10 Best D&D Actual Play Podcasts
Editorial picks for tabletop listening
Whether you want cinematic storytelling, chaotic comedy, or a table that feels like home, these Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcasts deliver. Below is our curated list—numbered for fun, not for gatekeeping—with short notes on why each show earns a spot. Dig in, follow the links, and find your next long commute companion.
Disclaimer: rankings reflect editorial taste; your table may vary.
By Ted from APW
#1
Critical Role Campaign 1: Vox Machina
I don't think a list of top D&D actual plays could possibly do without a little Critical Role. People love Critical Role for its epic long-form campaign storytelling, emotionally invested characters, high production values (well, eventually), and the fact that the cast are professional voice actors who can sustain dramatic scenes for years. It is also the default comparison point for almost every other D&D actual play: huge, earnest, lore-heavy, character-driven, and sometimes intimidatingly long. FeedSpot even ranks it at the top of its 2026 D&D podcast list.
#2
Dimension 20: Fantasy High
Dimension 20 is beloved for being tighter, funnier, and more formally produced than most long-campaign D&D shows. Its big appeal is the combination of Brennan Lee Mulligan’s DMing, professional improv/comedy performers, strong season concepts, and campaigns that usually feel designed for a finite arc rather than an endless backlog. Community discussion frequently places it alongside Critical Role as one of the two major modern actual play reference points.
#3
Not Another D&D Podcast
NADDPOD is one of the most repeatedly recommended D&D podcasts, especially for listeners who want a smaller table, strong comedy, and surprisingly sincere character work. The appeal is that it starts loose and silly but develops real emotional stakes, with Brian Murphy DMing Emily Axford, Caldwell Tanner, and Jake Hurwitz joking their way through fast-moving, character-forward campaigns.
#4
The Adventure Zone
TAZ was one of my first-ever actual plays, and I still remember the feel of those first episodes. The Adventure Zone, especially the original Balance arc, remains one of the most beloved gateway actual plays. Fans tend to love it less as a rules-faithful D&D reference and more as a warm, funny, eventually heartfelt fantasy-comedy story told by the McElroys and their dad. It shows up very high on D&D podcast lists, and official descriptions still center the premise of Justin, Travis, Griffin, and Clint McElroy going on a “campaign of high adventure.”
#5
Dungeons and Daddies
Dungeons and Daddies is loved for its high-concept comedy premise: suburban dads thrown into a fantasy world to rescue their sons. It is explicitly “a D&D podcast, loosely,” which matters because many fans love it for story, bits, character dynamics, and emotional turns rather than crunchy 5e procedure. It appears repeatedly in D&D podcast recommendation lists, but its later seasons branch into other tones and systems.
#6
Wicked Empire
In the surprisingly vast sphere of RPG actual plays, The Glass Cannon is still kind of criminally under the radar. But I'm biased, as I've been a massive GC fan going back to their very early days. Wicked Empire is their one and only D&D show, and it's run by the inimitable Jared Logan. The only issue I have with this pick is that it's over way too soon.
#7
Girls Who Don't DnD
TTRPGs, like tabletop gaming in general, has a long history weighted heavily toward men. So here, instead, find 3 women playing their very first game of D&D—and in a homebrew setting, no less. Fans like "Girls Who Don't..." for its outstanding voice acting and super-high-quality audio production.
#8
Tales from the Stinky Dragon
Tales from the Stinky Dragon has become a frequent recommendation for people who want a polished, family-friendly, audio-first D&D comedy show. What people to love is the “produced audio adventure” quality: voice work, sound design, original music, accessible humor, and a tone that works for both new and experienced D&D fans.
#9
Worlds Beyond Number
Worlds Beyond Number is newer than most of these, but it is already heavily discussed because of its cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson. People love it for its more literary, emotionally textured feel than many shows. Think epic improvised storytelling, worldbuilding, and story creation—its first major campaign, The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One, quickly became one of the most talked-about prestige actual plays.
#10
High Rollers
High Rollers is one of the major UK D&D actual plays and is often recommended to people who want something closer to a classic long-form fantasy campaign. Fans like the balance of serious campaign play, approachable table chemistry, and big fantasy adventure without quite the same cultural baggage or scale as Critical Role.
