Worlds Beyond Number is the next big breakout actual play podcast
polygon.comActual play experiences — video or audio performances featuring people playing tabletop role-playing games — are extremely popular right now. Look no further than the gang at Critical Role, a group of talented actors who have parlayed their private weekly game of Dungeons & Dragons into a multi-million-dollar entertainment machine. Now a new wave of performers is stepping forward, and arguably one of the most exciting new troupes is called Worlds Beyond Number.
Worlds Beyond Number launched in January, and its first official campaign — titled The Wizard, The Witch, & The Wild One — kicks off March 1 on podcast platforms everywhere. But less than one month after it went live, its crowdfunding project joined the ranks of the the 20 most popular Patreon accounts in the world. Today, on the eve of its premiere, the program boasts more than 22,000 paying subscribers.
Why have so many people showed up to support this actual play? Because of the tremendous talents involved in its inception. Polygon sat down with inaugural game master Brennan Lee Mulligan (CollegeHumor, Dropout TV, Dimension 20), as well as players Erika Ishii (Apex Legends, Destiny 2), Aabria Iyengar (Critical Role: Exandria Unlimited, The Adventure Zone, Dimension 20, Kollok), and Lou Wilson (Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The King of Staten Island, Dimension 20) to talk about their plans.
Our interview has been lightly edited for readability.
Polygon: Y’all come from very successful, very interesting actual play experiences before this — including Critical Role and Dimension 20. Why are you coming together for this particular project? What are your goals for this project?
Brennan Lee Mulligan: I’ll field that… Aabria?
Aabria Iyengar: [Laughs] Impressive. I think this
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