Darrington Press
Darrington Press is a Burbank-based tabletop game publisher, founded in 2020 as a Critical Role imprint, that designs and distributes RPGs, board games, and card games built around the Exandria universe for tabletop enthusiasts and the Critical Role community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBurbank, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Darrington Press does
Darrington Press is a privately held tabletop game publishing imprint that develops and publishes role-playing games, board games, and card games, with its catalog anchored in the Exandria universe connected to its parent, Critical Role. Founded in 2020 and headquartered at 2025 N Lincoln Street in Burbank, California, the company operates with a reported 1-10 person core team while relying on the broader Critical Role organization for production, marketing, and distribution reach. Its published systems include the proprietary Daggerheart fantasy RPG, the Illuminated Worlds system powering Candela Obscura, and content compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, alongside board games such as Queen by Midnight and Caper Cards: Bells Hells, with new card game A Familiar Find launched into the 2026 convention cycle.
Darrington Press monetizes through one-time purchases of physical rulebooks, supplements, and class packs priced from approximately $14.99 to $69.99 MSRP, plus digital downloads through DriveThruRPG and platform access via Roll20 and Demiplane. Distribution runs through four North American specialty distributors (ACD, Alliance, GTS, PHD), international distributors and language-specific publishers across the UK, Nordics, Canada, Australia/NZ, Spain, Germany, Portugal/Brazil, and Italy, and direct-to-consumer through Critical Role retail locations in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU, supplemented by a Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) Guild program. Marketing is community-led, leveraging Critical Role's actual play streams, YouTube channel, and Discord communities, and event-driven via Gen Con and UK Games Expo.
Strategically, Darrington Press is in a flagship-launch phase: Daggerheart debuted in May 2025 with a Community Gaming License and SRD 1.0 enabling third-party content creation, and the company is now shipping Class Packs ($29.99), the Hope & Fear expansion (August 2026), and the A Familiar Find card game, while expanding localized publishing into new European and Latin American markets. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company has no disclosed external funding rounds, implying operating self-sufficiency within the Critical Role ecosystem.
Darrington Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Darrington Press
- Legal name
- Darrington Press LLC
- Website
- https://darringtonpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Darrington Press is a Burbank-based tabletop game publisher, founded in 2020 as a Critical Role imprint, that designs and distributes RPGs, board games, and card games built around the Exandria universe for tabletop enthusiasts and the Critical Role community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Darrington Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tabletop Games Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tabletop RPG Miniatures & Terrain (CRALAKAD), Miniature Gaming Accessories (Dice, Mats, Tokens, Measuring Tools) (CRALAKAL)
Keywords
Where Darrington Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burbank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Darrington Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Product Sales: Sale of physical tabletop RPG rulebooks, board games, card games, and accessories through retail and distribution channels. One-time purchase model for physical products.
- Digital Product Sales: Sale of digital rulebooks, PDF downloads, and digital content through platforms like DriveThruRPG, Demiplane, and Roll20. One-time purchase or platform-specific access.
- Online Play Platform Access: Revenue from digital platforms hosting Darrington Press content, including Demiplane (digital toolset) and Roll20 (VTT integration).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Rulebooks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Class Packs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Board Games |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Downloads |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle/Collection |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Darrington Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Darrington Press publishes tabletop role-playing games, board games, card games, and accessories, with a focus on titles set in the Exandria universe and original game systems. Flagship offerings include the Daggerheart RPG, the Candela Obscura horror RPG, the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, and a portfolio of card and board games such as Caper Cards: Bells Hells, Queen by Midnight, and Solar Gardens.
Product overview
Darrington Press is a tabletop roleplaying game publisher specializing in pen-and-paper RPGs, card games, and board games primarily associated with the Critical Role brand and the world of Exandria. The company publishes products across multiple game systems including their proprietary Daggerheart system and the Illuminated Worlds system, as well as content compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Their portfolio includes core roleplaying game rulebooks, campaign settings, card-based games, and art book collections that serve the tabletop gaming community through both physical and digital distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Daggerheart: Fantasy role-playing game using the Daggerheart system
- Guild
Products and services
- Candela Obscura
Companies that use Darrington Press
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Darrington Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Darrington Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ACD DistributioncoreNorth American specialty game distribution partner handling wholesale distribution of Darrington Press products to retail stores.
- Alliance Game DistributorscoreNorth American wholesale distribution partner for tabletop gaming products.
- GTS DistributorscoreNorth American specialty game distribution partner.
- PHD DistributioncoreNorth American distribution partner for hobby gaming products.
- Asmodee UKcoreUK and European distribution partner for Darrington Press products in the UK market.
- Bliss DistributioncoreUK-based distribution partner handling Darrington Press products.
- Asmodee NordicscoreEuropean distribution partner for Nordic markets.
- Universal DistributioncoreCanadian distribution partner for Darrington Press products in Canada.
- Let's Play GamescoreAustralian distribution partner for Darrington Press products in Australia and New Zealand.
- Roll20coreVirtual tabletop platform partner for digital distribution and online play of Daggerheart and other Darrington Press RPG products.
- DemiplanecoreDigital platform partner providing character management tools and digital content hosting for Darrington Press products.
- DriveThruRPGcoreDigital distribution platform for PDF rulebooks and digital supplements.
- DevircoreSpanish language publisher and distributor for Darrington Press products in Spanish-speaking markets.
- Pegasus SpielecoreGerman language publisher for Darrington Press products in German-speaking markets.
- Jambô EditoracorePortuguese language publisher for Darrington Press products in Brazilian and Portuguese markets.
- Acheron GamescoreItalian language publisher for Darrington Press products in Italian markets.
- Dice & DestinyminorUK Games Expo partnership for event presence and community engagement in the UK market.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Darrington Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Free League Publishing: Swedish tabletop RPG publisher behind Mörk Borg, Vaesen, and Alien RPG. Comparable as a mid-sized publisher of narrative-driven tabletop RPGs with a distinctive art-forward brand identity.
- Modiphius Entertainment: Publisher of Conan, Achtung! Cthulhu, and the 2d20 system. Comparable mid-sized publisher operating licensed and original tabletop RPGs through FLGS and digital channels.
- Pelgrane Press: Publisher of GUMSHOE-system RPGs (Trail of Cthulhu, Night's Black Agents). Comparable mid-sized narrative-focused RPG publisher with hobby distribution.
- Paizo: Publisher of Pathfinder and Starfinder tabletop RPGs. Closest direct peer—similar business model publishing proprietary tabletop RPG systems with core rulebooks, supplements, and adventure paths distributed via the same hobby channel.
- Green Ronin Publishing: Publisher of Mutants & Masterminds, Dragon Age, and other tabletop RPGs. Comparable as a specialty RPG publisher with diverse proprietary systems and hobby retail distribution.
- Chaosium: Publisher of Call of Cthulhu and other tabletop RPGs. Similar mid-sized publisher with proprietary systems, FLGS distribution, and a heritage IP-driven catalog.
- Evil Hat Productions: Publisher of Fate Core, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, and other narrative RPGs. Comparable as a specialty publisher focused on narrative-driven tabletop RPG systems with strong community engagement.
- Goodman Games: Publisher of Dungeons Crawl Classics and various original and licensed tabletop RPGs. Comparable mid-sized publisher with classic-flavored RPG systems and extensive FLGS distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Asmodee: Global tabletop games publisher and distributor (Catan, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders). Relevant as the parent of Asmodee UK and Asmodee Nordics, which distribute Darrington Press products in Europe—making it both an indirect channel partner and a broad incumbent peer.
- Wizards of the Coast: Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Darrington Press competes directly with D&D through Daggerheart and Candela Obscura, and shares the FLGS and hobby retail channel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Darrington Press social profiles
Digital presenceDarrington Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Darrington Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Darrington Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Darrington Press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Darrington Press
What does Darrington Press do?
Darrington Press publishes tabletop role-playing games, board games, card games, and accessories, with a focus on titles set in the Exandria universe and original game systems. Flagship offerings include the Daggerheart RPG, the Candela Obscura horror RPG, the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, and a portfolio of card and board games such as Caper Cards: Bells Hells, Queen by Midnight, and Solar Gardens.
Is Darrington Press a public or private company?
Darrington Press is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Darrington Press founded?
Darrington Press was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Darrington Press based?
Darrington Press is headquartered in Burbank, United States, in the North America region.
How does Darrington Press make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Product Sales and online Play Platform Access.
Who are Darrington Press's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Free League Publishing, Modiphius Entertainment, Pelgrane Press, Paizo, Green Ronin Publishing, Chaosium, Evil Hat Productions and Goodman Games. Broad incumbents are Asmodee and Wizards of the Coast.
Does Darrington Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Darrington Press.
What industry is Darrington Press in?
Darrington Press's product category is Tabletop Games Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAH, Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming), with a secondary code of CRALAKAD, Tabletop RPG Miniatures & Terrain. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 5945.