Roll20 RPG Usage Stats: Growth Everywhere During Pandemic!

Roll20 has posted its latest Industry Report, revealing that the first quarter of 2020 shows growth for almost every game on its platform during the pandemic. D&D, of course, remains by far the most popular (up from 50% to 53% after a dip last year), with Call of Cthulhu and Pathfinder coming in behind. Call of Cthulhu has seen a bit of a drop from 12% to 8.5%, while Pathfinder is approximately steady.

(See the Quarter 1 2020 report here).

Cyberpunk Red saw high growth of over 100%, as did Tormenta, City of Mist, and the Year Zero Engine.

Here's the full list!

 

[Guest 7025638]

You can still play them.

And of course I do, but I’d really like if D&D’s (and the likes) dominance would decrease as I don’t even consider it an RPG, thus it’s misleading for the crowds who enter this hobby just now and naturally, they start with it as it is the one they constantly hear about and they are lead to believe “that is the way to go” and unfortunately, very few move on. Though this leads far from here so other than this, I let it go.

 

[Retreater]

And of course I do, but I’d really like if D&D’s (and the likes) dominance would decrease as I don’t even consider it an RPG, thus it’s misleading for the crowds who enter this hobby just now and naturally, they start with it as it is the one they constantly hear about and they are lead to believe “that is the way to go” and unfortunately, very few move on. Though this leads far from here so other than this, I let it go.

I think D&D has always been a gateway into the hobby due to its name recognition. And even though we don't necessarily have the stats from the past, I'm betting that proportionately its chunk of the RPG pie in the 1980s was similar to today's.
I may have my problems with 5e, but I see its value, and it certainly translates well to a VTT like Roll20. I don't know what games you'd like to introduce players to, but I would encourage you to create one on Roll20 and post in their looking for players group. I'll bet that you can get people interested to try it out.
If people are only exposed to D&D, that's what they'll play.
I had a friend last weekend play a Cypher system game on Roll20 for the first time, and he liked it. I've run Pathfinder2 on there and have experimented around with Forbidden Lands and Savage Worlds (though I've not brought either game to the table yet).

 

[Haldrik]

D&D 5e earned its popularity. Be happy or not with the customers who purchase the products and the enthusiasts who fill out the surveys. The 5e game is the result of hard work and large numbers of players. The hard work seems to be paying off.

 

[Morrus]

And of course I do, but I’d really like if D&D’s (and the likes) dominance would decrease as I don’t even consider it an RPG,

But why? Not why don't you consider it an RPG (I ain’t going there!), but why must people stop playing it because you don't consider it an RPG? How does D&D's popularity harm you?

 

[Jeff Carpenter]

And of course I do, but I’d really like if D&D’s (and the likes) dominance would decrease as I don’t even consider it an RPG, thus it’s misleading

Interesting. Why wouldn't you consider D&D an RPG? And what games do you consider RPGs?

 

[Guest 7025638]

I think D&D has always been a gateway into the hobby due to its name recognition. And even though we don't necessarily have the stats from the past, I'm betting that proportionately its chunk of the RPG pie in the 1980s was similar to today's.
I may have my problems with 5e, but I see its value, and it certainly translates well to a VTT like Roll20. I don't know what games you'd like to introduce players to, but I would encourage you to create one on Roll20 and post in their looking for players group. I'll bet that you can get people interested to try it out.
If people are only exposed to D&D, that's what they'll play.
I had a friend last weekend play a Cypher system game on Roll20 for the first time, and he liked it. I've run Pathfinder2 on there and have experimented around with Forbidden Lands and Savage Worlds (though I've not brought either game to the table yet).

It’s not a bad idea, but I don’t GM, only play, so posting something like that would be quite futile.

 

[Morrus]

Interesting. Why wouldn't you consider D&D an RPG? And what games do you consider RPGs?

Oh no...

 

[Guest 7025638]

But why? Not why don't you consider it an RPG, but why must people stop playing it because you don't consider it an RPG? How does D&D's popularity harm you?

Because it outshines other great games, hence people play with that and I don’t get to play the games I would. Since I don’t GM at all, this is actually a problem for me quite a few times.
And I did not say I wanted people to stop playing it, now. Why would I want that? But a "decrease in dominance", as I said, would be beneficial, I think, that way not the half of games played on Roll20 would be D&D, or elsewhere, in fact.

 

[Guest 7025638]

Interesting. Why wouldn't you consider D&D an RPG? And what games do you consider RPGs?

I don’t want to start a fight with anybody, I just shared my opinion, so take everything I say like that. Because D&D is (and have been ever since it was created, I started playing with AD&D) a tactical wargame with some RPG elements. It’s enough to take a look at a character sheet to see this where 90+ % of the elements are combat related.
My few favorites are: The Dark Eye, Masks, Worlds in Peril, City of Mist, Genesys (and FFG’s Star Wars, as well), to name a few. Again, this is what I think, not a universal truth, and I don’t wish to hurt anybody’s feelings.

 

[Retreater]

I don’t want to start a fight with anybody, I just shared my opinion, so take everything I say like that. Because D&D is (and have been ever since it was created) a tactical wargame with some RPG elements. It’s enough to take a look at a character sheet to see this where 90+ % of the elements are combat related.
My few favorites are: The Dark Eye, Masks, Worlds in Peril, City of Mist, Genesys (and FFG’s Star Wars, as well), to name a few. Again, this is what I think, not a universal truth, and I don’t wish to hurt anybody’s feelings.

There's nothing wrong with having a preference.
Really, I would encourage you to go through Roll20's Looking for Group forum and if you don't see any open tables on your systems of choice, try starting a thread asking if someone would be willing to GM one of these systems. You might find a whole group of people wanting to play something like City of Mist, for example.
The great thing about going online, it's like every day is a Convention. You can find so many games. You can find groups of people willing to try anything.
(I've played City of Mist in person several months ago, before the pandemic. I was the Headless Horseman/Brom Bones by way of Johnny Lawrence from Cobra Kai.)