Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the biggest games of the year and we got all the shows you’d want to go with it!
Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken the world by storm in unexpected ways, with vampire romancing and people realizing just how much of D&D is dice rolling abound. If you’re one of the many people looking for more, we’ve got you covered with five television shows for you to check out. You’re already playing a game with 75 – 100 hour average play time and 174 hours of possible cut scenes, you might as well watch a new show too!
Mythic Quest (2020)
Starting with one that isn’t directly about adventuring, but it is about developing a fantasy game and you have to appreciate the meta of that in relation to this game. Starring Danny Pudi (Community) and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the show is a complex comedic powerhouse following a group of game developers trying to keep their top MMORPG afloat.
This is truly a show for those who love and appreciate video games and TTRPGs for all they’ve done for gaming as a culture. It’s funny, it’s clever, and in some cases, heartbreaking. It’s not a show about fighting monsters, but it is worth checking out if you admire the process of those monsters getting made.
You can find it now on Apple TV+.
Galavant (2015)
Following a hero named Sir Galavant on his quest to win back his true love from King Richard, he must team up with unexpected characters on his journey to complete his quest. This show isn’t only quintessential Dungeons & Dragons material, but it’s also a musical comedy. No, I am not kidding. It is just as insane as you’d imagine it to be but, somehow, 10x better. There is not an episode of this show that doesn’t feel like you’re on an adventure where you’ve all been cursed to sing.
It is truly a masterpiece of camp. You can watch it now on Hulu.
Willow (2022)
While the original 1988 movie will be on just about anyone’s “Watch This If You Love Dungeons & Dragons” list, the 2022 television series deserves some love as well as it was a truly creative take on the world of Willow, while still feeling true to the world and it’s devastating it was canceled so soon. Set 20 years after the defeat of the evil Queen Bavmorda from the original film, six heroes set off to save their world from a new evil: the Gales. It has all the party drama you could possibly want, complete with camp scenes, and even side quests. Not to mention a stacked cast of original cast members, such as Warwick Davis, and newcomers, like Ruby Cruz, better known for Bottoms.
Sadly, this show is no longer on its home network of Disney+, but if you have a chance to seek it out: take it. It was a lovely and charming experience that truly deserved better than what it got.
The Legend of Vox Machina (2022)
You probably already know this one if you’re a fan of Critical Role, but if you don’t: The Legend of Vox Machina follows a group of seven unlikely heroes as they’re tasked with saving their home realm of Exandria and facing their own demons along the way. This show, inspired by the actual play series of the same name staged on Critical Role, does not lose the energy that the original show had and really plays off the dynamic between these characters well. More than saving Exandria, this show is about the characters and their journey from being an adventuring party to truly family.
Not to mention, it looks gorgeous and the jokes kill. This is a great show to check out if you’ve recently become interested in Dungeons & Dragons because of Baldur’s Gate 3, but are intimidated by the length of most actual play series. You can find it now on Amazon Prime Video.
Castlevania (2017)
I saved this one for last for all the vampire… appreciators out there. Set in the dark medieval fantasy world of Wallachia, following the death of Vlad Dracula’s human wife, Dracula swears to destroy the country for its transgression. Thus, it is up to a group of heroes including the last of a famous clan of vampire hunters (Trevor Belmont), a magician (Sypha Belnades), and Dracula’s own son (Alucard) to stop him.
While it has all the humor and party dynamics of a show like The Legend of Vox Machina, it still features a far darker, politically charged storyline that will appeal to those who just sank a lot of time in a game with fantasy politics. Not to mention: Vampires. Lots of hot vampires. If you spent, frankly, too much time romancing Astarion, this show is for you.
You can watch it now on Netflix and when you’re done, you can watch its sequel series, Castlevania: Nocturne there as well!
