5 High Engaging RPG & Board Game Fan Competitions

RPGs and board games thrive on creativity, collaboration and shared experiences, which makes them ideal for community-driven competitions.

Whether you want to encourage storytelling, highlight player creations or simply bring fans together around the games they already love, entry-based contests create a fun and engaging way to get people involved.

Below are five approachable ideas that suit different player interests, from collectors to miniature painters to casual groups planning their next game night.

A visual submission contest works particularly well in RPG and tabletop communities, where players take pride in their characters, minis and session setups.
Ask participants to upload a photo of a favourite miniature, a character illustration or a snapshot from a recent game. This gives them a chance to express how they play, paint and personalise their worlds.

You can guide submissions with a theme, such as “heroes and villains”, “battle-ready minis” or “your party in action”. This helps create a cohesive gallery and encourages fans to think a little more creatively.

Highlighting standouts, sharing community favourites or featuring a shortlist keeps interest high throughout the campaign.

Because this format is naturally visual, it performs strongly across social channels and encourages entrants to share their submissions with their own groups and gaming circles.

A discovery-style giveaway encourages players to explore a curated mix of board games, expansions or upcoming releases.
Entrants complete simple engagement actions such as visiting a product page, browsing a recommended list or following your brand on social channels.
These actions introduce people to titles they might not have tried before, helping them discover new favourites while interacting with your collection.

This format works particularly well if you highlight a specific theme, such as “co-op night”, “fast-paced strategy”, “gateway games” or “crowd-friendly party picks”. It gives your audience a clear starting point and helps them understand why different games are being featured.

It is a relaxed, low-pressure campaign that still appeals to enthusiastic board-game fans who enjoy keeping up with what is new and popular, while also inviting more casual players to browse and engage.

This campaign format is ideal for audiences who love dice sets, accessories, minis and themed in-world items.

Ask participants to explore featured collections, view individual product pages or check out creator highlights.

These discovery-style actions give collectors a chance to engage more deeply with items they already enjoy browsing and discussing.

You can structure the campaign around a focus, such as “rare dice”, “premium minis”, “collector’s drops” or “bundle showcases”. This makes the experience feel more intentional and helps participants understand what makes each item interesting or unique.

Because collectors are naturally detail oriented and already super interested, this format tends to attract highly engaged entrants who explore more than one item and often share what they find with fellow fans.

A story-driven contest lets fans express their creativity and expand on the worlds they love.

Invite participants to submit a short character backstory, a quest hook, a lore fragment or a small piece of world-building.
This works well because it taps directly into the imaginative side of RPG players, allowing them to share ideas that would otherwise stay at their own tables.

You can choose a loose prompt such as “an unexpected ally”, “a mysterious artefact” or “a turning point in your character’s journey”.
Prompts give people structure without limiting creativity and often lead to more varied and interesting submissions.

Spotlighting selected entries helps keep the campaign lively and encourages more people to contribute their take on the theme, building a sense of shared creativity across the community.

A tag-a-friend giveaway is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reach new players on social platforms.

Ask participants to like your post and tag friends who enjoy RPGs, board games or collectible minis. Each tag expands your reach organically, bringing your campaign into networks that are already interested in tabletop gaming.

People often tag their usual party members, their board-game group or someone they want to introduce to the hobby. This makes the activity feel personal and community-led, rather than transactional.

Because the entry action is quick, participation levels tend to be high, especially when the featured item is visually striking or well known.

Running RPG and board-game competitions is one of the easiest ways to bring fans together and spark ongoing engagement around the worlds they enjoy.

Whether you lean into creativity, discovery or simple social interaction, each format gives your audience a reason to participate and share the experience with others.

By choosing themes that match your community’s interests, you can create campaigns that feel fun, inclusive and naturally aligned with how players already express their passion for tabletop gaming.