r/worldbuilding

Community Overview

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. It is the 3rd largest community in the Writing topic page.

Roughly 105K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Worldbuilding, Tools, and Magic. Product recommendations often mention map making program, books, and wiki site.

On Reddit
Established 2009
1.9M Members

Community Features

This community has a forum

This community has a realtime chat

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +105K members
Growth: +5.8% / year

Member 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: 90K members

Past year (monthly)

  • 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: 9K members
  • Sep: 7K members
  • Oct: 7K members
  • Nov: 2K members

Topics

  • Worldbuilding
    88 posts in the past month
    #1
    Worldbuilding
    88
  • Tools
    38 posts in the past month
    #2
    Tools
    38
  • Magic
    18 posts in the past month
    #3
    Magic
    18
  • Struggling With
    15 posts in the past month
    #4
    Struggling With
    15
  • Maps
    13 posts in the past month
    #5
    Maps
    13

Flair

  • Lore
    29 posts in the past month
    1. Emyeshi: an ocean world with sea froth made of natural gas.
    2. The Lorebound—
    3. The Mids
    #1
    Lore
    Emyeshi: an ocean world with sea froth made of natural gas. · The Lorebound— · The Mids
    29
  • Discussion
    24 posts in the past month
    1. Are there any hobbyist world builders here? (e.i. doing it purely for fun, no plans with it)
    2. Can I just speak
    3. mounts for swamps
    #2
    Discussion
    Are there any hobbyist world builders here? (e.i. doing it purely for fun, no plans with it) · Can I just speak · mounts for swamps
    24
  • Question
    21 posts in the past month
    1. Criação/Reformulação de Raças
    2. What are some recent events that have happened or are happening in your world?
    3. How is my Fictional Verse?
    #3
    Question
    Criação/Reformulação de Raças · What are some recent events that have happened or are happening in your world? · How is my Fictional Verse?
    21
  • Visual
    11 posts in the past month
    1. 3d printed coins that I designed for a fantasy Larp I'm working on.
    2. (Hollow Paradise) - Huntsman bioweapon refined
    3. EOD Encephanavis K-01 Emerald Dragon
    #4
    Visual
    3d printed coins that I designed for a fantasy Larp I'm working on. · (Hollow Paradise) - Huntsman bioweapon refined · EOD Encephanavis K-01 Emerald Dragon
    11
  • Prompt
    5 posts in the past month
    1. What is the strangest thing about your world?
    2. Worldbuilding Contest!
    3. Fairy cities?
    #5
    Prompt
    What is the strangest thing about your world? · Worldbuilding Contest! · Fairy cities?
    5

Product recommendations

  • map making program
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Best map making program?
    2. What’s the best mapmaking tool, paid or not?
    #1
    map making program
    Best map making program? · What’s the best mapmaking tool, paid or not?
    2
  • books
    2 posts in the past month
    1. What 4 books would you recommend to me as, an aspiring dark fantasy author?
    2. Can anyone recommend me any good books about worldbuilding?
    #2
    books
    What 4 books would you recommend to me as, an aspiring dark fantasy author? · Can anyone recommend me any good books about worldbuilding?
    2
  • wiki site
    2 posts in the past month
    1. 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?
    2. Can anybody recommend a good free wiki site?
    #3
    wiki site
    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?
    2
  • worldbuilding tools
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Best tools for worldbuilding
    2. whats some actual good ways to organise worlbulding n what tools do u recommend
    #4
    worldbuilding tools
    Best tools for worldbuilding · whats some actual good ways to organise worlbulding n what tools do u recommend
    2
  • worldbuilding books
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Any good books on worldbuilding you peeps recommend?
    2. can anyone recommend any good books/videos on world building?
    #5
    worldbuilding books
    Any good books on worldbuilding you peeps recommend? · can anyone recommend any good books/videos on world building?
    2

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.