Darrington Press

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.

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

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

• Tabletop game publishing
• Role-playing games
• Board game publishing
• Fantasy card games
• Tabletop RPGs

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Online Play Platform Access: Revenue from digital platforms hosting Darrington Press content, including Demiplane (digital toolset) and Roll20 (VTT integration).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACD DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American specialty game distribution partner handling wholesale distribution of Darrington Press products to retail stores.
• Alliance Game DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American wholesale distribution partner for tabletop gaming products.
• GTS DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American specialty game distribution partner.
• PHD DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American distribution partner for hobby gaming products.
• Asmodee UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK and European distribution partner for Darrington Press products in the UK market.
• Bliss DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based distribution partner handling Darrington Press products.
• Asmodee NordicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean distribution partner for Nordic markets.
• Universal DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distribution partner for Darrington Press products in Canada.
• Let's Play GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distribution partner for Darrington Press products in Australia and New Zealand.
• Roll20coreTechnology or IntegrationVirtual tabletop platform partner for digital distribution and online play of Daggerheart and other Darrington Press RPG products.
• DemiplanecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform partner providing character management tools and digital content hosting for Darrington Press products.
• DriveThruRPGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital distribution platform for PDF rulebooks and digital supplements.
• DevircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish language publisher and distributor for Darrington Press products in Spanish-speaking markets.
• Pegasus SpielecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman language publisher for Darrington Press products in German-speaking markets.
• Jambô EditoracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPortuguese language publisher for Darrington Press products in Brazilian and Portuguese markets.
• Acheron GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian language publisher for Darrington Press products in Italian markets.
• Dice & DestinyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK Games Expo partnership for event presence and community engagement in the UK market.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@darringtonpress
• Xx.com/darringtonpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/darringtonpress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darringtonpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darrington Press