If you're diving into the world of AI roleplay using locally-run language models, you're probably wondering which models perform best for creating immersive character interactions. As someone who's spent countless hours testing various options, I'm excited to share what the community considers the top performers in early 2025.

Why Local AI Roleplay Has Exploded in Popularity

The appeal of running AI models locally for roleplay is clear: complete privacy, customization options, and no subscription fees. With tools like LM Studio making it easier than ever to run sophisticated language models on your own hardware, more people are discovering the joy of creating personalized AI characters and scenarios.

Top Models for Roleplay in LM Studio

Silicon Masha 7B

Silicon Masha 7B consistently ranks among the community's favorite roleplay models, and for good reason. This fine-tuned version of Mistral 7B has been specifically optimized for roleplay scenarios.

What makes Silicon Masha stand out:

Bilingual support for both English and Russian
Excellent character consistency throughout conversations
Strong contextual understanding
Ability to generate emotionally rich responses
Relatively small size (7B parameters) making it accessible for most hardware

Many users consider Silicon Masha "the best model for roleplay" they've encountered, particularly impressive given its modest size compared to larger alternatives.

MythoMakiseMerged-13B

This fascinating model started as a fine-tune of MythoMax-13B using lines extracted from the visual novel Steins;Gate. What makes this model special is that despite being trained on dialogue from a specific character, it excels at roleplaying a wide variety of personalities.

Key features include:

Excellent banter and conversational abilities
Strong storytelling capabilities
33% of MythoMax-L2-13B merged back in for improved intelligence
Uncensored responses for mature scenarios
Great balance between personality and coherence

The creator notes that "despite being finetuned on one character's lines from one visual novel, I've found the model does an excellent job of roleplaying other characters too," likely because the training data was high-quality creative writing.

Storytime-13B

While slightly older, Storytime-13B continues to receive praise from roleplay enthusiasts. One user who tested numerous models, including Mythomax, Spicyboros, various Hermes models, and Pygmalion variants, concluded that Storytime-13B might be "the best model for roleplay".

What impressed users about Storytime-13B:

Characters understand context exceptionally well
Dialogue remains true to character descriptions
Minimal hallucinations or off-track responses
Consistent performance across various scenarios

Some users still debate whether newer models like Noromaid might have surpassed it, but Storytime-13B remains a strong contender.

Other Notable Mentions

Several other models have gained recognition in the roleplay community:

Noromaid and OrcaMaid (13B): Frequently mentioned as top performers for roleplay scenarios
Lyra-Gutenberg and NemoMix-Unleashed: Some users prefer these over other popular options like Violet Twilight
Zephyr 7B: While more general-purpose, it performs well with proper prompt engineering
Chronos-Hermes: Specifically noted for excelling in chat, role-playing, and story writing

Setting Up Effective Roleplay in LM Studio

Having the right model is just the first step. To create truly immersive roleplay experiences, you'll need to configure your setup properly.

Character Cards and System Prompts

LM Studio doesn't directly support character card imports like some dedicated roleplay frontends, but you can easily adapt character information into system prompts.

A basic approach is to paste character details into the pre-prompt/system-prompt setting. For more complex setups, many users recommend connecting LM Studio to a frontend like SillyTavern, which offers more robust character management features.

Effective System Prompts for Roleplay

The community has developed various effective system prompts specifically for roleplay. Here are some key elements to include:

Character identification: Start with "You are {{char}}" or "Chat exclusively as {{char}}"
Sensory details: Encourage the model to describe perceptions and physical details
Internal thoughts: Request the model to occasionally include the character's thoughts, typically formatted with asterisks
Response style guidance: Specify if you want detailed, concise, or stylized responses

One popular format includes instructions like:

textChat exclusively as {{char}}. Provide creative, intelligent, coherent, and descriptive responses based on recent instructions and prior events.

Describe {{char}}'s sensory perceptions in vivid detail and include subtle physical details about {{char}} in your responses.

Many users find that small wording changes can significantly impact performance. For example, adding words like "engaging" tends to produce longer responses, while phrases about "advancing the plot" might make models more likely to end conversations.

Hardware Considerations

When selecting a roleplay model, consider your hardware capabilities:

7B models like Silicon Masha are accessible for most modern GPUs
13B models like MythoMakiseMerged and Storytime require more substantial VRAM
Larger models (20B+) will need high-end GPUs with 16GB+ VRAM

Interestingly, many users report that well-tuned smaller models often outperform larger ones specifically for roleplay tasks, suggesting that targeted fine-tuning matters more than raw parameter count.

Taking Your Roleplay Mobile with LMSA

Want to continue your AI roleplay adventures away from your computer? LMSA (LM Studio Assistant) brings the power of your locally-running models to your Android device. This third-party app connects to your LM Studio server running on your computer, allowing you to chat with your AI models from anywhere in your home.

LMSA offers a clean, intuitive chat interface specifically designed for mobile, with features like:

Multiple conversation management
Advanced customization of temperature and system prompts
File processing for context-aware responses
Dark mode support
Comprehensive chat history

Best of all, since your models still run locally on your computer, your conversations never leave your personal network, maintaining complete privacy.

If you're interested in extending your LM Studio experience to your Android device, check out LMSA on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lmsa.app

Conclusion

The world of AI roleplay continues to evolve rapidly, with new and improved models appearing regularly. As of early 2025, Silicon Masha 7B, MythoMakiseMerged-13B, and Storytime-13B stand out as community favorites for creating immersive character interactions in LM Studio.

By combining these high-performing models with well-crafted system prompts, you can create remarkably engaging roleplay experiences right on your own hardware. Whether you're interested in storytelling, character development, or simply exploring creative scenarios, these tools provide an exciting canvas for your imagination.

What's your favorite model for roleplay? Have you discovered any prompt techniques that significantly improve your experiences? The community is always evolving, and sharing insights helps everyone create more engaging AI interactions.

Experience LM Studio on the Go with LMSA!

Want to chat with your AI models from your couch or bed? LMSA (LM Studio Assistant) connects to your computer running LM Studio, letting you access your favorite roleplay models from your Android phone or tablet. With features like multiple conversations, customizable parameters, and a clean mobile interface, LMSA makes AI roleplay more accessible than ever.

Download LMSA today from the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lmsa.app and take your AI conversations anywhere in your home!

The Best LM Studio Models for Roleplay in 2025