Dungeons & Dragons has a long and storied history. As more people have jumped onto the podcast popularity wave, D&D and other RPG tabletop games have become so mainstream that there’s even a feature film in development with an all-star cast attached.
Whether you’re already a fan and looking for something new to listen to, or a newbie trying to understand the game systems, these Dungeons & Dragons podcasts can help!
Not Another D&D Podcast
If you like a good laugh when you quest, Not Another D&D Podcast is a must-listen. It hails from College Humor alums Brian Murphy, Jake Hurwitz, Emily Axford, and Caldwell Tanner.
While the laughs keep rolling (they refer to themselves as the “Band of Boobs”), the show never loses sight of its serious RPG gameplay, adhering to a clear mission and the rules of the world.
Critical Role
If you’ve ever listened to a D&D podcast, it’s likely this one. DM’d by Matt Mercer and featuring a well-known cast of voice actors, Critical Role is the most popular Dungeons and Dragons podcast out there.
What makes this show so great is the attention to detail in the world, which brings depth to the series in a way that newer and lighter podcasts either miss or don't take the time to develop.
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The Adventure Zone
From the mind of the McElroy Brothers, The Adventure Zone is excellent for anyone interested in learning about D&D and watching actual plays, but who maybe still requires a bit of a learning curve.
They’ve produced four different tabletop arcs so far, with the Balance Arc being their first.
Dark Dice
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Dark Dice, which has been gaining headlines recently as Thor: Ragnorak and Jurassic Park star, Jeff Goldblum, has signed on to voice a new character.
The series is a horror D&D podcast that utilizes soundscapes to truly put you in the headspace of a scary series.
Queens of Adventure
For a total change of pace from the typical D&D podcast, Queens of Adventure is a must. The show features a team of drag artists and special guests from the local drag and burlesque community in Seattle.
The show is so popular they even have a spin-off series, Queens of Adventure: Legends, which centers on live shows, one-shots, and side stories.
You can listen to the first Queens of Adventure episode here.
Dungeons & Da Asians
This series is a creation of the same team behind the Gold ENnie Award-winning podcast, Asians Represent!
Both series celebrate the Asian community in tabletop games and pop culture. The group also has several streaming series, including The Wrap Up on Twitch.
Listen to the first episode of Dungeons & Da Asians here.
Adventure They Wrote
Adventure They Wrote brings neo-noir sensibilities to the world of RPG tabletop actual plays. The podcast is a mystery series that follows the Waterdeep Detective Agency.
Between the tense vibe of the genre and the high production quality, you may feel like you’re listening to a scripted series, but you’re actually listening to some of the most compelling creatives of the genre.
BomBARDed
BomBARDed centers on a team of bards who, at least once per episode, will roll dice and work together to create an original song. They've even released soundtracks for these musical numbers that come out of the pod!
Official D&D Podcasts
The official Dungeons & Dragons brand has a few of its own podcast series that show not just a variety of gameplay, but a variety of voices.
The Black Dice Society
Not for the faint of heart, The Black Dice Society is an official Dungeons & Dragons series set in the horrific world of Ravenloft.
A team of six work together to journey through the Mists as the Domains of Dread call to them.
Dungeon Delve
This official series features actual play adventures with Dungeon Master Chris Perkins.
Perkins is the principal story designer for D&D and has hosted adventures with Acquisitions, Inc. and other live play sessions with members of the D&D team.
Nights of Eveningstar
You can catch weekly installments of this live play, with podcasts released on Mondays. The series follows a group of heroes who are charged with the responsibility to lead and protect the village of Eveningstar after the local lord flees in disgrace.
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Behind-the-Scenes Podcasts
If you’re looking for podcasts that get into the behind-the-scenes world of RPG tabletop games, we have a few more recommendations.
In addition to the previously mentioned Asians Represent!, Table Top Babble is a fantastic show that includes RPG news, advice, interviews, and reviews. We particularly love this interview with Banana Chan, the Owner and Co-Founder of Game and a Curry.
There’s also Roll for Persuasion, which features interviews with creatives in the Dungeons & Dragons community about their love of gaming, including this interview with Islands of Sina Una co-creator Lucia Seesword.
Behold Her is another great pod. It releases monthly and highlights inspiring women in tabletop gaming with host and producer Lysa Penrose.
Dragon Talk
This is the place to go for the most up-to-date info about Dungeons & Dragons, as it is the official news podcast from the brand.
The podcast doesn’t just talk about the game — they also bring on guests to talk about everything going on with the brand and the various projects in the works.
Other RPG Tabletop Pods
D&D is one of the most well-known brands of its kind, but there are a few others and some great actual-play podcasts to check out.
If you like Pathfinder, look into Crits & Giggles, which has a fun cast with occasional guests, and is a great entry point to the brand.
If Dungeon World is more your thing, you must listen to The End of Tim & Other Bothers, in which a group of comedy improvisers come together for adventure every two weeks.
Into the Mother Lands
If you’re more interested in sci-fi adventures, check out Into the Mother Lands RPG.
The Cortex Prime project was developed by a great team, who released the tale of survival in a foreign world in the fall of 2020.
