other. So that’s the what it comes down to - Don’t worry about being interesting. It’s way more important and meaningful to be interested.
That’s it. That’s the big secret. Things start to sing when you care. Fucking wild, right?
Ok so you obviously already give a shit, but like how do you manifest that at the table?
Being interested looks like:
Asking another player what their character thinks about a hard choice.
Remembering an NPC’s name and talking to them directly
Reacting when someone else has a great moment - not just RP but good rolls.
I remember a session where one player (normally super composed) let their character say, quietly, “I’m scared.” before a big battle.
They didn’t make a scene out of it. No big monologue. Just... something we could all share in if we wanted. Another player had their character say, “Me too, friend.” And another said, while stretching and cracking their neck, “They’re the ones who should be scared.”
And it was this quick moment of tenderness before a high-stakes situation that just required players to be interested.
So that’s what I want to leave with and I want to say this clearly - you don’t have to be theatrical, you don’t have to be an extrovert, you don’t need a tragic backstory or a perfect accent or distinct voice to make yourself someone people want to actively play with. You just have to be curious, present and willing to care out loud.
