Why do you game?

[Bassikpoet]

Why do you play P&P RPGs? There are so many other ways to get your game on. What is it about P&P RPGs that keeps you coming back for more?

simple question, not so simple answers.

[BobVosh]

Extremely simple anwser: it is fun

Slightly less: allows for more creativity

[MisterSaturnine]

Hypothetically enjoyment because I like to get creative with backstories in games, and this gives me a medium to actually incorporate those backstories into the game.

Hypothetically because I've only ever really played once and it was very, very brief.

[Crow]

It allows for more creativity. Not a lot of games give the player true freedom to accomplish their goals in any way they please. It's also annoying when the only dialogue options you have are things you don't want to say. As a DM, you get the pleasure (and nightmare) of crafting your own unique worlds and stories.

But most importantly, I get to hang out with my bro's, socialize, eat pizza, and get my game on all at one time.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Primary answer: fun!
This is self-evident.

Secondary answer: social!
Way back in middle school, RPGs were a fine way for a bunch of nerdy guys to hang around all afternoon without running out of things to say or do. It gave a pretext for socialization, which is a good and healthy thing to do.

Nowadays it is still a good excuse for me to get to know new people, to hang out with folks, and to have a joint good time. Plus, unlike board games, it is a cooperative experience, which allows for more bonding and less competition.

Tertiary answer: an excuse to exercise my creativity
I'm a designated DM, and that's largely because I really, really like to make up stories and characters. Now, I've never been focused enough to do real writing, but with pen & paper RPGs I can sketch out a script and develop some character sketches like I were writing a real story, and then see how my audience (the PCs) take it.

This is not to say I'm a railroader, mind you, since I am aiming to write stories that engage my audience, and in a RPG, that means making sure they get into the story and have fun with the game. I haven't gotten it down yet, but the trying is what's important!

[Fax Celestis]

I get to be someone else for a while, someone different and usually more interesting than myself.

[skywalker]

I get to be someone else for a while, someone different and usually more interesting than myself.

This.

Also, because I like to take part in a story, IE cooperative story-telling.

I like rolling dice, and playing games in general. I like applying my intelligence to rules and exploiting them. I really love rolling dice(my DM asked if I learned to roll dice shooting craps. My response: "Does anyone learn how to roll dice? You just throw em!").

I like the thrill of absolutely destroying an opponent with max damage. I like the thrill of rolling 20s and the anguish of rolling 1s.

It's a fun way to hang out with friends. And it's a fun thing to talk about with you guys.

[Stupendous_Man]

We do it, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.

[Fax Celestis]

We do it, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.

We do what we must because we can.

[monty]

Not necessarily in this order:

1. It's fun.
2. My friends play it.
3. It's totally open-ended, and, therefore, allows for greater creativity, unlike, for example, a mumorepiguh. It also allows for overuse of commas.
4. Mindrape.

[TheCountAlucard]

It's also annoying when the only dialogue options you have are things you don't want to say.

But thou must!

But most importantly, I get to hang out with my bro's, socialize, eat pizza, and get my game on all at one time.

This, too, though we rarely have pizza and more often end up with a bag of Doritos, or maybe sour cream & onion potato chips. Next weekend, however...

[Stupendous_Man]

We do what we must because we can.

We must do it because it makes us happy. And happiness is mandatory.

You can trust the computer. The computer knows best. The computer is your friend.

And you will be rewarded with cake.

[RS14]

I do so because RPG systems are interesting to me. In all honestly, the games I've been involved in so far have been mostly disappointing. I'm not a good writer, nor actor, not terribly social, nor terribly competitive, but I enjoy having a system that is written and designed in plaintext. I like homebrew and feeling that if a game becomes dull, then it's the task of the players and the DM to make it interesting again. To some extent, for me, it's Free Culture in gaming. I like having a part of my life that I can be an active participant in.

[Bob the Urgh]

Because whenever I get frustrated at a video game, I can whip up a badass epic level character and slaughter thousands.

Also for the commas.

[Ravyn]

For being someone who can make a difference, someone who isn't just me. Trying out new mindsets.

For the writing practice; most of my gaming and all my GMing are online, so I have to try extra hard to get across things like body language and intonation and the like. It makes me very, very good at "show, don't tell", particularly when I'm operating under AIM character limits. Heck, I got an entire blog idea out of this aspect of it.

To show off. I'll admit, this is a big one for me; I like having an audience, and I like being able to stretch my skills.

For the social element. It's no fun on my own, really.

For collaboration. There really aren't enough video games that would let me focus on teamwork, and certainly not enough within my budget. I already have game books.

For flexibility. I regularly have ideas that just wouldn't work in a common video game: Yelling at armies, using unlikely artifacts and newly acquired NPCs, coopting an entire cult as part of a complicated plan meant to assist the individual they're worshiping. You can't do that on a set script, and even if you imagine doing it, it doesn't matter.

For the vicarious emotion. This is a big one for me; the characters I play feel things much bigger than anything I've ever felt, whether it's the gambler's high or the thrill of victory--or even the negative emotions. I'm particularly partial to IC fear; I'm not sure why, but I find it blasted fun to RP. Maybe because of the intensity, or the fact that it makes such an effective incentive to Do Great Things.

...and yeah, I guess I could say having fun on its own, but isn't that already covered in the other answers?

[Bassikpoet]

Answering my own question...

I play because what I do matters and has tangible results in game. There is nothing more satisfying than realizing that I have an immediate and incredible effect on the world around me. In the real world where the results of your actions are obscured or insignificant, its easy to get lost. In RPG world, you know what you do has an effect.

Also, I get to be creative and have fun, needless to say.

[Falconer]

I enjoy it as a creative outlet: I'm quite literally always dreaming up something or other, and games are a place to put all of my imagination stuff.

[The Rose Dragon]

Because it's all I can do.

Seriously, I'm like Parson. I game because I can do it. And since I can do precious few other things, and few of them are as fun as gaming, I game.

Or post in gaming forums. That kind of counts as a game... right?

[sun_tzu]

To live epic adventures.

[bosssmiley]

Because I'm not allowed to solve the problems of the real world with swashbuckling. Gotta get my fix of high adventure somewhere.

[Hallavast]

For all those who simply said "because it's fun/entertaining" or something similar as one of their reasons, I would encourage you to examine why it is so. Of course, simply saying it's fun is completely valid, but as you said, it's rather obvious. If you, like me, would enjoy deepening this conversation, please share the results of your analysis with the rest of the class.

I game for:

1. Fun -- PnP RPGs are like videogame RPGs but with multiple players, nonlinear design, a dynamic world/setting which the players can directly manipulate, nigh unlimmited content, and actual roleplaying.

2. Social Value -- Unlike other activities done with friends like hiking, playing sports, watching movies/tv, or other table top games (poker, monopoly, chess, ect.) I can actually talk to the other people involved, and the words have more meaning than "I'm open", "go fish", or "checkmate". This is all done without the pressure or formality of actually having a direct conversation with more than 1 other person.

3. Escapism -- My life is very boring. Moreover, I'm a fairly boring, quiet person in everyday life. Gaming is when I speak up and come alive. I get to pretend I'm off in some interesting place doing exciting things with important people for a few hours a month. Why would I ever want to be not gaming?

4. Storytelling -- As a creative writer, I see gaming as an opportunity to show off, test, and develop my storytelling skills. It's like I get to sit down with 3-4 of my best friends and help create an epic story or something. Mankind has been sitting in circles telling stories since before the beginning of history. PnP RPGs are simply the next logical step of that progression.

[Swordguy]

Being in theatre, the actual exercise of role-playing is, in fact, training for acting. So, not only do I get to have fun doing what I do, but because the IRS deems it educational for my field, gaming items I buy are a tax write-off.

I enjoy the actual process of acting - of creating a person wholely different from myself and portraying them in a variety of settings and circumstances. It "fun" for me. So why shouldn't I extend that to my leisure time as well?

[JaxGaret]

I like PnP RPGs for several reasons, mostly already discussed above, but here they are:

1) I like playing games.

2) Not only is it fun on a social level (gaming is good times), but I find that it is also a good outlet for social creativity, as others have stated. Like with anything else, practice makes perfect. If you want to "practice" a certain aspect of a personality (whether that personality is yours or not), or just try something new on for size, RPGs are a great way to go about it.

3) As entertainment goes, on a dollar per hour basis, it's quite economical.

4) I as well like coming to forums such as this one and joining in on the fun and interesting conversations.

[AslanCross]

I game with my students who are members of the creative writing club in our school. It was originally an exercise to help them write fiction, but eventually we just started gaming to unwind. Our school's sort of like a school for the gifted, so everyone's under a lot of stress.

[Project_Mayhem]

Because I'm not allowed to solve the problems of the real world with swashbuckling. Gotta get my fix of high adventure somewhere

The same, but less fixing and more destroying. Our last game was basically 8-bit theatre played straight.

And video games tend to be limited in the evil they allow you to perpetrate.

[potatocubed]

I game because 'gamer' is written across my soul in indelible ink. In really big letters. Really big capital letters. You might as well ask me why I breathe: it comes so naturally to me that not doing so seems rather strange.

I just can't imagine a world in which I wasn't a roleplayer. When I was a kid I used to invent worlds (heavily featuring my favourite stuffed animals) for my younger brother to explore - if the hobby didn't exist the way it does, I'd have had to invent it.

[The Glyphstone]

Being in theatre, the actual exercise of role-playing is, in fact, training for acting. So, not only do I get to have fun doing what I do, but because the IRS deems it educational for my field, gaming items I buy are a tax write-off.

I enjoy the actual process of acting - of creating a person wholely different from myself and portraying them in a variety of settings and circumstances. It "fun" for me. So why shouldn't I extend that to my leisure time as well?

Govenment-funded gaming. That's 5d10 kinds of awesome.

[valadil]

1. It's fun.
2. All my friends do it and games are a great excuse to hang out with them.
3. It's not on a computer.
4. It's more open ended than any other game.
5. It's a creative outlet.
6. It's the closest I can get to acting without dealing with stage fright.
7. Did I mention that it's fun?
8. RPGs satisfy both sides of my brain. I'm one of those players who powergames and roleplays at the same time.
9. Once you have the books its cheap. Compared to video games, the books are extremely cheap and have tons more replay value.
10. It gives me a sandbox to try out other personalities. For instance I really enjoy being a total jerk, but not to real people. I can play a character who is a jerk, to satisfy my jerk tendencies and then I don't have to act that way in real life.
11. Most importantly, it's fun.

[PnP Fan]

Because I'm a Fan!! :-)
Okay silly jokes aside, I think I do it more out of habit nowadays than anything. Creativity is a good thing, and I try to exhibit that trait; the game itself is fun (pick your poison, as long as everyone likes that game); but ultimately I find that the game is just a thing to do with my friends, an excuse to hang out together. The older we get, the more time we spend socializing with each other, and the less time we actually spend gaming.

[Tokiko Mima]

I bought all these rulebooks, so I might as well. It's not like I have anything else to obsess over at the moment.