Texas has one of the most active tabletop RPG scenes in the country, and Dungeons & Dragons is the engine driving most of it. From weekly Adventurers League sessions at local game stores to private homebrew campaigns coordinated through Discord, the infrastructure for finding a table already exists across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio — you just need to know where to look. This guide breaks down every reliable channel, city by city, so you can roll your first d20 with a crew before the month is out.
Store Game Nights vs. Private Tables vs. Convention One-Shots
Store game nights at a local game store (LGS) use the Wizards of the Coast Adventurers League format — official organized play with standardized rules, shared campaign content, and characters that move with you from table to table. Dragon’s Lair locations in Austin and San Antonio, along with Game Kastle in Austin, run AL sessions weekly with open seating. You show up, grab an AL legal character sheet or use a pregenerated one, and play. No commitment, no campaign continuity to catch up on.
Private tables are the homebrew and published-module campaigns run by a DM who recruits players through word of mouth, Meetup.com, or Facebook groups. These demand more vetting — you are joining an ongoing story, and fit matters. Most private groups post to r/lfg or Start Playing Games before filling their roster.
Convention one-shots are structured events at Texas cons — OwlCon, ArmadilloCon, San Japan, and Comicpalooza all run TTRPG tracks. These sessions are pre-registered, running two to four hours, and staffed by convention GMs. They are the lowest-commitment way to try the hobby without hunting for a permanent seat.
How to Find D&D Games in Austin
Emerald Tavern Games and Cafe on North Loop is the easiest entry point in Austin. The venue runs open board game nights and hosts DM-led TTRPG sessions in its dedicated play space — check the full Emerald Tavern guide for current event schedules and reservation details. Tables fill on weekend evenings, so arrive by open or reserve a space in advance.
Game Kastle Austin on Metric Boulevard runs Adventurers League every week on its main retail floor. Seating is open to walk-ins, and the staff at the front counter will point you to the right AL coordinator on game night. Dragon’s Lair on Burnet Road supplements that with weekend TTRPG events and an in-store bulletin board where local DMs post campaign recruitment flyers.
The Austin D&D Meetup group on Meetup.com has several thousand members and runs regular new-player sessions, one-shots, and campaign formation events — primarily at coffee shops and gaming cafes across Central Austin and South Congress. New-player welcome events run monthly and explicitly target people who have never rolled a d20 at a table.
For the broader Austin tabletop ecosystem beyond D&D, the Texas Fandoms tabletop guide covers arcades, hangouts, and venues across the city.
DFW Tabletop RPG Resources
Common Ground Games in Dallas is the anchor LGS for tabletop RPG play in DFW. The store hosts Magic: The Gathering alongside dedicated TTRPG nights, and the Common Ground Games guide details exactly what nights work best for RPG players. Adventurers League sessions run weekly, and the store Discord is the fastest way to confirm table availability before you drive in.
Madness Games and Comics in Plano operates one of the larger AL programs in North Texas. Multiple tables run simultaneously on primary game nights, which means newer players get seated rather than waitlisted. The Plano location also hosts TTRPG-specific tournaments and special event weekends tied to D&D sourcebook releases.
The DFW Tabletop RPG Meetup group coordinates private campaign formation events in Addison, Irving, and Fort Worth. Sessions rotate between game stores, taprooms with dedicated play spaces, and private home games. The group vets DMs before they post to the calendar, which cuts down on no-show table disasters.
Fan Expo Dallas runs a TTRPG programming track at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center every fall, with scheduled D&D sessions, live actual play panels, and guest GM slots open to registered attendees. Convention badges include access to the tabletop hall.
Houston D&D Community
Nan’s Games and Comics Too in Pasadena is the most established LGS for organized D&D play in the greater Houston area. AL tables run weekly and the store maintains a visible schedule on its Facebook page. Drive times from Inner Loop neighborhoods make Pasadena a commitment, but the active player base keeps tables full and turnover low.
Leisure Time Games in the Heights neighborhood anchors Houston’s northwest tabletop scene. The store runs both AL-legal sessions and open table nights where DMs test new modules with rotating players. The Heights location draws from Montrose, Garden Oaks, and Oak Forest, so players in central Houston avoid the Beltway entirely.
The Houston Area Gamers group on Meetup.com coordinates private D&D campaigns, one-shots at local breweries, and new-player orientation nights. Karbach Brewing and a handful of other venues on the east side host game nights with reserved tabletop sections — the Houston group calendar includes these venue-hosted events alongside store nights.
Comicpalooza at the George R. Brown Convention Center runs a dedicated tabletop gaming hall every year with pre-registered D&D sessions spanning multiple time slots across the weekend. Houston-area DMs volunteer to run the sessions, and many are Adventurers League certified.
San Antonio Tabletop Gaming Groups
Dragon’s Lair San Antonio on Northwest Loop 410 is the primary AL hub in the city. Adventurers League tables run weekly, the staff coordinates with Wizards Play Network directly, and new characters are welcome at any session without prior registration. The store also hosts release event weekends when new D&D sourcebooks drop.
The Wargames Vault on Fredericksburg Road runs open TTRPG nights alongside its wargaming and historical miniatures programs. The venue draws a mixed crowd — veteran Pathfinder players sit alongside first-time D&D 5e tables — and DMs from San Antonio’s homebrew scene post campaign openings on the store’s physical bulletin board and its Facebook events page.
The San Antonio RPG Meetup group organizes sessions in the Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, and Southside neighborhoods. Private homebrews dominate the calendar, but the group maintains a new-player track with beginner-friendly DMs who run published Wizards adventures like The Wild Beyond the Witchlight and Curse of Strahd.
San Japan at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center includes a tabletop gaming room every August with drop-in D&D sessions, anime-influenced TTRPG one-shots, and open play tables that run from morning to close.
Online Resources That Work for Texas Players
Meetup.com city groups for Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio each have active tabletop RPG branches with real-world venue events. Searching “D&D” or “TTRPG” in your city returns active groups with upcoming session listings. Meetup is the best tool for finding in-person tables because events are tied to physical venues with maps and RSVP counts.
Start Playing Games (startplaying.games) connects players with paid DMs who run scheduled sessions for private groups. Texas DMs are active on the platform — you can filter by city, system, and session style, then book a spot directly. Paid DM sessions run weekly on a confirmed schedule, which eliminates the flakiness common in free LFG channels.
The Roll20 LFG board and Reddit r/lfg are the strongest online-play channels. Texas-based players regularly post here seeking virtual tables when in-person options do not fit their schedule. Both platforms let you filter by time zone, system, and experience level. Virtual play through Roll20 keeps Texas players in the same session regardless of city.
Local Discord servers run by individual LGS operations — Game Kastle Austin, Common Ground Games Dallas, and Dragon’s Lair both cities — post table openings, cancellations, and new campaign recruitment directly in their #lfg or #ttrpg channels. Joining the store Discord is the fastest way to get a notification when a seat opens mid-campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a D&D group in Austin, Texas?
Game Kastle on Metric Boulevard and Dragon’s Lair on Burnet Road both run weekly Adventurers League sessions open to walk-ins — no prior registration needed. Emerald Tavern on North Loop hosts DM-led TTRPG events in a dedicated play space, and the Austin D&D Meetup group coordinates new-player welcome sessions and one-shots at coffee shops across Central Austin.
Does any Texas game store run D&D sessions?
Yes — Adventurers League is active at LGS locations across the state. Dragon’s Lair in Austin and San Antonio, Game Kastle Austin, Madness Games and Comics in Plano, Nan’s Games and Comics Too in Pasadena, and Leisure Time Games in Houston Heights all run weekly AL tables. Wizards Play Network certification means these stores run official Wizards of the Coast organized play with standardized session formats.
Is Adventurers League active in Texas?
Adventurers League is fully active across Texas with multiple certified stores in every major metro. AL characters are legal at any WPN-certified store in the state, so a character built at Dragon’s Lair San Antonio plays at Game Kastle Austin without conversion. The AL player’s guide and current season content are available free on the Dungeon Masters Guild website.
Can I find D&D games at Texas conventions?
Fan Expo Dallas, Comicpalooza in Houston, San Japan in San Antonio, ArmadilloCon in Austin, and OwlCon in Houston all run TTRPG programming tracks with pre-registered D&D sessions. Convention sessions run two to four hours, staffed by volunteer GMs, and open to registered badge holders. TTRPG programming at Texas cons runs on dedicated schedules posted to each event’s website several weeks before the convention opens.
What app or website is best for finding TTRPG groups in Texas?
Meetup.com is the strongest tool for in-person Texas groups because events link directly to physical venues with RSVP tracking and maps. Start Playing Games is the best option when you want a structured session with a professional DM running on a confirmed weekly schedule. Roll20’s LFG board and Reddit’s r/lfg serve Texas players who prefer virtual sessions or whose schedule does not line up with local store game nights.
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