The Best D&D Streams (That Aren’t Critical Role)
It’s no secret who the undisputed King of Dungeons & Dragons streaming is so the question is who are the best D&D streams that aren’t Critical Role?
Critical Role averages 897,412 viewer hours in a 30-day period According to TwitchMetrics. Not too shabby for a group of “Nerdy Ass Voice Actors”.
The number two show on Twitch, Momo, accumulated 81,908 viewer hours. Now, almost 82 thousand Viewers a month is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s a drop in the bucket when compared to Critical Role.
Tabletop Gaming in general continues its popularity renaissance with no sign of slowing down. Its rebirth began well before the Pandemic but Covid really fueled the ascension of Online streaming. With that came thousands of D&D streamers on Twitch, YouTube, Podcast, and everything in between.
Streaming D&D is a social experience and a chance to connect not just with YOUR group but with countless spectators worldwide.
As expected, there are a handful of streams that separate themselves from the pack. Whether it be charm, unique gameplay, or killer storylines the following shows shine bright and are the best D&D streams that aren’t Critical Role.
The Best D&D Streams That Aren’t Critical Role – HIGH ROLLERS
High Rollers is a long-standing homebrew D&D campaign set in the unique world of Aerois.
The cast of High Rollers are above all else absolutely hilarious. It is hard NOT to have a good time watching or listening to this show.
The group is led by Dungeon Master Mark Hulmes, who never disappoints with his roleplaying chops. The show has been called the “UK Critical Role,” which fits on the production side, but High Rollers really is in a class all its own.
The show flaunts unforgettable characters and story arcs, but the humor is what makes this stream stand out. High Rollers is in year four of its stream which takes place every Sunday at 5pm (GMT) on Twitch.
The show is also in Podcast form with part one releasing on Mondays and part two dropping Thursdays on Spotify. The full recorded episodes can also be found on the High Roller YouTube Channel.
The Best D&D Streams That Aren’t Critical Role – Dungeons & Daddies
Dungeons and Daddies is an amazingly well-done podcast. Not enough can be said about the sheer enjoyability factor that oozes from every episode.
The 1st campaign revolved around a group of dads who are pulled into another dimension to rescue their children. The show is quaint and heartfelt while still having plenty of genuine laugh out loud moments.
Episodes of Dungeons and Daddies are released every other Tuesday on Spotify, and the cast is well into season two now. In Season two the grandchildren of the original daddies start their own quest to rescue THEIR Fathers.
Dungeons and Daddies is just a good time, plain and simple. As a Father myself, the emotional moments hit hard, and the corny Dad jokes resonate like only a Dad Joke can.
The Best D&D Streams That Aren’t Critical Role – Not Another D&D Podcast
Not Another D&D Podcast is another fun show with a cast of writers and comedians that a Podcast can barely contain.
The show is high action and high comedy all the time. The stellar storytelling mixed with moments of raw emotion really highlights the talent that the writers and cast of this show have.
The average episode is an hour and a half long which makes the show easy to commit to and more than possible to digest in one sitting.
The strength of Not Another D&D Podcast is how personable each cast member is. It truly feels like listening to good buddies playing D&D in a suburban basement somewhere.
Campaign three launched this year in 2022 with new episodes released Fridays on Spotify.
BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE!
High Rollers, Dungeons & Daddies and Not Another D&D Podcast are at the upper tier on the popularity chain for D&D streamers and rightfully so. Each show has amassed a large following and continue to see their popularity grow.
What about the smaller shows or the up and coming shows available right now?
Well… I’m glad you asked.
The Dungeon Dudes
The Dungeon Dudes are a different breed of super talented streamer.
Hosts Kelly McLaughlin and Monty Martin have dedicated videos to enhance the game itself by dissecting the Player’s Guides, giving Dungeon Master advice, roleplaying tips, reviews, and in-depth reporting on the world of Dungeons & Dragons 5e.
The Dungeon Dudes also release new episodes of their homebrew extravaganza, DUNGEONS OF DRAKKENHEIM, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The show is available on Twitch with video-on-demand episodes available the following Friday on their YouTube channel.
The standout aspect of this stream are the two hosts Kelly and Monty. They are personable and a wealth of D&D information both in game and out.
Dice Legenz
The Up and coming show Dice Legenz is an amazing Dungeons & Dragons show from New Zealand. The cast consists of television and stage professionals, including New Zealand TV presenter Ronnie Taulafo (What Now!, The Feed, Take Home Pay).
The obvious thing that sets Dice Legenz apart from the countless other up and coming streams is the engaging and professional cast members. Each of which have acting backgrounds.
A welcoming addition for this new show is the high-quality studio production and amazing storytelling. But what hooked me right away was the exciting, fast-paced, and unpredictable game play.
The adventure takes place in a grand walled city where treachery is brewing. The heroes are four humble town guards that find themselves facing a rising tide of darkness threatening to destroy their city and their loved ones.
The imagination and pure joy that exudes from the cast is palpable from start to finish of each episode. It is full of blink and you miss it hijinks and originality that make each episode a breeze to absorb.
Dice Legenz is an up-and-coming D&D stream with all the tools and star power to elevate it to the next level. Get in now on the ground floor because this is going to be a fun ride! It streams on Twitch every weekend (Sat, 8pm EST / Sun noon NZT) and also releases recorded episodes on the Dice Legenz YouTube Channel.
To Be The Best You Have To Beat The Best… Or Do You?
These FIVE streams shine, each in their own way. They are original, have heart and bring positivity to the TTRPG community.
They are not just the best D&D streams that aren’t Critical Role, in many ways they are the better D&D stream available.
Period.
What do you think? Did we miss one of your favorite streams? Tell us below in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article check out more Dungeons & Dragons Goodness HERE!
Table Quests has been a great watch. A friend of mine plays at a table with one of the streamers, so we decided to check it out. Started a little clunky last year, as apparent first-time streamers, but they have really gotten into a groove, and have been putting on a fun stream for a while, now. Went from being something I might have on for a little while while doing something else, to having me waiting and watching to see what happens next.
D&D in a homebrew world on Wednesdays, and also running Call of Cthulu on Tuesdays.
Something about a Curse of Strahd campaign coming up, as well.
Adventure Zone is an all time classic, really committed to the craft, they’re on. A 4th campaign and their first is excellent.
It got me into the DnD live play pods before I had heard of Critical Role
Thank you for the suggestion, Chris! We’ve received quite a few for Adventure Zone so it’s on our prioritized list for sure!
How did you discover Adventure Zone in the first place?
I don’t think many people have caught on to Ready to Roll yet. Something very different is that they’ve done live action re-enactments of some parts of the episodes. High end production because it’s made by people mostly from the film industry. The gameplay became the script to be acted out live. Their site is https://questlinecrit.com and https://www.youtube.com/c/AFilthyQuestline
Thanks Jason!
I really enjoy Ready to Roll! They are such an entertaining group and put on a great game. Super worthy addition!
Yeah, it’s a fun watch, especially the live parts have been really cool. You should add them into the article! They deserve some love.
You should check out the Faeforge Academy podcast! Its got magic school, whimsy, mystery, wonder and a cast that is hyper talented and very clearly cares about each other and the story together!
Thank you for the recommendation, Stephen! Faeforge Academy sounds like a trip! How did you stumble on it?
I created it!
Join the Party is an excellent podcast I found on Spotify that is homebrew but uses 5e mechanics. The cast is small but the characters and story are so wonderful that I will literally post about them any chance I get. I really wish they got more exposure. Not only are their campaigns well done but they even have a couple of episodes that explain how to play dnd in real time that actually helped me learn the basics and got me started in the game. Cannot sing their praises enough.
Hi Amanda!
Thank you for the nudge. We’ll que it up on Spotify!
THANKS!
NNN
Mad Artists’
@madartistsco on Twitch
They’re new and fun to watch!
Hi Sam!!
We just followed Mad Artists on Twitch.
Bell is on and ready to watch!!!
Thanks for the nudge!
NNN
I didn’t see it the lists but another would be Authors and Dragons. 5 comedy / fantasy authors. Started with Pathfinder and worked into 5E. Has spun off into a couple other series as well with both the main crew and whole batch of their associates. Not a professional stream and not always safe in polite company but has been running and growing for 4 years.
https://www.authorsanddragons.com/
Hi Asher!
This is new one to us! Thanks for fixing that problem.
We’ll start diving in soon. Authors and Dragons sounds like a pretty cool experience!!!
NNN
You shouldn’t limit it to just D&D. There are a lot of Ennie winners out there that deal with other games.
Hi William!
You’re absolutely right!
Looking into that now!
Stay tuned.
NNN
Great information, me and my 8 players have been killing fictional monsters for over 35 years together! We have recently started a Podcast, and we have never had more fun! I know you can only listen to so many shows, but if you have the time I’d love to hear what you think! It’s caller “Roll with the party” keep up the awesome work!!
Hi Michael!
Thank you so much and thank you for the lead on your show!
We’ll check out Roll with the party for sure!!!!
NNN
Thanks for this list, and thanks all the commenters for plugging their own (you’re all on my to-do list!)
We started one during the first lockdown, a bunch of mates from across Europe getting together on Roll20, then we started streaming it. Currently streaming our D&D 5e version of the Pathfinder “Skull and Shackles” campaign setting. We chose an evil aligned party for this… because pirates I guess. ^_^
We’re TNTNerds on Twitch and YouTube.
Hi Nadz!
We followed TNTNerds on Twitch today!
Looking forward to the adventures!
NNN
Oh awesome, cheers! \m/ ^_^
Not sure if anyone mentioned already but Realmsmith on youtube etc is awesome. Curse of Straud and the Wildmount series are some of my favorites. The short series with the puppets called Stuff of Legends is awesome as well by The Jovenshire I believe.
Thank you for the suggestion, Royce! I’ll pull up Realmsmith now and take a look around. I haven’t run Curse of Strahd yet so I’ll check out theirs.
I’ll definitely have to check out these shows!
*Another Shameless Plug*
I would recommend checking out The Raven’s Hollow (theravenshollow) group, as well! I am the DM and we are a group of “as in real life”, regular veteran gamers who weekly livestream a home-brewed DnD campaign on Twitch. You can also find the videos on YouTube at (https://youtube.com/channel/UCfF_sc9ImPSuKCHMpG7ki9g).
We’re basically average people looking to share our love of the game and get some feedback and/or love.
Hi Chris!
Nothing wrong with shameless plugs!!!
We’ll check out the show now!
Thanks for the nudge!
NNN
TPK Roleplay.
More than 11 different shows with 23 episodes spread across just the month of May. DnD 5e represented along with a variety of other systems. Shows devoted to indie game. Shows full of crunch. Shows full of roleplay. Iron DM challenge among our circle of Dungeon Masters. Almost 600 back episodes from more than 40 short and long term campaigns stored on YouTube. Why have one show with a few seasons when there are entire channels?
https://tpkroleplay.com
Oh wow, I’m impressed just by the quality of the website, but your description is hyping them up for me! Thank you for the recommendation, I’m looking forward to checking them out. What’s your favorite campaign of theirs?
You Missed what Gen Con has Nominated as “Best Series 2022”. You should watch the shows coming under the umbrella banner “RPG All-Stars.” Loaded Dice Rollers, Nominated “Best Series”
https://www.youtube.com/RPGAllStars
https://www.facebook.com/loadeddicerollers
Hi GM!
You’re right – we missed it!
SHAME!!!!!
We’ll fix that now!
Thank you for the nudge!!!!
NNN
Highly recommend D4!
http://www.d4dndrpg.com
It is incredible!
Hi DM
I recently started diving into D4 as well!
Great Show!!!!
Thank you for the lead.
NNN
Try NAT 21 Adventures https://nat21adventures.com/. Its a bunch of super nerdy Renaissance Faire performers, so the geekdom and performances are very strong.
Hi Lee!
You had me at Renaissance Faire performers!!!!!
I’m all the way down to pay them a visit!
Thank you for the lead!
NNN
The Adventure Zone?
Thank you Melanie!
We’ll check out The Adventure Zone ASAP!
Love finding new shows to get lost in!
NNN
I’m surprised Dimension 20 didn’t make the list.
Also, D4 is a great show that’s about 140 episodes in and is sponsored by both Dungeons and Dragons AND D&D Beyond
Hi Zak!
D20 and D4 are both Such great shows. Highly deserving of articles all their own… :-)!
Stay tuned!!
And thanks for stopping by Nerd Night News!
See you soon!
NNN
One of my favorites is Dungeons and Randomness.
Hi Kegan!
Sweet!
Dungeons and Randomness is automatically a great Title. Can’t wait to check it out!
Thanks for the push!!!
Goblins Under the Stairs!
Zeke, I’m lovin the title, Goblins Under the Stairs! Thank you for giving us your time and a recommendation! How did you discover Goblins Under the Stairs?
D4! Extremely unique, has two DMs! They make beautiful battle maps. They say they try to be the most canon to Forgotten Realms Lore. The cast is amazing, probably the best I’ve seen for immersion and making it feel real and full of emotions. Everybody is doing comedy and slap stick but these guys hit you right in the feels. Sounds starts rough but gets better later on. http://www.d4dndrpg.com
Oh wow! Two DM’s?! I’m curious already! Thank you for the recommendation, Tom! And thank you for stopping by, the water is nice here.
I love oxventure, it’s not super rule strict but Johnny the DM is great at thinking a head of the party! Well worth a listen!
Hi Ben!
We started diving into Oxventure today! It is a really cool show!
Added it to the VERY long list! LOL.
Thank you for the lead – much appreciated.
And THANK YOU for stopping by Nerd Night News!!
Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Three that are worth checking out;
Viva La Dirt League’s NPC D&D on YouTube
How We Roll podcast (and Does It Roll on Twitch / YouTube)
Danger Club Podcast
Hi Sam!
Thank you for the leads! Viva La Dirt is an amazing show!
Same with How We Roll.
Definitely going to check out Danger Club Pod now!!!
Thanks for stopping by Nerd Night News!
See you soon!
NNN
Hey there! Awesome list, there’s plenty of d&d shows out there. Something for everyone.
You should checkout our stream, AdventureCheck over on Twitch. We just kicked off our second campaign. We run Adventures in Middle-Earth 5e. So if LotR is your drink of choice, we’ve got something for you! We also do miniature painting and various other ttrpg goodness.
https://twitch.tv/adventurecheck
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4fKjb1VaofHh67bnGTnRgQ
Hello Bryan!
Thank you for the recommendation. I would love to check out a LotR RPG!
I’m not on Twitch much, but I just subscribed to your YouTube channel and I’ll watching the start of your second campaign tonight.
I would absolutely add Dimension 20 to this list, and maybe even Oxventure to.
But Dimension 20 not being on is like sacrilege or something. I feel as though a crime has been committed somewhere
I am calling the police and reporting Terry AS WE SPEAK! He will NOT get away with this blasphemous treason.
We must protect this house!
Definitely love Dimension 20. Brennan Lee Mulligan is a fantastic every time.
Greetings, Adventurers! Is the one I listen to. Definitely an adult D&D podcast, but they started off in 4e, transferred to 5e, and they’ve been going since 2012. They were originally called Drunks and Dragons, but later switched their name.
I’ve laughed myself to tears in many episodes, and even wept tears from my heart strings being pulled on. Definitely worth checking out.
Hi Joseph!
Thank you! We do love us some “Greetings, Adventurers!”
Such a great show and to be active after a decade says something!
Thank you for reminding us of how awesome that show is!!!
And thanks for stopping by Nerd Night News!
See you soon!
NNN
The Dungeon Run is definitely worth watching! Love that show.
Hi Heather!
Very Cool! We’ll be jumping on board The Dungeon Run then!!!
Thank you for the lead – much appreciated.
And THANK YOU for stopping by Nerd Night News!!
Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Came here to gasp at the lack of viva la dirt league and robert hartley gm, but someone else beat me to it. Lol. Definitely a stella watch (both vldl with rob, and rob on his own)
Hi Wraithe
GASP heard LOUD AND CLEAR! LOL.
The mud is firmly on our face but we plan to rectify that soon!
The show looks great!
Thanks for helping us “right the ship”.
And THANK YOU for hanging out at NERD NIGHT NEWS. See you next time!
NNN
Most definitely should check out Superquest Saga. The team works well together and are great. Homebrew campaign using 5e and it is wild.
Hi Nick!
Very Cool! We were able to find them on YouTube Dungeoncast channel. Looks like a really cool show!
Adding it to the VERY long list NOW!
Thank you for the lead – much appreciated.
And THANK YOU for stopping by Nerd Night News!!
Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Ready To Roll on YouTube. Really fun group with an excellent DM. Their production value is awesome, and they do live action re-enactments of the gameplay.
https://youtu.be/bojM7KZs3ig
Hi Dean!
We JUST NOW learned about Ready to Roll/A Filthy Lot on Twitch and are now following them on YouTube as well!
Watching one of the Monster Talks NOW! Great stuff.
Thank you for the nudge and THANK YOU for stopping by Nerd Night News!
See you next time!
NNN
You guys should check out Ready to Roll from A Filthy Lot. They are filming their campaign and doing live reinactments of the journey in full wardrobe. Live streams every Friday on their twitch and then releases go to You Tube the day after.
https://youtu.be/1Jj0jJy6SpU For their first release and twitch.tv/afilthylot and their twitch is https://twitch.tv/afilthylot
Hi Kyle!
We just checked out Ready to Roll on Twitch. INSTANT FOLLOW! Can’t wait to dive in.
Thank you for the heads up and THANK YOU for check Nerd Night News out!
See you next time!
NNN
Do take a look at Freelance Heroism (podcast), they’re a fun listen as well.
Hi Rasmus!
Freelance Heroism is on our listen to List! So ready to dive into this one!
Thank you for checking us out Rasmus! Hope to see you next time!
NNN
Dugongs & Seadragons – a fun podcast j that just hit its 200th episode. A bunch of diverse marine biologists playing D&D. Not only is it kid-friendly but it’s educational – in fact they did a study that showed that their stealth science in the show was getting listeners into science and marine biology ! It’s about 45 min a week so an easy listen and they even have a spin off where kids that are fan of the show were invited to play. https://open.spotify.com/show/4fALIkq95JBf2gfeCInBt5
Hi MacCraic!
200 episodes is a HUGE deal! Will for sure be checking that out!
Sounds so cool. Thank you for the referral!
And THANK YOU for checking out Nerd Night News!
See you next time!!
NNN
You should check our DnD stream, Companions of Strength!
Hi Kevyn!
Companions of Strength – ON IT!!
We are following you on Twitch as I type this. Looking forward to checking out the campaign!
Thank you for the heads up and THANK YOU for visiting us at Nerd Night News. Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Encounter 6
https://youtube.com/channel/UChRLA-XPEwV92FAcPUruIdQ
They’re a new fast-paced group who focus on theatre of the mind combat which keeps the sessions easy to watch
Hi Rico!
LOVE THEATER OF THE MIND!
Thank you for the lead.
And THANK YOU for stopping by Nerd Night News!!
Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Surely Viva La Dirt League DnD YouTube channel with Robert Hartley GM is a worthy mention. Robert Hartley GM also streams on twitch with behind the screens and his own Twitch Tales.
Hi Kelly!
I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t heard of Viva La Dirt League until now!
Thank you so much for spreading the word and I will head over there today to check it out!
Thank you again and THANK YOU for checking out Nerd Night News! Hope to see you again soon!
NNN
Together We Role.
Youtube.com/TogetherWeRole
They are a newer “adult kids” D&D stream of family and friends in a honebrew world and often “break the 4th wall” with their antics. They also do behind the scenes video shorts, and DwarvenForge map reveals from their episodes.
Hi David!
Together We Role sounds like an amazing time. We will definitely check it out now!
Thank you for the nudge AND THANK YOU for checking out Nerd Night News.
We’ll see you next time!
NNN
Can’t wait to check out these awesome shows!
*Shameless plug*
Definitely recommend checking out The Lost Archives as well! I am the DM and we are a group of Aussies who weekly livestream a home-brewed version of Tyranny of Dragons and another game using the brand new Avatar Legends RPG system on Twitch. You can also find us on YouTube and as a podcast on iTunes/Spotify/Google/etc.
Hi Owen,
This sounds VERY cool! Thank you for sharing and we’ll take a trip over to YouTube to check out The Lost Archives!
Thanks for the prompt!
NNN
The adventure zone is one of greatest of all time! It’s first arc made me laugh and cry and is wildly entertaining.
So many recommendations for Adventure Zone! My list of streams to watch is getting out control hahaha
Agreed. My daughter loves Adventure Zone