This is one of the big questions Game Masters ask the StartPlaying crew. Even if you’ve got a perfect listing with amazing art, it means nothing if no one is playing. So without further ado, this is the most popular time slot for booking D&D and other TTRPG games.
U.S. nights and weekends–particularly after 4 p.m. PST–are the most solid bet. No surprise there. A huge portion of our user base is in America, and people want to unwind by playing games after work. Around 4-5 p.m. PST is especially good because you can catch East Coast, West Coast, and everyone in the middle during their evening.
That said, don’t be discouraged if you can’t make that time period work. There are plenty of players all over the world who are looking for games. You might just find that a far off time zone matches your schedule perfectly. I know from personal experience that there are many European players who are a good fit for early morning and afternoon PST games.
Another piece of advice is to pick what works best for you. That might come across as cliché, but it’s the truth. If you rush home from your other job every Thursday night for that coveted 6 p.m. EST time slot, you probably won’t be in a playful mood. Likewise, trying to get up way too early to capture the underserved market will only result in you being too tired to tell a story. Just pick the time that you’re at your prime.
Finally, don’t be discouraged if you try a new schedule and don’t get a bunch of signups right away. Only about half of StartPlaying users book their first session with a GM within 10 to 3 days of game night. The other half tend to book during those last 48 hours. So stick to your preferred time; you might just get a sudden rush of players at the last minute.
Good luck! And remember, there’s always someone out there who wants to start playing!
