How to Find a Group to Play With on Roll20

Roll20 gives you four practical ways to find players: its built-in Looking For Group (LFG) tool, the official Discord (100,000+ members), the Roll20 forums and the r/Roll20 subreddit, plus direct invites to friends. If you already know who you want to play with, skip the search entirely and send them a link. If you're starting from zero, the LFG tool and Discord are the fastest paths, and Roll20 also states it has options for solo play.

Start with the Looking For Group tool

The LFG tool is Roll20's own matchmaking entry point, so it's the first place to check before branching out to third-party communities.

• What you need: a free Roll20 account. Registration is free, requires no credit card, and is described as permanently usable for both GMs and players.
• What you do: open the LFG tool from the site navigation and browse or filter listed games.
• What you get: a listing that tells you the game system, so you can match it against what you actually want to play.

Roll20 supports Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and more than 1,200 other game systems, with hundreds of free adventures available. That breadth matters when searching: the more flexible you are on system, the more listings you'll have to choose from.

Filter for beginner-friendly tables

If you've never played a tabletop RPG before, the listing alone won't tell you whether a group will be patient with a first-timer. Roll20's own beginner guide on finding your first group covers exactly this: how to use the LFG tool, how to navigate the Discord community, how to participate in the forums, and how to identify new-player-friendly groups. Read it before you apply to a game so you know what signals to look for.

Join the official Discord community

Roll20's official Discord has over 100,000 members and is the second main route to a group.

• Why it works: recruitment posts move faster than static listings, and you can ask questions before committing to a table.
• What to expect: a large, mixed population — some groups are actively recruiting, others are just chatting. You'll need to actually post or respond, not just lurk, to get picked up.
• Best for: people who want to talk to a GM or group before joining a campaign.

Use the forums and r/Roll20

Roll20 points to both its forums and the r/Roll20 subreddit as places to find games and connect with players.

Pick based on how urgently you need a table. If you want to play this week, Discord and LFG. If you're planning a campaign a month out, forums and Reddit give you more room to describe what you're running.

Invite friends directly instead of searching

If you already have people in mind, you don't need any of the above. Roll20 lets you invite friends via a link, and the platform requires no downloads, no server setup, and no configuration — everyone opens a browser and plays. This is the lowest-friction option and the one to use when your existing group is just scattered across different cities.

What to check before you commit to a group

• System match: confirm the group is playing a system you're willing to learn. With 1,200+ systems supported, mismatches are common if you don't check.
• Your role: decide whether you're playing or GMing. Roll20's free plan covers both, so there's no cost barrier either way.
• Table expectations: for a first game, prioritize groups that explicitly welcome new players rather than ones that assume system mastery.
• Tools you'll actually use: once you're in, the table itself handles dice rolling, character sheets, and automation, with dynamic lighting and fog of war revealing the map as players explore. Knowing this in advance means you won't be surprised mid-session.

If you'd rather not find a group at all

Roll20 states it also has dedicated options for playing solo. That's worth knowing if scheduling is your real obstacle rather than finding people — a solo option removes the coordination problem entirely.

A realistic order of operations

1. Create a free account (no credit card, no download).
2. Check the LFG tool for listings in a system you want.
3. Post in the official Discord if nothing fits.
4. Fall back to the forums or r/Roll20 for slower-burn recruitment.
5. Invite friends by link if you already have a group.
6. Read Roll20's "how to find your first game group" guide if you're brand new.

The main thing that slows people down isn't access to these channels — it's applying to games without checking whether the group is new-player-friendly. Filter for that first, and the rest follows.