Candela Obscura is a TTRPG that uses a dice pool system to help with deciding success. Players join a “Circle”, a group of skilled investigators that look into Mysteries. It’s a turn of the 19th century styled game in a land called the Fairelands, where magic and mysticism break through the cracks of regular people's lives. It was created and popularized by none other than the folks at Critical Role. This rules light system is easy to pick up. Lots of fun to be had. Here are the best ways for you to find a Circle to join and get playing right away. 

5. Reddit: r/CandelaObscura

Reddit, like Facebook, does not always have the best reputation, but its TTRPG spaces are often strong and well run. Both the Critical Role and r/CandelaObscura subreddits are filled to the brim with discussions and posts of all things Critical Role, including folks looking for games. The Candela Obscura Subreddit has nice flashy tags for those looking for players and those looking for GMs, as well as tips on how to become a better GM or Player. Critters are amazingly loyal and always looking for CR content. Of course r/LFG is a good choice as well. 

4. Facebook

Facebook has its detractors, sure, but it still remains the largest social media site in the world with over 3 billion users. There are groups for everything on Facebook including Critical Role and a Candela Obscura RPG group. Both of these groups have active users looking for people to play and Critical Role created material. A quick search found several GMs looking for players to add to their circle’s. In addition to specific groups Facebook also offers a number of LFG groups for RPGs and TTRPGs. Making this a great site for all your investigation needs. 

‍3. Unofficial Discord

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Critical Role and Darrington Press have a massive following. The Giant Fan Base has huge memberships in Discord, Facebook, and Reddit (all appearing on this list). The Discord for Critical Role features a LFG channel. The community there is relatively active. Discord offers fast ways of communication. And its forum style communication with easy voice and video chat make it the perfect place to host an investigation. Many TTRPG GM’s use discord as a way to communicate and play games. Candela Obscura has a dice rolling app called Lightkeeper for Discord as well. 

2. Demiplane

Candela Obscura is one of a handful of games featured on Demiplane. Demiplane is like D&D Beyond; a character sheet builder and marketplace, but featuring non D&D games. Critical Role has teamed up with Demiplane for both of its current TTRPGs, Candela Obscura and its brand new game Daggerheart. This service is beautiful. The Official Demiplane Forums is an excellent resource and also features Looking for Groups and Looking for Players threads to get players into their games. The Candela Obscura experience is very strong here and is the go to for many GM’s. 

1. StartPlaying Games

The gold standard for finding games to play can be found on StartPlaying Games. With tons of GMs to choose from and tons of games, StartPlaying Games is a great choice for those looking to join a Candela Obscura circle today. The barrier to entry is always low. Search by system. Search by time. Search by GM. Make a custom request. Everything you need to play is right on the site. StartPlaying games features free and paid games with customer service working to make sure players and GMs have great experiences. Knowledgeable GM’s are able to answer questions on mechanics and lore and help you through your investigations.‍

Honorable Mentions

There are a number of TTRPG spaces on the internet where people can find information and groups for their favorite games. EN World and RPG.net are go to sources for news and forums full of knowledgeable folks and people looking for and providing games.

Of course, The path of least resistance is the best way to find a game. The Demiplane forums are an excellent second option to finding games on StartPlaying Games. Those sites have the infrastructure to accommodate players looking for Candela Obscura games because that is where the games can be found. Fellow Investigator I wish you luck finding a circle to explore the Fairelands. 

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‍Adam McDivitt is a father of 3 boys, professional GM, and a full time therapist. His love of D&D was reignited when his son asked him to help with a game 4 years ago. Since then he has learned a number of new systems and fell in love with TTRPG systems outside of 5e. Follow him on bluesky gmadam.bsky.social he posts there sometimes.