Adult roleplay chat is a story that two or more people write together, one message at a time. Each person plays a character. To start, you find a partner, agree on a scene and on limits, and then take turns. You need no experience, only a clear idea and respect for the other writer.
What text roleplay is
In text roleplay, you do not talk as yourself. You write what your character says and does. Your partner answers as their character. The story grows with each turn.
Most people use one of two styles:
- Script style. Actions go between asterisks, and speech is plain. Example: "looks up from the bar I did not expect to see you here."
- Story style. You write in the third person, like a novel. Example: "Mara put down her glass. 'You are late,' she said, but she smiled."
Neither style is better. Match the style of your partner.
Find a partner in a public room
The roleplay chat room is the place to start. Read the room first.
Post a short public line that says what you want:
- "Looking for a partner for a slow office romance scene. Story style, medium length posts."
- "Anyone for a fantasy tavern scene? Beginners welcome, I am new too."
Do not send private requests to every name in the list. Talk in public first. Then ask: "Can I send you a private message to plan the scene?" The guide on how to start a conversation in a chat room has more opening lines.
Send a private message request
After the person says yes, tap the username and tap "Message". Your first message to a stranger is a message request. The other person accepts it, ignores it, or replies. Until then, you cannot write again.
You get one message, so make it count. Say who you are and what the scene is: "Hi, it is Rook from the room. Spy story, you play the rival agent. Interested?" The guide on how private message requests work gives the limits.
Propose a scene
A good scene proposal is short and covers four things:
- The setting. Where and when does the story occur?
- The characters. Who do you play, and who do you hope they play? All characters must be adults.
- The tone. Is it romantic, funny, tense, slow, or fast?
- The opening situation. What occurs in the first moment?
Example: "Setting: a night train across Europe. I play a tired journalist, you play a stranger with a secret. Tone: slow and flirty. We meet because the train has only one free seat."
Then ask for ideas. Your partner is a second author, not an audience. A scene that both people shape lasts longer.
Set limits before you start
Talk about limits out of character, before the first post. This talk takes two minutes and prevents most bad experiences.
Agree on these points:
- Hard limits. Topics that must not appear. Nobody needs to give a reason.
- Soft limits. Topics that are OK only in a mild form, or only after a question.
- How explicit. Some people like a "fade to black". Other people want more detail. Ask.
- The stop signal. See the section on safe words.
Example lines: "My limits are violence and humiliation. What are yours?" and "I like a slow start. Is that OK for you?"
Consent in a story works the same as consent in all adult chat. A yes to one scene is not a yes to the next. The guide on sexting etiquette and consent covers this in detail.
Out-of-character marks
Sometimes you must speak as yourself in the middle of a scene. Roleplayers mark these lines so nobody confuses them with the story.
The usual marks are:
- Double parentheses: "((phone call, back in 5 minutes))"
- The letters OOC: "OOC: is this pace OK for you?"
IC means "in character". OOC means "out of character". Use OOC lines to check in, to ask about a limit, or to say that you must leave. Keep them short, then go back to the story.
Pace and post length
Match your partner. If they write three sentences, a reply of three paragraphs feels heavy. If they write long posts, a reply of four words gives them nothing to use.
More habits that help:
- Give your partner something to react to. End your post with an action, a question, or a choice.
- Do not control their character. Write what your character tries to do. Let them write the result. Roleplayers call the opposite "godmodding".
Safe words in text
A safe word is a word that stops the scene at once, with no questions. In text, the usual system is the traffic light:
- Green: all is good, continue.
- Yellow: slow down, or change direction.
- Red: stop the scene now.
Agree on the words before you start. When your partner writes "red" or "((stop))", stop the story in that same message. Answer out of character: "Stopped. Are you OK? Do you want to talk or to end here?" Do not argue, and do not ask for one more post.
If a partner ignores your safe word, leave the chat. Then tap the username and choose Ignore or Report.
Themes that this site bans
Fiction has rules here too. These themes are banned in all rooms and all private messages, also as "only a story":
- Anything that involves minors, real or fictional. All characters must be 18 or older, and must not be written as children.
- Incest or family content.
- Bestiality.
- Toilet play.
Some of these cause an instant removal and a ban. The automatic filters and the human moderators apply to roleplay the same as to other chat. Real threats and harassment are banned too.
Questions
What does OOC mean in roleplay chat?
OOC means out of character. It marks a line that you write as yourself, not as your character. Most people write OOC before the line, or put the line inside double parentheses.
How long must a roleplay post be?
There is no fixed length. Match your partner, and give them something to react to. On a phone, two to five sentences per post is comfortable for most people.
Do I need experience to join a roleplay chat room?
No. Say in the room that you are new, and propose a simple scene with a clear setting and two adult characters. Clear communication about the scene and your limits matters more than experience.
What is a safe word in text roleplay?
A safe word is an agreed word that stops the scene at once. Many people use green, yellow and red. When a partner writes the stop word, you end the story in that moment and talk out of character.