They are interactive. Players are offered a chance to be creative and clever. Game masters create challenges and players must think their way through.
They are shared group experiences. The players engage in a creative endeavor to which all individuals contribute, making a well-played session like a shared dream.
They are empowering. In a role-playing game your actions are significant and make a difference in the world.
They are mythic. Most games engage our hidden archetypes. The most common themes and forms reflect forgotten archetypes