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 87K 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: 52K members
Past year (monthly)
- Jul: 4K members
- Aug: 4K members
- 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: 7K 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
- Discussion49 posts in the past month
- What IRL building or structure feels the most cut from some worldbuilder's passion project? As in having this monumental nature of being dedicated to some facet of that world's lore.
- What are the worst world building tropes
- Your opinion on "Spacedock" for writing and worldbuilding a sci-fi world
#149DiscussionWhat IRL building or structure feels the most cut from some worldbuilder's passion project? As in having this monumental nature of being dedicated to some facet of that world's lore. · What are the worst world building tropes · Your opinion on "Spacedock" for writing and worldbuilding a sci-fi world - Visual46 posts in the past month
- Monsters based on the 5 stages of grief will emerge elsewhere and hunt you down. Such is the cost of magic.
- The Gnomes of The Thousand Realms
- Khumetian infantry from my sword-and-sorcery fantasy setting
#246VisualMonsters based on the 5 stages of grief will emerge elsewhere and hunt you down. Such is the cost of magic. · The Gnomes of The Thousand Realms · Khumetian infantry from my sword-and-sorcery fantasy setting - Lore38 posts in the past month
- Lore of Asterra : Monster Types (More below, warning, long post)
- Magic comes at a severe cost in my debut novel
- POATCHER of the Thousand Butcher's City
#338LoreLore of Asterra : Monster Types (More below, warning, long post) · Magic comes at a severe cost in my debut novel · POATCHER of the Thousand Butcher's City - Question24 posts in the past month
- What to name this creature
- How to avoid pulling a Hogwarts?
- Have my art improved enough or should I hone further before I pitch my world?
#424QuestionWhat to name this creature · How to avoid pulling a Hogwarts? · Have my art improved enough or should I hone further before I pitch my world? - Map22 posts in the past month
- An ethnic map of the region of Keramus, AKA the Sáriom Empire.
- Map of a Worldbuilding Project I Am Working on.
- The different scripts of Ellaris as of the year 500
#522MapAn ethnic map of the region of Keramus, AKA the Sáriom Empire. · Map of a Worldbuilding Project I Am Working on. · The different scripts of Ellaris as of the year 500
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
- 19
- Views
- 16
- Visitors
- 0
- Referrals
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.