From home tables to global streams, 2024’s standout actual plays proved that storytelling at the gaming table has no limits-mixing Dungeons & Dragons with inventive systems that turned dice rolls into unforgettable drama.
It was a year of big moves in actual play in 2023 with the debuts of DesiQuest and the highly anticipated podcast Worlds Beyond Number. At the same time, Critical Role’s anthology series Candela Obscura took the groundbreaking troupe in an entirely different direction, while Acquisitions Incorporated‘s success signaled a return to more traditional Dungeons & Dragons gameplay. Meanwhile, a series of fascinating new experiments, like the visually arresting Bluebeard’s Bride actual play Gudiya, gave the merest glimpse of what’s to come. Wizards of the Coast even put its own hat in the ring, rolling out the bloody comedy series Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! and Encounter Party, which aims to provide a quicker, sleeker version of actual play for a mass audience.
As we noted last year, many actual plays still tend to hold announcements until close to air date. Even so, here’s some of what to look for coming up this year: more fan favorites returning from yearslong hiatuses, promising new systems, and hidden treasures revealed by the international web festival circuit.
Returning faves
Fan favorites returned in full force this year, bringing familiar faces and worlds back to the table. Long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns found new energy through character growth and sharper storytelling, while beloved casts from other systems continued to showcase their chemistry and timing. These returning shows proved that established groups still have plenty of surprises left, mixing nostalgia with innovation to keep audiences hooked week after week.
Dimension 20’s fifth anniversary video last fall teased three upcoming seasons – an usually long look ahead for the show. The year begins with the long-anticipated return of the core “Intrepid Heroes” cast in the setting that started it all, the John Hughes-inspired Fantasy High, which arrived with a full week of behind-the-scenes fanfare and an extended documentary devoted to art director Rick Perry. The 20-episode season will be followed by the mysteriously titled “Never Stop Blowing Up,” and crossover hit Dungeons and Drag Queens will return for another season later in the year.
In addition, D20 cast member Zac Oyama has revived his beloved Patreon-exclusive Rotating Heroes podcast, which vanished from the internet during the show’s hiatus in 2022. The show’s past arcs are now public, and new seasons feature Jasper William Cartwright (Three Black Halflings, Dimension 20’s Burrow’s End) as DM and Oyama as permanent player.
The Adventure Zone team has announced they will be moving to shorter campaigns, reminiscent of their experimental period in 2017-18 after the end of their beloved first campaign, Balance. Patriarch Clint McElroy served as GM for Outre Space, a superhero-styled four-episode run similar to his 2017 mini-campaign Commitment, using Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game and including guest players Gabe Hicks (Dimension 20’s Shriek Week, The Session Zero System) and Kate Welch (Acquisitions Incorporated: The C Team). Griffin McElroy now resumes the DM’s seat for The Adventure Zone Versus Dracula. [Disclosure: Justin McElroy and Griffin McElroy are co-founders of AELGAMES.]
British invasion
British actual play shows stormed American audiences in 2024, with UK creators blending sharp wit and innovative mechanics across systems like D&D and indie titles. Critical Role collaborators from Dimension 20 joined forces with homegrown British talent, producing sessions packed with clever improv and high-stakes drama. These cross-Atlantic productions captured fresh narratives rooted in British humor, drawing massive viewership on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
The U.K. side of actual play is often an undersung corner of the scene, anchored by the long-running High Rollers (which recently returned with a new campaign), Oxventure, and Three Black Halflings, with recent convention collaborations and shared streams. They’ll be joined in 2024 by Natural Six, a crowdfunded miniseries with a familiar pitch: D&D as played by nerdy-ass voice actors. Will their star power be the rising tide that lifts the ship of British actual play? Time will tell.
Actual play goes meta
In one standout actual play from 2024, players shatter the fourth wall by scripting their own campaign within the campaign, turning scripted drama into spontaneous chaos. The group weaves meta layers where characters question their scripted fates, improvise rebellions against the Dungeon Master, and rewrite rules mid-session. This bold twist keeps tension high while mocking TTRPG tropes, making every roll a commentary on the medium itself.
Actual plays have always been a little self-reflexive – from Liam O’Brien’s “LiamQuest” one-shots, where the Critical Role cast play versions of themselves exploring a post-apocalyptic Burbank, to Mike Sims’ Mage miniseries and beyond. And last year, Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ comic and game Die handed a whole new set of tools for actual players looking to explore the nature of RPGs. The system includes play within play, as characters play a TTRPG within the structure of the game.
Some troupes have already taken up the challenge: Anthology series My First Dungeon created an eight-episode miniseries along with supporting instructional content and interviews, and Dead Ghosts’ Replay used the same “Reunion” playbook with the discomfiting reframing of the characters as members of a past actual play. It will be very surprising if we don’t see more actual plays take up the tantalising lure of holding a mirror up to the art form.
No gods, no masters?
Actual play series in 2024 have broken free from strict hierarchies, letting storytellers and players share control over the narrative with equal weight. Whether it’s a chaotic fantasy table or a tightly woven horror campaign, creators experiment with collaboration instead of command. The result is storytelling that feels more personal and unpredictable, where no single voice dominates and every choice can shift the story’s direction.
Actual play is grappling more and more with the inherent strangeness of the nature of divinity, from the endless debates about the role of the gods among the characters of Critical Role to the revolving door of gods allied to Ally Beardsley’s Kristen Applebees on Dimension 20’s Fantasy High.
It’s thus a perfect time for Connie Chang’s duet TTRPG Godkiller, which is getting several interesting actual play productions this year. Chang released 16-episode miniseries Godkiller: First Blood in support of the game’s launch, and 2024 has some ambitious projects using the system. BlackwaterDnD will run an 11-episode Godkiller: Oblivion featuring guest Christian Navarro (Critical Role). Chris Colón and Hamnah Shahid (executive producer on Gudiya) will be combining inspirations from their Caribbean and Pakistani roots for a visually immersive Godkiller: Forsaken.
Look to the web fests
Web festivals have become a key space for showcasing actual play talent, offering creators a chance to share their storytelling with global audiences. These events highlight both established groups and emerging voices, rewarding creative direction, editing, and performance. For fans, the web fests act as a guide to fresh campaigns across systems-whether it’s classic Dungeons & Dragons narratives or experimental indie formats gaining traction.
One of the ways that art forms try to move beyond popularity contests is through juried awards. New Jersey, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Cusco, and New Zealand web fests all now include actual play categories, and many have scholarship programs – including the Twitter sponsored by the multi-award-winning Queen’s Court Games. (Disclosure: I was a judge for New Jersey in 2023.)
Web fest selections are quickly becoming one of the best places to discover the undersung “ambitious middle” of actual plays – that is, shows that aspire to the same storytelling heights as the most popular troupes, but that lack the resources of time and production budget. It’s worth keeping an eye on the web festival circuit for actual plays that have been recognized for their stellar editing, sound, casts, and more.
Which actual play shows used non D&D systems in 2024
Several actual play shows in 2024 featured non-D&D systems, expanding beyond traditional fantasy with innovative RPG mechanics. These productions highlighted systems like Marvel Multiverse RPG, Delta Green, and others for fresh narratives.
Key Non-D&D Shows
The Adventure Zone ran shorter campaigns using the Marvel Multiverse RPG in its Outre Space series, blending superhero action with comedy. Gutter debuted as a Delta Green/Cthulhu horror-comedy podcast from the NeoScum creators, praised for immersive post-apocalyptic vibes.
Other Systems in Play
Friends at the Table employed multiple games like The Ground Itself and Heart: The City Beneath for layered horror storytelling. Quests & Chaos tested popular non-D&D systems alongside board game one-shots. Additional mentions included Cyberpunk Red in No Latency and Stars Without Number in Astronomica for sci-fi adventures.
Which 2024 actual plays used Powered by the Apocalypse systems
Several actual play shows in 2024 incorporated Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) systems, known for narrative-driven mechanics and collaborative storytelling. These productions often used PbtA hacks like Masks, Monsterhearts, or custom variants for genres beyond traditional fantasy.
Notable PbtA Actual Plays
Friends at the Table featured PbtA games including Heart: The City Beneath and The Ground Itself, delivering layered sci-fi horror narratives. A curated list of 100 RPG podcasts highlighted PbtA titles like DIE, Wanderhome, and Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast for emotional, character-focused arcs.
Additional Highlights
Web series and podcasts tested PbtA in experimental formats, such as Orbital Blues and 9 Lives to Valhalla, praised for innovative partial-success outcomes. Polygon noted indie actual plays blending PbtA with meta RPGs for fresh 2024 experiences.
