Role by PostRole by Post vs RPOL — A Modern Play-by-Post Alternative
RPOL (RolePlay OnLine) has hosted play-by-post games for decades. It is a long-running, text-first platform with a deep bench of games and a community that knows the format well. If you are looking for a classic forum-style play-by-post home, it has real history behind it.
Role by Post is a newer take on the same idea, built for how people play today. Here is how the two compare.
The format
Both are asynchronous: you post, the game waits, and the story grows in text. If the classic forum style is what you want — threaded boards, a wide catalogue of games, and a long track record — RPOL is built exactly for that.
Role by Post arranges the same play as a chat-first timeline. It is a single flowing story per campaign rather than a forum thread, and it is designed to read well on a phone — which is where most players actually post from.
Mobile and feel
This is the biggest practical difference.
- RPOL is a traditional web application; its interface is dense and built around desktop use.
- Role by Post is mobile-first and installable, so a campaign feels like a native app. Messages, replies, and reactions are laid out for a small screen, and push notifications arrive like a chat app.
Game tools
Role by Post puts the table's tools inside the conversation:
- A native dice roller — tap notation in a post to roll, open an ability check with the modifier pre-filled, and roll pools or success dice.
- NPCs with names and portraits so the Game Master can speak as a character and keep that identity in the history.
- A persistent status bar for initiative, active players, and notes.
- Safety tools — lines and veils plus an anonymous X-card — built into each channel.
- Unread counts, a new-messages divider, and per-channel push notifications that can be set to ping you only when it is your turn.
- Full-text search and a Markdown export of the whole campaign.
The short version
| RPOL | Role by Post | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Classic forum play-by-post | Chat-first timeline |
| Long-running game catalogue | Yes | No — you bring your own group |
| Mobile experience | Traditional web UI | Mobile-first, installable app |
| Dice | Built in | Built in, with ability checks and pools |
| Turn alerts | Manual | Per-channel push, including "your turn" |
| Safety tools | Community norms | Built into the channel |
| Cost | Free | Free |
The bottom line
RPOL is a piece of play-by-post history and still a fine home for forum-style games. If what you want is a modern, mobile-first, chat-like place to play asynchronously — with turn alerts and game tools built in — Role by Post is made for that. It is free and you can start a campaign in minutes. New to the format? Read what play-by-post is.