Roll20#Burn Bryte

Roll20 was originally conceived as a personal project by three college roommates, Riley Dutton, Nolan Jones, and Richard Zayas, to help them continue to play Dungeons & Dragons after graduating and moving to different cities. After realizing that their personal app could help others as well, they started a Kickstarter campaign in the spring of 2012 with an initial goal of $5000; the campaign managed to raise almost $40,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.arlnow.com/2015/07/27/roll20-creates-digital-game-table/|title=Roll20 Creates Digital Game Table|last=Mongilio|first=Heather|date=July 27, 2015|website=ARLnow.com|access-date=February 3, 2017}}{{Cite book |last=Grouling |first=Jennifer |title=Roleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling, Tabletop RPGs and Fandom |publisher=McFarland |year=2021 |isbn=9781476642017 |series=Studies in Gaming |pages=91–98 |chapter=The Unexpected Responsibilities of Managing an Entire Ecosystem}} After a short beta testing period following the end of the Kickstarter campaign, Roll20 was released to the public in September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://blog.roll20.net/post/31726725487/roll20-goes-live|title=Roll20 Goes 'Live'|last=Dutton|first=Riley|date=September 17, 2012|website=Roll20 Blog|access-date=February 3, 2017}}

Roll20 reported reaching 1 million users in July 2015 and 2 million users in January 2017.{{cite web|url=http://blog.roll20.net/post/155995107390/over-2-million-gamers|title=Over 2 Million Gamers!|last=Wallace|first=Suzanne|date=January 17, 2017|website=Roll20 Blog|access-date=February 3, 2017}} Academic Evan Torner, in the book Watch Us Roll: Essays on Actual Play and Performance in Tabletop Role-Playing Games (2021), highlighted the impact of Roll20 on the actual play movement.{{Cite book |last=Torner |first=Evan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1233268599 |title=Watch Us Roll: Essays on Actual Play and Performance in Tabletop Role-Playing Games |publisher=McFarland |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-4766-7762-0 |series=Studies in Gaming |location= |pages=27–28 |chapter=Actual Play Reports: Forge Theory and the Forums |oclc=1233268599}} Torner wrote, "Roll20 allows players to seamlessly control information in a shared 'tabletop' era and broadcast content of interest to both the group itself and the wider audience watching it play. Joined with Twitch and YouTube, it constitutes a powerful tool in the kit of industry up-and-comers" and that the "system would impact the play of millions at mass scale [...]. Roll20 would enable these players to document and broadcast their actual play experiences for others to consume".

In July 2016, Roll20 announced that they had acquired a license from Wizards of the Coast for official Dungeons & Dragons material. Along with the announcement, they released the first official module for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, Lost Mine of Phandelver, on the Roll20 Marketplace; which was followed by other releases.{{cite web|url=http://blog.roll20.net/post/149794076960/early-launch-achieved-storm-kings-thunder-is|title=Early Launch Achieved - Storm King's Thunder is Available Today in Roll20!|last=Powell|first=Stephanie|date=September 1, 2016|website=Roll20 Blog|access-date=February 4, 2017}} In February 2018, Paizo's Pathfinder and Starfinder games became officially supported on the platform.{{Cite web |last=Hiller |first=Ryan |date=2018-02-27 |title=Hey, You Got Your 'Pathfinder' in My Roll20... 'Pathfinder' Now Officially Supported by Roll20 Virtual Tabletop |url=https://geekdad.com/2018/02/hey-got-pathfinder-roll20-pathfinder-now-officially-supported-roll20-virtual-tabletop/ |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=GeekDad |language=en-US}}

In September 2018, one of the co-founders of Roll20, Nolan T. Jones, acting as head moderator of the Reddit Roll20 subreddit, banned Reddit user ApostleO; mistaking the account for another previously banned user, whom Nolan believed to be circumventing the prior ban. After a failed attempt to get clarification and correction of the ban, ApostleO deleted his Roll20 account and posted a summary to Reddit of the hostile customer-service.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/roll20-reddit-nolant-jones-apostleo-apostleoftruth-dungeons-and-dragons-ban-1142706|title=Reddit Rallies Around User Banned For Criticizing Roll20 App|last=Asarch|first=Steven|date=September 27, 2018|website=Newsweek|access-date=October 16, 2018}} Many users criticized the ban, Jones' response, and the inclusion of Roll20 staff as moderators of the subreddit; leading Roll20 to apologize and turn over moderation of the subreddit to the community.{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/one-fans-criticism-of-d-d-app-roll20-sends-its-subreddi-1829374197|title=One Fan's Criticism Of D&D App Roll20 Sends Its Subreddit Into A Meltdown|last=Gita Jackson|date=September 27, 2018|website=Kotaku|access-date=October 17, 2018}}

In February 2019, TechCrunch reported that Roll20's databases had been hacked along with those of 8 other companies, with the information of over 4 million users of the site posted for sale on a dark web marketplace.{{cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/02/15/roll20-dungeons-and-dragons-password-breach/|title=Popular RPG Site 'Roll20' Allegedly Had 4 Million Users' Information Stolen|last=Hoffer|first=Christian|date=February 15, 2019|website=Comic Book|access-date=October 23, 2019}}

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to prevent in-person gatherings in 2020, many groups who played in-person role-playing games turned to Roll20 to continue their games virtually.{{Cite book |last=Berge |first=PS |title=Interactive Storytelling |chapter=Monster Power. Rebel Heart. Gay Sword.: Queer Structures and Narrative Possibility in PbtA Tabletop Roleplaying Games |date=2021 |editor-last=Mitchell |editor-first=Alex |editor2-last=Vosmeer |editor2-first=Mirjam |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16 |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |volume=13138 |language=en |location=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |pages=183 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16 |isbn=978-3-030-92300-6|s2cid=244882412 }}{{Cite web|last=Grebey|first=James|date=2020-03-25|title=Dungeons & Dragons players turn to virtual tabletops in record numbers due to coronavirus|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dungeons-dragons-roll20-fantasy-grounds-virtual-tabletop-online-coronavirus|access-date=2020-06-22|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Whitten |first=Sarah |date=2021-03-13 |title=Dungeons & Dragons had its biggest year ever as Covid forced the game off tables and onto the web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/13/dungeons-dragons-had-its-biggest-year-despite-the-coronavirus.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=CNBC |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Francisco |first=Eric |date=April 27, 2020 |title=How Covid-19 is changing 'Dungeons & Dragons,' maybe forever |url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/dungeons-and-dragons-online-coronavirus-zoom |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=Inverse |language=en}} Liz Schuh, head of publishing and licensing for Dungeons & Dragons, stated that "virtual play rose 86%" in 2020 "aided by online platforms such as Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds".{{Cite web |last=Parvini |first=Sarah |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Turning to Dungeons & Dragons to escape a real-life monster — COVID-19 |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-13/online-d-d-provides-relief-covid-19-pandemic |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Erik Mona, for Paizo, commented that "tools like Roll20 and Discord played a huge role in keeping the Pathfinder and Starfinder communities together. They helped the annual PaizoCon, originally scheduled as an in-person event in Seattle, go fully digital in 2020".{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2021-01-08 |title=Tabletop gaming in 2021 will be defined by these last 12 months of chaos |url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/8/22178462/board-games-rpgs-2021-magic-dungeons-dragons-pandemic-black-lives-matter |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}

In July 2021, Roll20 increased their subscription costs for the first time with the annual Plus tier increasing from $49.99 to $59.99 and the annual Pro tier increasing from $99.99 to $109.99; the monthly cost of these tiers also increased.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-30 |title=Roll20 to increase prices, offering a 2-year lock-in before they do |url=https://www.geeknative.com/130974/roll20-to-increase-prices-offering-a-2-year-lock-in-before-they-do/ |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=Geek Native |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=April 30, 2021 |title=Roll20 Announcement – Price Increase · Roll20 Blog |url=https://blog.roll20.net/posts/roll20-pricing-increase-announcement/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Roll20 |type=Press release}}

In February 2022, Ankit Lal, a Google veteran, become the company's CEO.{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2022-02-22 |title=Roll20's new CEO promises change is on the way for the industry leading virtual tabletop |url=https://www.polygon.com/interviews/22944837/roll20-2022-roadmap-new-ceo-feature-improvements-stability |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Roll20 interview: New CEO Ankit Lal on his biggest priorities and challenges |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/129320/roll20-interview-new-ceo-ankit-lal-on-his-biggest-priorities-and-challenges |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Shacknews |language=en}} Polygon reported that since March 2020 "the company has since tripled in size, growing from just 20 or 25 employees to nearly 60. Lal says that he now has two different groups of employees, one dedicated to users and another to publishers". Dicebreaker reported that per Roll20's PR team "the number of users on Roll20 has doubled in almost two years, going from five million users to more than 10 million".{{Cite web |date=2022-02-23 |title=Roll20's userbase has doubled since 2020, more than 10 million people join online RPG platform |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/roll20/news/roll20-userbase-doubles |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}} In June 2022, Roll20 announced a new partnership with OneBookShelf that would allow content creators on the Dungeon Masters Guild to sell modules and add-ons which are directly integrated with Roll20's virtual tabletop system.{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Fan-made D&D content will soon be integrated into Roll20 |url=https://www.polygon.com/23186572/dnd-dms-guild-roll-20-partnership-announcement |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2022 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: DMsGuild Announces Partnership With Roll20 |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dungeons-dragons-dms-guild-roll20-partnership/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en}}

In July 2022, Roll20 and OneBookShelf announced a merger between the two companies. This merger will combine the content libraries of both companies{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Roll20 and OneBookShelf are merging into one TTRPG platform |url=https://venturebeat.com/2022/07/13/roll20-and-onebookshelf-are-merging-into-one-ttrpg-platform/ |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Gavin |date=2022-07-13 |title=Roll20 & OneBookShelf Announce Company Unification |url=https://bleedingcool.com/games/roll20-onebookshelf-announce-company-unification/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Bleeding Cool News And Rumors |language=en}} and make "OneBookShelf's PDF libraries accessible within Roll20".{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Roll20 and OneBookShelf To Merge |url=https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/51621/roll20-onebookshelf-to-merge |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=ICv2 |language=en}} Lal will become the new company's CEO and Steve Wieck, CEO of OneBookShelf, will become president of the new company and join Roll20's board of directors. The combined company's name has not yet been announced.{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2022 |title=Roll20 Announces Joint Venture With OneBookShelf |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/roll20-onebookshelf-merger-dmsguild-drivethrurpg-ttrpg-dungeons-dragons/ |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en}} In 2023, the company had a temporary holding name of Wolves of Freeport, named after Wieck's EverQuest guild.{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2023 |title=Largest Third-Party D&D Marketplace Restricts AI-Generated Products |url=https://gizmodo.com/drivethrurpg-ai-generated-art-writing-dmsguild-1850673912 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}

In June 2024, it was announced that Roll20 had acquired the digital tabletop role-playing toolset company Demiplane.{{Cite web |last=Hoffer |first=Christian |date=June 4, 2024 |title=Roll20 Announces Purchase of Demiplane (Exclusive) |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/roll20-announces-purchase-of-demiplane/ |access-date=June 4, 2024 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Zambrano |first=J. R. |date=June 4, 2024 |title=Roll20 Purchases Demiplane in an Era of Consolidation |url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/06/roll20-purchases-demiplane-in-an-era-of-consolidation.html |access-date=June 4, 2024 |website=Bell of Lost Souls |language=en}} Lal stated: "We want to make it as easy as possible for you to build your first character, to get into your first game, to try out playing TTRPGs. And we think the combination of the Roll20 VTT and the Demiplane character sheet ecosystem is going to do that". Christian Hoffer of ComicBook.com reported that this acquisition "won't have any immediate impact on users of either platform, but Demiplane CEO Peter Romenesko noted that the merged companies will look to close the difference between their two platforms very quickly". J. R. Zambrano, for Bell of Lost Souls, commented that "it seems that an era of consolidation is on the way as players like WotC and Roll20 move to consolidate their powerbases".

Roll20 is a browser-based suite of tools that allows users to create and play tabletop role playing games. It is organized into individual game-sessions, which users can create or join. These game sessions include various features of typical tabletop RPGs, including dynamic character sheets, automated dice rolling, shared maps with basic character and enemy tokens, and triggered sound effects, as well as a character creation tool for certain licensed game systems.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/346574/dungeons-and-dragons-debuts-on-virtual-tabletop-roll20|title=Dungeons and Dragons Debuts on Virtual Tabletop 'Roll20'|last=Murphy|first=David|date=July 28, 2016|website=PC Magazine|access-date=February 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/08/roll20_lets_you_play_dungeons_dragons_online.html|title=Welcome to the Virtual Tabletop|last=Brogan|first=Jacob|date=August 9, 2016|website=Slate|access-date=February 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/venture-forth-how-roll-20-is-bringing-the-spirit-of-dd-to-videogames/|title=How Roll 20 brings the spirit of D&D to PC|last=Senior|first=Tom|date=March 17, 2016|website=PC Gamer|access-date=February 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/roll20-is-getting-a-built-in-character-creator/|title=Roll20 is getting a built-in character creator|last=Bolding|first=Jonathan|date=June 12, 2018|website=PC Gamer|access-date=October 23, 2019}} The interface also includes integrated text chat, voice chat, and video chat; as well as Google Hangouts integration.{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/28/12309084/dungeons-dragons-virtual-tabletop-ios-android-tablet-roll20-browser-online|title=D&D on your tablet and in your browser, complete with dice and a Dungeon Master|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=July 28, 2016|website=Polygon|access-date=February 3, 2017}}

Roll20 also contains a separate marketplace - where art assets and complete game modules are sold - and a reference compendium for several game systems. Compendiums and game modules published through the marketplace are only available to use on the Roll20 platform,{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/official-dungeons-dragons-modules-are-being-added-to-the-roll20-marketplace/|title=Roll20 adds official 'Dungeons and Dragons' fifth-edition support|last=Jones|first=Brad|date=July 29, 2016|website=Digital Trends|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}} while some art assets and art packs can be transferred to other sites or downloaded and used for physical tabletop sessions.{{Cite web|url=https://roll20.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042178613-Accessing-and-Managing-Marketplace-Content/|title=Accessing and Managing Marketplace Content |date=|website=Roll20 Helpdesk|access-date=March 13, 2020}} In addition to the free content, Roll20 also has extra features available for paying subscriber accounts, including dynamic lighting and fog of war for maps.

Besides the main browser version of Roll20, there are also iPad and Android versions. These mobile versions are more focused on the player experience, containing fewer features than the full browser site.{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/140306-iPad-and-Android-Available-For-Roll20-Virtual-RPG-Tabletop-App|title=Virtual Tabletop Program Roll20 Comes to Mobile Devices|last=Bolding|first=Jonathan|date=March 31, 2015|website=The Escapist|access-date=February 3, 2017|archive-date=July 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722135823/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/140306-iPad-and-Android-Available-For-Roll20-Virtual-RPG-Tabletop-App|url-status=dead}} Roll20 is available in English, with moderate support for 17 other languages through community-contributed translations using Crowdin.

Roll20 supports many tabletop systems, including the various editions of Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Dungeon World, Gamma World, Traveller, Numenera, 13th Age, and others. For many less known tabletop systems, Roll20 has an open source repository where the community can contribute character sheet templates.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/Roll20/roll20-character-sheets/|title=Roll20 Character Sheet Repository |date=|website=GitHub|access-date=March 13, 2020}}

Following the purchase of Demiplane, Roll20 began to support cross-platform access so that content unlocked on one platform would be automatically unlocked on the other platform. {{As of|2024|May}}, Paizo, Darrington Press, Kobold Press, and Renegade Game Studio have granted permission for cross-platform access to their products.{{Cite web |last=Reimus |first=Clay |date=2024-05-30 |title=Roll20 acquires Demiplane! |url=https://blog.roll20.net/posts/roll20-has-acquired-demiplane/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=Roll20 Blog |language=en-US}}

Roll20 has held an online gaming convention named Roll20CON every year since 2016, consisting of an organized series of online games hosted on Roll20 and streamed on Twitch, along with other events. Roll20 has partnered with charitable organizations to run Roll20CON: The Cybersmile Foundation, an organization providing support for victims of cyberbullying, in 2016; and Take This, an organization focused on mental health in the gaming community, in 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166483-Roll20-Announces-Online-Gaming-Convention-Roll20CON|title=Roll20 Will Host 'Online-Only Tabletop Gaming Convention' This June|last=Shearer|first=Stew|date=February 19, 2016|website=The Escapist|access-date=February 3, 2017|archive-date=July 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722134319/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166483-Roll20-Announces-Online-Gaming-Convention-Roll20CON|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.geeknative.com/68812/heres-how-to-get-free-dynamic-lighting-on-roll20-this-weekend/|title=Here's how to get free dynamic lighting on Roll20 this weekend|last=Girdwood|first=Andrew|date=October 4, 2019|website=Geek Native|language=en-GB|access-date=October 23, 2019}}

In July 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/burn-bryte-roll-20-announced/|title=Burn Bryte, an Original Roll20 RPG, Launches on July 20th|last=Hoffer|first=Christian|date=June 26, 2020|website=Comicbook|language=en-US|access-date=October 5, 2020}} Roll20 released their own science fantasy role-playing game{{Cite web|url=https://worldbuilderblog.me/2018/11/01/burn-bryte-story-paths/|title=Burn Bryte Story Paths|date=November 1, 2018|website=Blog|access-date=October 5, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/08/25/the-d20-beat-designing-burn-bryte-as-a-digital-first-tabletop-rpg/|title=The D20 Beat: Designing Burn Bryte as a digital-first tabletop RPG|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=August 25, 2020|website=Venture Beat|language=en-US|access-date=October 5, 2020}} named Burn Bryte, with James Introcaso as lead designer. The game was first announced during Gen Con 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://blog.roll20.net/post/176701776525/everything-is-burning|title=Everything is Burning|date=August 8, 2018|website=Roll20|access-date=October 5, 2020}} and was mentioned to be designed from the bottom up to be played on Roll20's virtual tabletop platform. Starting in August 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.geeknative.com/63086/a-first-look-at-roll20s-sci-fi-rpg-burn-bryte/|title=A first look at Roll20's sci-fi RPG Burn Bryte|last=Girdwood|first=Andrew|date=August 31, 2018|website=Geek Native|language=en-GB|access-date=October 5, 2020}} a playtest was launched for Roll20's Pro-subscribers,{{Cite web|url=https://blog.roll20.net/post/177592467815/burn-bryte-playtest-begins|title=Burn Bryte Playtest Begins!|date=August 31, 2018|website=Roll20|access-date=October 5, 2020}} which was later expanded to their Plus-subscribers in November of the same year.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.roll20.net/post/180281914750/burn-bryte-now-available-for-plus-subscribers|title=Burn Bryte Now Available for Plus Subscribers!|date=November 19, 2018|website=Roll20|access-date=October 5, 2020}} With the games launch, multiple Actual Play campaigns were started on Twitch.

Jacob Brogan, in a review of Lost Mine of Phandelver on Roll20 for Slate in 2016, commented that "our experience wasn't always seamless at first" and that "all of this data also taxed my computer's resources, crashing my browser outright on at least one occasion. [...] In time, I overcame most of those hurdles, however, partly because Lost Mines has been so well implemented here. [...] Though working through it still requires care and preparation—much as its predigital version would—there's more than enough in the virtual package to while away hours with your fellow gamers, however far away they may be. More than any other virtual gaming system I've played with, Roll20's Lost Mines captured what it's like to delve into dungeons".

Ryan Hiller, for GeekDad in 2017, stated that "Roll20 is an industry leading web and tablet based virtual-tabletop application" and that "Roll20 is one of my must have digital tools for roleplaying".{{Cite web |last=Hiller |first=Ryan |date=2017-02-02 |title=With the 'D&D Monster Manual,' 'Roll20' Is Now a Menagerie of Horrific Beasts |url=https://geekdad.com/2017/02/dd-monster-manual-roll20/ |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=GeekDad |language=en-US}} Hiller highlighted the fog-of-war and dynamic lighting features – "in a virtual game, each player would see only what they could see from where their specific character is standing and with the light they have available. This adds a whole new depth to the game as some players see encounters from entirely different perspectives, and areas of shadow become evident for use in concealment. Suddenly the rogue becomes much more interesting".

Tyler Wilde, for PC Gamer in 2017, compared using Roll20 and Tabletop Simulator to play Dungeons & Dragons. He wrote that Roll20 "is the cheaper, more practical solution for remote D&D: a clean mapping interface, easy access to official reference material, built-in video chat, and quick dice rolls. More serious players will probably prefer it".{{Cite news |last=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=2017-12-13 |title=We played D&D in Tabletop Simulator and it worked surprisingly well |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/we-played-dd-in-tabletop-simulator-and-it-worked-surprisingly-well/ |access-date=2022-06-28}} Leif Johnson, in a 2020 update on virtual tabletops for PC Gamer, wrote that Roll20 "allows a dizzying range of customization for maps, tokens, and more. Its menus are a bit drab, but they're intuitive almost to the point of genius, and the package is especially celebrated for its fantastic line-of-sight dynamic lighting system".{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Leif |date=2020-03-24 |title=How to play D&D on PC: A primer on popular virtual tabletops |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-play-dd-on-pc-a-primer-on-popular-virtual-tabletops/ |access-date=2022-06-28}} However, the platform has some drawbacks such as "it's browser-based, which means your gameplay's subject to the vagaries of the server. It may cost nothing up front, but the free version restricts you to 100 MB for uploadable assets; to get 1GB, you'll need to fork over $4.99 a month or $49 per year. You also can't use the dynamic lighting functions unless you pay the sub, although you'll still have a fog of war option if you choose not to pay. But these are hardly deal killers. If you're relatively new to D&D and want a friendly place to hop in, Roll20's probably the best place to do it outside of a dining room table with friends".

Ari Szporn, for CBR in 2020, highlighted that Roll20 "provides integrated audio and video chat functions in an attempt to provide as comprehensive an experience as possible" and that the marketplace has third-party content creators who "can upload their own tokens, map tiles, pre-written adventures and more for members to purchase. Roll20 also has a 'Looking For Group' service to help players and DMs find new people to play with".{{Cite web |last=Szporn |first=Ari |date=2020-08-24 |title=D&D Beyond Vs. Roll20: Which One Should You Use for Your Campaign? |url=https://www.cbr.com/dd-beyond-vs-roll20-explained/ |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} Szporn also commented on Roll20's subscription service and stated that the free tier is "the best option for new players but is not recommended for DMs due to its limited access to Roll20's more advanced features". Luc Tran, in a separate review of various virtual tabletops for CBR, wrote that Roll20 has "a straightforward design tool for maps, dungeons and towns, as well as the ability to create and name multiple simple commands for actions like dice rolling [...]. While Roll20 is great, the fact that it is not licensed by Wizards of the Coast means it lacks a lot of official D&D material. Unless players choose to purchase specific game compendiums, D&D-specific characters, races, monsters and items will either have to be recreated in Roll20 or you'll have to find suitable replacements".{{Cite web |last=Tran |first=Luc |date=2020-04-10 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Tabletop Simulators for Playing Remote |url=https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-best-tabletop-simulators/ |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}

Academics Daniel Lawson and Justin Wigard, in the book Roleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling, Tabletop RPGs and Fandom (2021), examined Roll20 as a digital space and the potential barriers to entry in play, such as the digital divide and various disabilities.{{Cite book |last1=Lawson |first1=Daniel |title=Roleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling, Tabletop RPGs and Fandom |last2=Wigard |first2=Justin |publisher=McFarland |year=2021 |isbn=9781476642017 |series=Studies in Gaming |pages=99–112 |chapter=Roll20 Access and Rhetorical Agency in Digital Game Spaces}} They reviewed the levels of subscription and wrote that "Roll20 indelibly connects functionality to money. Thus, higher levels of subscription offer increased modes of accessibility in terms of available functionality within Roll20. In brief, money purchases remediative features—and thus rhetorical agency— in these game spaces. [...] Roll20 provides easy-to-use tools for integrating external assets, but incentivizes purchases assets which dramatically reduce accessibility barriers through ease of access".{{rp|103}}

Roll20 was named the Gold Winner in the "Best Software" category of the ENnie Awards in 2013,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2013-noms-and-winners-2/|title=2013 Noms and Winners|date=2013-08-21|website=ENnie Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-date=July 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707113555/http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2013-noms-and-winners-2/|url-status=dead}} 2014,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/|title=2014 ENnie Awards Winners|date=2014-07-14|website=ENnie Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-date=August 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822041151/http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/|url-status=dead}} 2015,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/2015-ennie-award-winners/|title=2015 ENnie Award Winners|date=2015-08-12|website=ENnie Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-date=March 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308125829/http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/2015-ennie-award-winners/|url-status=dead}} and 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/2015-ennie-award-winners/2016-ennie-award-winners/|title=2016 ENnie Award Winners|date=2016-08-06|website=ENnie Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-date=March 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319221341/http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/about-us/2014-ennie-awards-nominees/2015-ennie-award-winners/2016-ennie-award-winners/|url-status=dead}}

• D&D Beyond
• Fantasy Grounds
• Foundry VTT

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|roll20.net}}

Category:Browser-based game websites

Category:ENnies winners

Category:Internet properties established in 2012

Category:Kickstarter projects

Category:Mobile content

Category:Role-playing game websites