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We have both (14 questions) and (5 questions), which don't seem to differ much in the questions being asked for both. Plus, most of these questions involve a console interface, so they may already be more of an RPG and less of an actual adventure game. Despite any differences between these two game genres, they don't seem different enough on this site to warrant separate tags.

As for the master tag, I suppose it can be due to my aforementioned explanation about the console interface.

What do you think? Are they similar enough to warrant synonymization?

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    \$\begingroup\$ I had the same question when I created both tags. I've just been going by how the author chooses to characterize the question when deciding which tag to apply. \$\endgroup\$
    – 200_success
    Feb 6, 2015 at 19:03

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If you mean the original meanings from when these genres were created (in the 1970s/80s):

Adventure game meant a single-player text-based game (maybe with illustrations) based on exploring and interacting with unknown locations/people/objects/circumstances. Not necessarily anything to do with role-playing, which came later.

Role-playing game originally referred to a game where not only could you choose one of multiple characters, usually with some progression system in skills (not just 'leveling up', but choosing what specialities and abilities to acquire, what tasks to perform), but moreover more open-ended options for "acting in character". In subsequent decades it has come to label graphical RPGs like Gauntlet and more recently World of Warcraft. Not necessarily anything adventure about that, not in the classical sense.

But often these overlap.

As to what these tags mean currently, here on Code Review, ~\$\frac{1}{2}\$ of the questions on are also RPG and ~\$\frac{1}{2}\$ aren't. I'd vote to keep them separate.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I think this actually makes a good case for why they should be synomized. \$\endgroup\$
    – RubberDuck
    Feb 8, 2015 at 0:04
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    \$\begingroup\$ @RubberDuck: not really. Adv. does not necessarily have anything to do with RPG, and vice versa. If you look at these tags as used here, their overlap is small. And there is no generic word for their union. \$\endgroup\$
    – smci
    Feb 8, 2015 at 4:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Make sure you have checked the tagged questions for overlaps. If you find any that are purely adventure-oriented, then you may mention them here. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jamal
    Feb 8, 2015 at 19:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ Adventure games tend to be deterministic and not have random elements. You can complete an adventure game with by referring to a walkthrough. RPGs tend to have leveling systems, combat and skill progression that means even with a walkthrough it still requires some skill on the part of the player. Adventures tend to me more about solving the puzzles while RPGs tend to be more about strategy. \$\endgroup\$
    – Matt Burland
    Feb 11, 2015 at 14:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RubberDuck The difference is like the difference between a "point and click" adventure game (using the mouse to interact with an environment and figure out how to proceed), and an RPG where you play as a metal smith - increasing your skills at certain aspects of smithing, getting more money, undertaking assignments, upgrading your workspace, making work relationships, etc. \$\endgroup\$
    – DoubleDouble
    Sep 30, 2015 at 16:19
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    \$\begingroup\$ Though I don't see how the specificity of either tag really helps in the context of Code Review \$\endgroup\$
    – DoubleDouble
    Sep 30, 2015 at 16:21
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The was probably created in reference to the original text based computer game, Adventure. It was written by Will Crowther and Don Woods in the late 1970's. You can play the game at the link, or take my word for it that it really is just a primitive RPG game. I don't see a useful distinction between these two tags, assuming that was the intent of the adventure game tag. That would seem to indicate that they can be synomized.

There is a caveat here though. As a gamer, when I hear "adventure game", I typically think of side-scrolling platformers. These are decidedly not RPGs. Considering this, I believe they should remain separate, but be cleaned up and tag wiki's created.

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    \$\begingroup\$ What do you mean by 'when I hear "adventure game", I typically think of side-scrolling platformers'? wouldn't you call those 'arcade', or 'arcade action' game Can you cite any such example? Strider? Bionic Commando? \$\endgroup\$
    – smci
    Feb 7, 2015 at 22:35
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There is a difference between the two genres, though RPG elements are now commonly added to just about every other genre - @smci's answer covers the difference well, I think.

The important thing is whether the difference is important in the context of Code Review. If we already understand the goal of the code, we shouldn't need to know that this is an adventure game, not an RPG.

Maybe we should consider removing both tags and putting them in the more general tag? Otherwise we may end up with , , , , , etc. for every genre of games.

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