D&D General Some Interesting Stats About D&D Players!

The full cover spread for Phandelver and Below, by Antonio José Manzanedo​

GeekWire has reported on the recent D&D press event (which I've covered elsewhere). Along with all the upcoming product information we've all been devouring over the last day or two, there were some interesting tidbits regarding D&D player demographics.

• 60% of D&D players are male, 39% are female, and 1% identify otherwise
• 60% are “hybrid” players, who switch between playing the game physically or online
• 58% play D&D on a weekly basis
• 48% identify as millennials, 19% from Generation X and 33% from Generation Z
• The majority of current D&D players started with 5th Edition

 

[Parmandur]

39% women? Where are they? I go to several cons per year and organize events etc. I'd say after critical role became a big hit we're up to maybe 20 from 10 or less. But almost 40%. I'm very sceptical that this is truly representative of the numbers of actual players.

I'd love if they were right though and even if they aren't that's the direction we're moving in which is a good thing as long as we don't make it inhospitable for little autistic and socially awkward boys like me when I started a very long time ago in the process.

Conventions are not a representative sample of people.

 

[Vaalingrade]

39% women? Where are they? I go to several cons per year and organize events etc. I'd say after critical role became a big hit we're up to maybe 20 from 10 or less. But almost 40%. I'm very sceptical that this is truly representative of the numbers of actual players.

You're going to the wrong cons then. I haven't seen many cons or game stores that was hurting for female attendance around here, or back where I used to live.

 

[TerraDave]

The relevant audience is not just about whose playing, its about who is spending. With greater experience--and hence greater likelihood to DM, and more money to spend, Gen X should not be counted out.

Boomers on the other hand are clearly irrelevant.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I don't know, in my experience marketers really care about serving me ads for various medications, cruises, and AARP membership now that I've passed 50.

Henry Rollins talked about that. Everyone is someone's target group and you can judge how They feel about you by what's targetted at you. At some point, you stop getting the Columbia House 10 cassettes for $1 and start getting hearing test ads

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the 60/39/1 male/female/nonbinary split.

I’m really surprised that the non-binary category isn’t larger. IME D&D is crack for all manner of Queer IDs, which may just be a result of being in both communities.

39% women? Where are they? I go to several cons per year and organize events etc. I'd say after critical role became a big hit we're up to maybe 20 from 10 or less. But almost 40%. I'm very sceptical that this is truly representative of the numbers of actual players.

I'd love if they were right though and even if they aren't that's the direction we're moving in which is a good thing as long as we don't make it inhospitable for little autistic and socially awkward boys like me when I started a very long time ago in the process.

Man, femmes and non-binary AFABs are all over this hobby. I’m surprised the numbers are even still putting dudes in such a strong lead.

Conventions are not a representative sample of people.

Especially AFAB people. I have a game store that is co-owned by a woman, and it’s still mostly dudes in there even though I personally know at least 30 women and NBs who play tabletop games. They don’t want to be around the worst of the guys, and most of the “normal” guys don’t shut down creep behavior from their friends.

 

[gamerprinter]

While technically I'm a Boomer, since I was born in 1963 and the last year of Boomers was 1964, I'm really more Gen X in thought and how I was raised. Early in high school I tried to fit in to various groups - a friend of mine hung out with the jocks, so I did too, even though I wasn't a fit. Finally my senior year, I said the hell with trying to fit in, and I started taking theater, speech team, and doing other things I wanted to do, and not give a damn what anybody thought. In that way since I've always sought to be an outlyer. So being in the less than 1% is fine for me, there's where I've always placed myself. I don't care about 'social groups' and I never think about it. Am I still relevant? I'm an author, artist, publisher for D&D, Pathfinder and Starfinder. My age and generation, let alone my relevance to WotC/Hasbro is meaningless, as long as fans enjoy using some of my stuff in their games. Very often people have no idea, how old I really am, because that doesn't really matter for the game...

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Again, I belong to a group of people that makes up around half a percent of the world’s population, yet here I am, existing.

pbft, no you're not. you're just a government psyop, like birds and the finnish.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

pbft, no you're not. you're just a government psyop, like birds and the finnish.

I have a friend who got bird in Finnish tattood on her arm right after lockdown.

 

[JEB]

The oldest millennials are 40+.

Yep, and even the youngest are approaching 30. Which makes it kind of funny that "Millennial" is still used as a synonym for "young person" in many circles...

 

[darjr]

Four pages of arguing about statistics and how to evaluate them is very on-brand, D&D nerds. Well done!

I remember when it was about how the hobby was dying with us! You gen younguns have it easy!