Actual Play
TTRPGs played for an audience
Example
What's your favorite actual play? I'm still a TAZ stan
Related Slang
TAZ | The Adventure Zone |
DnD | Dungeons & Dragons |
DM | Dungeon Master |
NPC | Non-player character |
d20 | A twenty-sided die |
Dump stat | An ability that an RPG player doesn't prioritize |
TPK | Total Party Kill |
LARP | Live action role-playing |
Parasocial relationship | A one-way relationship between a fan and a creator |
Actual play series are those in which a group plays a TTRPG for an audience. Typically, one player acts as the dungeon master (DM) and host for the series, while the others role-play a group of heroic adventurers. Most actual play series include a combination of drama, comedy, and OOC moments, in which the players discuss rules and/or goof on each other.
While actual play series have been around since the early 2000s, they grew in popularity in the mid-2010s, with the debut of web series Critical Role and podcast The Adventure Zone (TAZ). Most actual play video series are published via YouTube or Twitch, while podcasts are typically available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast apps.
Some other popular actual play series include: