The tabletop role-playing club I was in at college had about 1 girl to every 5 or 6 boys. Let me tell you, I brought a female friend with me this first few times before I knew anyone because it was intimidating. However, the game itself was so fun that I soon got over my shyness and it quickly became on of my favorite things to do every other week.
For those of you who don't know, D&D is a game where you role-play (aka improv) as a character, and you have stats for that character that you use, plus dice to accomplish your goals. Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is the most commonly known tabletop role-playing game. Other popular ones include game systems such as Pathfinder or Shadowrun. My favorite to play is Call of Cthulhu, inspired by the tale by H.P. Lovecraft, because I happen to enjoy the spooky elements included in this version. Yes, I'm not only a girl gamer, but I also like a horror here and there. Amazing, I know.
That statistic I said earlier, 1 girl to every 6 guys? That was my first year in the club. By the time I graduated, it was about 1 girl to every 3 boys. If only I could have stayed to continue the revolution and lead the matriarchy! The point I'm trying to make is that more and more girls are feeling comfortable gaming. If we can dominate in video games and computer games, we can dominate in any type of game. Need I say more? Well, I'm going to anyway.
50% of Gamers are Girls
Statista: The Statistic Portal
You heard that right. Many studies over the years have shown that almost 50% of gamers online are female. However, despite this, not many studies have been done about the percentage of female gamers for tabletop or board games. Considering my club, I doubt it's higher than 50%. Ladies don't have to hide their interests, and we certainly can do and play anything the men can. In fact, we don't only have to play, but we can also run the games as GMs (game masters). Either way, we can play.
More Female Representation
Want more female representation in games? Play girl characters. In tabletop games, you can create whatever character you want. If you want to be a barbarian dwarf woman with a long beard that wields an axe? Go for it. You can make the character however you want. Whatever personality, whatever role, whatever physical looks. Or if you want to play a man, play a man. Who says females can't play male characters? For that matter, who says men can't play females either? My favorite character I ever made was named Dawn and they were genderfluid. Ladies, don't let the boys scare you; we are just as adventurous as they are.
Throw-Back to Dress Up Games
I don't know about you guys, but I loved to play dress up games when I was a kid. The idea of putting whatever I wanted on a character was great. In this game, everything is up to you. You can make a beautiful thin elf ranger if you want. You can also make a terrifying gnome thief that cuts people's ankles with a sickle. Don't like sexy armor? Great, make a half-orc female in head to toe chain mail armor. The best part about these games is your character is only limited by your imagination. No pre-rendered character designs to pick between.
Because it's FUN
It is. Honestly. If you want to get a feeling for the game and don't have friends around to play with (most games need 3-6 people), there is a great site called Roll20 that is for people to connect online and play together. I happen to love the game because it is basically a story driven game where you get to act out your character. It can be intimidating at first, let me tell you, but once you realize everyone else is doing the same, the pressure dissipates. It is a great way to kill a few hours with friends with very little supplies needed. Just remember to bring snacks.
Boys aren't the only ones who can roll Nat 20's. Watch out, because the gamer girls are here to stay.
In the wise words of a song from a webcomic I know:
"Don't go easy on me, guys - unless you want to get beat by a GIRL."
