If you're looking for a Tumblr roleplay alternative, look for a place with character profiles, a dashboard of your partners' writing, threads that stay findable, and clear rules about mature content.
Tumblr was home to a huge roleplay community for years: indie muses, multi-muse blogs, asks, memes and long threads in reblog chains. Many writers drifted away after the 2018 adult content ban and the changes since, and they've scattered across Discord, forums, writing archives and dedicated roleplay sites. This guide is about what to look for when you choose your next home.
What Tumblr did well
It's worth being clear about what you're trying to replace:
- A blog per muse. Each character had their own page, theme, bio and history.
- The dashboard. You saw your partners' new writing as it happened.
- Open starters. Post a starter, and anyone following could jump in.
- Memes and asks. Low-effort ways to get to know a character between big threads.
- Custom themes. Your blog looked like your character.
What was painful
- Reblog chains. Long threads grew into unreadable chains that broke when one person deleted a post.
- Losing track. Finding whose turn it was across dozens of threads meant spreadsheets or a lot of scrolling.
- Sudden rule changes. Content rules changed overnight, and some writers lost years of work.
- No real search. Finding partners in your fandom depended on tags and luck.
A checklist for your new home
Whatever you choose, check these before you move years of muses over:
- Character profiles. Can each muse have their own page, picture and bio? Can you write as different characters from one account?
- Threads that stay in one piece. Replies should sit together on one page, not depend on a chain of reposts.
- A feed of your partners. Following people and seeing their new writing should be built in.
- Whose turn is it? Some way to see which threads are waiting on you.
- Clear content rules. Read the rules on mature content before you post, so you aren't surprised later.
- Privacy options. Public, followers only, private.
- Backups. A way to keep a copy of your own writing.
- An active community in your fandom. Browse before you join. Is anyone writing what you write?
How RPL fits
We built Roleplay//Lives as a home for exactly this kind of writing, and we've been at it since 2014. One author account holds all your characters (up to 25 on a free account), each with their own profile and writing. You follow authors and characters to see their posts. Your Turn on your dashboard lists threads waiting on your reply, and Gone Quiet shows stories that have stalled. You can set each piece to public, followers only or private, supporters can download a backup of their writing, and our rules spell out what's allowed. The Site Guide covers everything in detail.
That said, the best home is the one where your partners are. If they're on Discord, read Roleplay Sites vs Discord Roleplay for a fair comparison. We also have guides for leaving Facebook, Twitter/X and Jcink and forum roleplay.
Moving your muses
- Start with one or two muses. Move your favourites first, and get a feel for the place.
- Rewrite the bio, don't paste it. Tumblr bios were often built around the theme. A fresh bio written for the new profile reads better. How to Write an Effective Bio and our copy-and-paste bio templates help.
- Bring your old partners. Share your new profile link where your Tumblr friends will see it.
- Post an open starter. It's the fastest way to meet new partners. How to Find a Roleplay Partner has tips and a template.