The best actual play podcasts that use D&D alternatives

Video and audio play have been a huge part of the recent boom in tabletop role-playing game. If you know about actual play, you probably know about the powerhouses playing Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition — Critical Role, Dimension 20, The Adventure Zone — that have served as rocket fuel for D&D’s cultural footprint.

D&D has historically had brand recognition and major market share (go and click on Twitch right now, and you’ll see the “D&D” tag with many more viewers than any other TTRPG tag). But that could be changing — and fast. Wizards of the Coast is sponsoring less and fewer actual plays. They are primarily focusing on one-off events fueled by celebrities rather than continuing campaigns. Creators were a major part of the recent rally to save the Open Game License (OGL), including boycotts of D&D Beyond, and experienced increased anxiety about whether performing D&D was worth it. Popular podcast Not Another D&D Podcast A special episode of “The Last Days” was released recently PathfinderPlay, as well as the upcoming real play DesiQuestIt sent out a message to Kickstarter backers letting them know that it was considering their system choice.

Creators — and audiences — who pivot away from D&D will find a thriving but undersung part of the actual play ecosystem. If you need some help to get started, here’s some of the very best in a wide variety of systems.

Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast (2022 podcast)

Jeff Stormer is a standout among micro-actual play space. He’s the brains behind Party of OneThe weekly podcast Introducing Stormer, which introduces listeners and viewers to new systems that can be used with only two people each week. A good introduction to Stormer’s style is the award-winning four-episode miniseries he produced for Possum Creek’s forthcoming Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast, which is currently available in an “ashcan” (pre-release) form as it awaits Indiegogo fulfillment. The game and the show are both incredibly lovely, cozy vignettes, with players selecting from pre-generated members of the bed and breakfast’s found family. What’s particularly lovely about this actual play is the way in which we see how different players can tackle the same character sheet, as each episode sees a different cast exploring a different scenario in the game. It’s also a fabulous mix of the people who make actual play sing, featuring elder statesmen Brennan Lee Mulligan and Matthew Mercer, designers Jeeyon Shim, Viditya Voleti, and Caro Asercion, and rising stars Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Aaron Catano-Saez, Bee Zelda, Danny Quach, Spencer Sunboy, Kate Nyx, and Vana.

Dimension 20 doesn’t need to play D&D to have a good time, and has several shorter campaigns proving this point. Particularly noteworthy is Shriek WeekA four-episode miniseries called. The series was directed by Gabe Hicks using his Mythic method, which he created specifically for this show. The horrifically charismatic cast of Ify Nwadiwe, Ally Beardsley, Lily Du, and Dani Fernandez star as monster undergrads at Bram University playing “one hell of a dating game.”

Friends at The Table (various methods)

One of the most influential games in the actual play space not playing D&D (you’ll catch folks like Griffin McElroy of The Adventure Zone(I cite it as an ongoing influence). Friends at the TablePodcast that explores a variety of systems over its nearly a decade of production. It anticipates the current trend to combine systems by almost a decade. With the Marielda Season, which featured a series of game-based world-building exercises, the show made a strong start. The Quiet YearAs a lead in to Blades in Dark. This site is great for listeners new to the podcast. flowchart!).

Kollok (Kids on Bikes)

Malika and Zac Lim Eubank’s Hyper RPG is the production talent behind an enormous number of actual plays and other streaming live events, going back to Zac’s early days at Geek & Sundry. Their art calling card? Kollok, the ultimate “if you know, you know” show with a devoted following. Kollok’s commitment to cinematic and narrative innovations — all originally broadcast live — are ambitious high-wire acts. Every season is beautifully self-contained with structure designed to bring new viewers up to date each episode. It’s unclear if the show will return, but there is a rich back catalog worthy of your eyeballs (and a forthcoming podcast adaptation designed specifically for your ears). You can also spot a who’s who of actual play luminaries, including a starring role for Aabria Iyengar, as well as cameos by dozens of actual players, streamers, and other nerdy influencers, including special guests Felicia Day (The Guild), WWE Superstar Xavier Woods, JacksFilms, Ray Wise (Twin PeaksShohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse).

Project Nero (Outbreak: Undead)

Hunters Entertainment supports the games it owns by providing stellar plays and helpful content. They also offer a zombie survival RPG. Outbreak: Undead This has also been the home of some the finest horror plays, including Ivan Van Norman-led. We’re Alive: Frontier under Geek & Sundry to United States of the Dead(Hyper RPG) Project Nero(Pixel Circus) GM Noxweiler Berf. This latest version is available to horror enthusiasts who are looking for live streaming content. This is the link to check it out Project Nero live on Pixel Circus’ Twitch channel Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. EST, or catch up on all of Outbreak: Undead on Hunters Entertainment’s YouTube channel.

One Shot (various systems)

Do you want to learn a lot about new systems, but in small chunks? One Shot Network is most famous for their weekly podcast which presents new systems in single episodes that are easy to digest. (I have taught with them). Helmed by Chicago-based comedian, author, and game designer James D’Amato (The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, Ultimate RPG Character Backstory GuideThe podcast contains nearly 500 episodes that are one- to four hour long. D’Amato has a skill for selecting guest players who suit the particular vibe of a given system. This is a great place to listen to indie systems that don’t get a lot of space in actual play, like Vincent Baker’s haunting Vineyard DogsA supernatural Mormon Western. One Shot can be listened to on the official website.

As Above, so Below (Mage : The Ascension).

This was produced and managed by Mikaela SIMS The Ascension: MageThe mini campaign is an undiscovered gem. The video actual plays are only four episodes long and use every trick possible to make a play that is worth your time. Sims has used everything from Google Earth, floor plans and artfully edited photographs to set the scene. This overlay has commentary and puns (make sure to have captions). Sims shows what can be done with actual play even if you’re not super familiar with the system. The miniseries is a love letter to LA’s actual play geography and its people, exploring Burbank with a Porto’s potato ball in hand. A classic combination of real play veterans (B. Dave Walters), Noura Ibrahim and Jennifer Kretchmer as Omega Jones) is the cast. The writer/designers are Justinice Arman, Dan Dillon (Phil Brucato), LaTia Jacquise, Phil Brucato, Phil Brucato and Dan Dillon. There’s also a few delightfully surreal cameos. YouTube has the entire series.

LA by Night / New York By Night (Vampire: the Masquerade)

Similar Mage, VampireBoth the World of Darkness Games and its other games make for great play. The systems are stories of an alternate world where monsters struggle to keep their humanity while also giving in to the desire to devour them. Jason Carl was the director of two streaming chronicles. LA at NightNow! New York at Night. If you’re familiar with other live-to-tape multicamera shows like Essential Role, the setup will be very familiar, though you won’t see the kind of “breaking” into giggles that happens in many other shows. Carl is a shrewd actor with a history of live-action role play. He has an impressive talent for setting scenes using history and geography. This allows Carl to create a shadow world around real-world locations that we don’t know but are not familiar with. New York at Night’s seasons are short but flavorful, each following a different group of young vampires, with plenty of guests that enrich the world. These rival groups will come together for the third season later this year on the World of Darkness Twitch — but there’s plenty of time to catch up on the machinations of these gorgeous monsters on their YouTube channel.

Clear Skies – Perseverance (Star Trek Adventures).

Cryptic Studios

Star Trek is another kind of massive sandbox that lends itself well to actual play — and there have been players boldly going where no one has gone before since the Star Trek Adventures system by Modiphius was in beta. Shield of Tomorrow ran for 53 episodes on Geek & Sundry, and their USS Sally Ride made its way into Star Trek canon. Eric Campbell originally led the crew, but they were able to take control of the USS Ross one-year later. Queue TimesAnother 59-episode run and 17-episode Klingon series are available. Blood of the VoidThey are now launching a brand new series on Star Trek Online’s official Twitch channel. Eric Campbell hands over the GM’s seat to Aliza Pearl, and he and fellow longtime cast members Sam de Leve, Bonnie Gordon, and Jade Law (Blood of the Void), join fellow Streampunks Kaitlin Bruder and Noir Enigma and new cast member Danielle Radford (Dimension 20’s Mischfits and magic). Based on the most recent sourcebook, crew members will board Utopia Planitia’s Mars shipyards. Three shows have been devoted to exploration. PerseveranceThe billed as: Deep Space Nine, to “stay in one spot” to build out a world (and build starships!Pearl claimed in a stream that this is what she meant. Clear skies and perseverance streams live on Mondays from February through early May on the Cryptic Studios Twitch channel, with the VOD being uploaded to the Streampunks’ YouTube channel shortly thereafter. On Monday, January 30th, a preview session will be available on the Cryptic Studios Twitch channel. The official show launch is Monday, February 6th, from 6-9 PM PST.

Into the Mother Lands, (Mother Lands RPG).

For those looking for a “brighter, blacker future” drawing from the rich tradition of Afrofuturism to create alternate history and a brilliant future, as well as see a new game system emerge, it’s worth checking out In the Mother Lands. Eugenio Vargas is the host of the series. It takes place on Cortex Prime and features the talents of Krystina Ariel, Deejay knight, Tanya DePass II, Michael Sinclair II, AabriaIyengar, Tanya DePass, Tanya DePass, Tanya DePass, Michael Sinclair, Michael Sinclair III, and AabriaIyengar. A successful Kickstarter was launched to make a TTRPG using the new mechanics from the series. Listen to the podcast or catch the series online.

Glass Cannon Live (Pathfinder 2e)

Recent weeks have seen a great deal of interest in the sport. Pathfinder has raised Glass Cannon’s already considerable profile, as they’ve long been sponsored by Pathfinder’s publisher, Paizo. While they’ve now expanded out to shows that explore a wide range of systems (including their new Glass Cannon LabsTheir flagship show, 2015-22 was held in Pathfinder 1st edition. The live version now plays the 2nd edition, touring to sold-out theaters around the U.S. For those looking for an energy comparable to Penny Arcade’s Acquisitions IncorporatedFor listeners who want to get in the water without getting overwhelmed Glass Cannon Live It is well worth listening to on any podcast app or on Twitch (Thursdays, 7:07 EST) or YouTube.

You have only a small selection of what is available in the real world of play. In the future, we will be introducing you to even more fascinating, inventive, and wonderful shows. I highly recommend the search engine Series Seeker to find exactly the combination of length, system, style, and vibe you’re looking for. Let us know if you have favorites and why!