About r/worldbuilding
For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes.
The community at a glance
r/worldbuilding is a Subreddit for Writers with roughly 1.9M members. It has been around since 2009. It has both a forum and a live chat communication style. On the Hive Index it ranks #8 in the Writing communities list.
Roughly 98K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Worldbuilding, Fantasy, and Lore. Product recommendations often mention map making program, books, and wiki site.
Community Topics
Subreddit Analysis
via GummySearchMember growth over time
All time (yearly)
- 2013: 13K members
- 2014: 20K members
- 2015: 19K members
- 2016: 41K members
- 2017: 120K members
- 2018: 114K members
- 2019: 147K members
- 2020: 170K members
- 2021: 171K members
- 2023: 483K members
- 2024: 404K members
- 2025: 132K members
- 2026: 71K members
Past year (monthly)
- Sep: 4K members
- Oct: 4K members
- Nov: 9K members
- Dec: 9K members
- Jan: 9K members
- Feb: 9K members
- Mar: 9K members
- Apr: 9K members
- May: 9K members
- Jun: 9K members
- Jul: 10K members
- Aug: 6K members
Topics
- Worldbuilding191 posts in the past month#1191Worldbuilding
- Fantasy74 posts in the past month#274Fantasy
- Lore46 posts in the past month#346Lore
- Tools43 posts in the past month#443Tools
- Setting41 posts in the past month#541Setting
Flair
- Lore46 posts in the past month
- Forever war worldbuilding: enemy type
- Prologue of the story + Some lore in the last images (Damn Wizards)
- đź”´ A Martian Calendar With 30 Sols Per Month
#146LoreForever war worldbuilding: enemy type · Prologue of the story + Some lore in the last images (Damn Wizards) · 🔴 A Martian Calendar With 30 Sols Per Month - Question44 posts in the past month
- How could a large depression form in the middle of a continent?
- Would you like to live inside of your world?
- Do Vampires exist in your world?
#244QuestionHow could a large depression form in the middle of a continent? · Would you like to live inside of your world? · Do Vampires exist in your world? - Discussion41 posts in the past month
- I've started letting people in my world be confidently wrong about their own history
- In my world the sea retreats thirty kilometres for seven years and then returns in one night, so what would a truly permanent coastal city look like?
- What’s your world’s major event know as “The (blank)”?
#341DiscussionI've started letting people in my world be confidently wrong about their own history · In my world the sea retreats thirty kilometres for seven years and then returns in one night, so what would a truly permanent coastal city look like? · What’s your world’s major event know as “The (blank)”? - Visual33 posts in the past month
- you guys had to see this, imagine how pretty you could make the skies of a world with this, or sky islands
- You have been handed this sheet because you cannot read a timetable.
- Marriage among the Lekgrenni and Lakelanders [Lands of the Inner Seas]
#433Visualyou guys had to see this, imagine how pretty you could make the skies of a world with this, or sky islands · You have been handed this sheet because you cannot read a timetable. · Marriage among the Lekgrenni and Lakelanders [Lands of the Inner Seas] - Map21 posts in the past month
- Firmamentes, my world inspired by the constellations of the night sky!
- Language Map of Western Grybdiana
- I would love your feedback on my ocean current map🗺️
#521MapFirmamentes, my world inspired by the constellations of the night sky! · Language Map of Western Grybdiana · I would love your feedback on my ocean current map🗺️
Product recommendations
- map making program2 posts in the past month
- Best map making program?
- What’s the best mapmaking tool, paid or not?
#12map making programBest map making program? · What’s the best mapmaking tool, paid or not? - books2 posts in the past month
- What 4 books would you recommend to me as, an aspiring dark fantasy author?
- Can anyone recommend me any good books about worldbuilding?
#22booksWhat 4 books would you recommend to me as, an aspiring dark fantasy author? · Can anyone recommend me any good books about worldbuilding? - wiki site2 posts in the past month
- I’m looking to create a wiki for my own fandom/stories but don’t know what website to make it on.. can anyone recommend any?
- Can anybody recommend a good free wiki site?
#32wiki siteI’m looking to create a wiki for my own fandom/stories but don’t know what website to make it on.. can anyone recommend any? · Can anybody recommend a good free wiki site? - worldbuilding tools2 posts in the past month
- Best tools for worldbuilding
- whats some actual good ways to organise worlbulding n what tools do u recommend
#42worldbuilding toolsBest tools for worldbuilding · whats some actual good ways to organise worlbulding n what tools do u recommend - worldbuilding books2 posts in the past month
- Any good books on worldbuilding you peeps recommend?
- can anyone recommend any good books/videos on world building?
#52worldbuilding booksAny good books on worldbuilding you peeps recommend? · can anyone recommend any good books/videos on world building?
Community Reviews
Frequently asked questions
- Who is r/worldbuilding for?
- Best for Writers enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion, live chat.
- Is r/worldbuilding free to join?
- This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
- How many members does r/worldbuilding have?
- Roughly 1.9M members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
- What platform is r/worldbuilding on?
- r/worldbuilding runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
- What topics does r/worldbuilding cover?
- On the Hive Index, r/worldbuilding is organized under Writers.
- How do I join r/worldbuilding?
- You can join r/worldbuilding by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
- What are the Writing communities like?
- Communities for writers of all kinds, from fiction and screenwriting to technical writing and journalism. Discord and Reddit have large general writing communities for feedback and accountability, with more specialized groups for specific genres, craft topics, and publication paths like self-publishing and traditional querying.
Monthly Stats
- 23
- Views /mo (+15%)
- 19
- Visitors /mo (+19%)
- 5
- Referrals /mo (0%)
Similar Communities
12r/writing
Discussions about the writing craft.
r/WritingPrompts
Writing Prompts. You're a writer and you just want to flex those muscles? You've come to the right place! If you see a prompt you like, simply write a short story based on it. Get comments from others, and leave commentary for other people's works. Let's help each other.
r/selfpublish
A place to discuss just about everything in the world of indie books. *Not* a place for self-promotion.
r/freelanceWriters
A place by and for freelance writers of all kinds to discuss and share every facet of freelance writing.
r/YAwriters
This sub is for authors of YA novels. Discussing your original WIP (work in progress) is our purpose. Feel free to discuss titles, characters, plots, themes, settings, critiques, and any information pertinent to authors and genre. Hopefully we can all learn from each other and write great books!
r/Publishing
Welcome to /r/publishing. This subreddit is focused on publishing: editorial, marketing, publicity, production, sales, and all things related to the industry.