This is the actual number-one barrier to getting into tabletop RPGs — not the rules, not the jargon, just not knowing anyone who already plays. It's more common than it feels, and it's solvable in a few different ways depending on how much effort you want to put in up front.
Ask Your Existing Friends First
Most groups start this way, even when nobody at the table has played before. You don't need a friend who already plays — you need a friend willing to try something new for one evening. Bring up a specific, low-commitment starting point (a one-shot — a story that wraps up in a single session — not a year-long campaign) and see who bites. Someone has to run the first session; it might as well be whoever's most curious, using a starter set built to teach the game as you go.
Play Online
If your friends are scattered across different cities, or you don't have friends interested yet, online play removes the geography problem entirely. Roll20 and Foundry VTT (short for "virtual tabletop") are the two most common platforms — both let a GM (Game Master, the person running the game) run a session with players joining from anywhere, using digital character sheets and maps instead of paper.
Discord Servers
Discord is where most online tabletop RPG communities actually organize, and you don't need an existing friend group to join one. Most popular systems have an official or fan-run Discord server with a dedicated channel for finding a group — post that you're new and looking, and it's common for an existing GM to have an open seat. Reddit's r/lfg community does the same thing on a larger scale, coordinating games that often end up running over Discord voice and a VTT like Roll20. Read a server's rules first — most ask you to post your timezone, experience level, and which system you're interested in before you're matched with a table.
Local Game Shops
Many local game stores run open tables specifically for beginners — a scheduled night where a GM (often a store regular or employee) runs a game for whoever shows up. This is one of the lowest-pressure ways to try the hobby with strangers: everyone there chose to be there for the same reason you did. Call ahead or check a store's social media for "open table" or "new player" nights.
Can't Find a Group Yet? Play Solo
You don't have to wait for a group to start playing. A handful of tabletop RPGs are built specifically to be played alone, with no GM and no other players — a genuinely complete way to learn what the hobby feels like while you keep looking for people. See our full solo play guide for where to start.
New to all of this? Start with our TTRPG Noob Guide.
Ready to pick a game once you've got people together? Browse Starter Sets.