State of tabletop 2026: D&D Reigns, but OSR and horror are hungry for GMs

In the newly released State of Tabletop - 2026 report, Groupfinder dug into the data of over 10,000 registered users across 56 countries. By analyzing over 4,200 player profiles and 2,600 groups, they've tracked exactly what games people are playing, how they want to play them, and where the biggest gaps are between eager players and available Game Masters.

While you'll want to head over to their site for the full breakdown and some excellent charts, here is a quick look at the most interesting trends from the report:

The D&D Juggernaut Continues (But 5e Still Beats 5.5e)

Unsurprisingly, Dungeons & Dragons is still the undisputed king of tabletop matchmaking. According to the data, a whopping 59% of all groups and 73% of player profiles are looking for D&D. However, the 2014 ruleset (5e) is still vastly outpacing the revised 2024 rules (5.5e). There are about 3.6 groups running 5e for every single group running the updated edition.

OSR is Bigger Than You Think

While Pathfinder 2E comfortably sits in the #2 spot for individual systems, the data reveals a massive indie trend. When you group Old School Renaissance (OSR) games together, including standouts like Shadowdark, Old-School Essentials, and Mörk Borg, they actually surpass Pathfinder 2E in total active groups. Speaking of Shadowdark, it holds the crown for the most in-person games, with a third of its groups meeting at a physical table to roll real dice.

The Great Horror & Cyberpunk GM Drought

Are you a Game Master who loves running Call of Cthulhu, Vampire: The Masquerade, or Cyberpunk RED? You have an army of players waiting for you. The report highlights a massive imbalance in these gritty, horror-focused systems, showing 9 to 12 eager players for every single group posted. If you run it, they will come.

Players Want to Play In-Person

While online play remains the default (81% of groups), there is a significant, underserved demand for in-person gaming. Groupfinder notes that 35% of players are actively looking for a physical table, but only 19% of groups are offering one. That means if you have a kitchen table and a willingness to GM locally, your open seats are in incredibly high demand.

Read the Full Report

This is just scratching the surface. Groupfinder’s full post dives into how Pathfinder 1E is surprisingly keeping pace, the data on narrative systems like Powered by the Apocalypse and Forged in the Dark, and the popularity of one-shots vs. campaigns (spoiler: people are primarily using Daggerheart for one-shots right now).

Want to see the complete data set and read their full analysis?
Check out the complete State of Tabletop - 2026 report on Groupfinder.