A role-playing game is very different than what might be recognizable to most people as the average "table top" game like a board or card game. Role-playing games might have a map, which is similar to a board, and they very likely will have dice, but otherwise they don't have any of the tokens which would provide familiarity to new players.

The play cycle of a role-playing game takes place in the abstract. The game master, who is both referee and storyteller, explains the setting to the players, and the players explain what their characters do in that setting. It is very much like writing a novel in a collaborative fashion. The rules of the game are applied based on the player decisions and what the game master knows about the game world.

One of the things that makes role playing games so popular is because they are only limited by the imaginations of the game master and players. This can be a little too freeform for people who are used to board games or card games, but it is compelling for people who enjoy a good adventure.