How to Run an Owlbear Rodeo Map on a TV While Players Use Touchscreens

Decide first whether the TV is just a shared map or an interactive surface. In the first setup, players use their own phones or tablets to interact, and the TV helps everyone follow along. In the second, players touch the TV to move tokens, so the display must accept touch and send it back to the computer running the browser.

For most tables, start with the shared-map setup: one computer runs the game and connects to the TV, while players use their own devices to join the room. Owlbear Rodeo is browser-based and supports mobile and desktop operating systems. Its cast feature creates a separate player view, and the cast device joins the room as a player without GM features or the ability to see through fog. Owlbear Rodeo’s Getting Started guide and Casting guide describe those capabilities.

Connect the computer to the TV by HDMI, or use a supported wireless display method. In the computer’s display settings, choose an extended or separate display rather than mirroring the computer screen. This lets the TV show the shared map while the GM keeps their working view on the laptop. Owlbear Rodeo’s cast feature requires an extended external display; when the TV mirrors the primary display, the cast option is unavailable. Its documentation lists Chrome and Edge among browsers supporting the required presentation standard, and says casting is not supported from Android devices.

On a Mac using AirPlay, first select the TV or Apple TV in Screen Mirroring, then choose Use As Separate Display. For a wired connection, check the operating system’s display settings after plugging in: the TV should appear as a second display, not a duplicate. Once the display is extended, open the game in a supported desktop browser and look for Cast under the room’s Extras menu. Owlbear Rodeo’s Casting guide gives the browser, display, and AirPlay requirements.

Open the game room and select Extras → Cast. In the cast dialog, choose whether to hide or show the Owlbear interface on the TV, then select the TV or external display. The cast view will ask to join the room; admit it as a player. Check the TV before play begins: it should show the intended scene, with no GM-only controls or notes visible.

Use the cast view as the audience display. Keep the GM’s browser window on the laptop, and use the cast dialog’s Stop control when you want to end casting. If you do not see a Cast option, check the browser and display mode first. The documented requirements make these more likely causes than a map or scene setting.

Have each player open the room link on a phone or tablet and join. Owlbear Rodeo says players can join from the link; an account is only needed if they want to bring their own character token. On a small screen, ask each player to test tapping and dragging a token they can control before relying on it during a scene. Set permissions to fit the session: Owlbear’s permission controls can restrict whether players create, update, or delete items, and its Owner Only character permission can limit interaction to a character’s owner. The permissions guide explains those options.

When players interact from their own devices, the TV may not follow their map movement automatically. Use Sync View in the Scene Controls: pressing its labeled side sends the current view to connected players, while enabling the toggle syncs future view movements in real time. This is particularly useful when the cast display cannot receive input. Test it by panning or zooming on the GM’s device and confirming the TV updates. Sync View shares the viewport; it does not turn the TV into a touchscreen. Owlbear Rodeo’s Casting guide documents both Sync View behaviors.

A regular TV connected as a display usually shows the computer’s picture but does not relay touch input. For direct interaction, use a touch-enabled display connected to the game computer, or a compatible touch frame installed over the screen. Confirm that the computer recognizes touch before setting up the game, and check that tapping on the TV controls the expected pointer or touch input. Hardware and operating-system behavior vary, so this step depends on the specific display.

Avoid treating the cast function as a way to make the TV interactive: Owlbear describes it as a player view, and notes that the receiving device often cannot accept input. If the group uses physical miniatures on a TV laid flat as a map, decide who moves the digital tokens and how their positions will stay in sync. One player can use a tablet for token movement while another person handles the physical pieces; this simple division avoids assuming that the TV tracks miniatures by itself.

Import the map and verify its grid before players arrive. Owlbear Rodeo supports entering known grid dimensions or visually aligning an unknown grid with alignment rulers. To check the result, compare the grid near one edge and again toward the far edge; a map that looks aligned in one corner may drift elsewhere. The official guide notes that small alignment errors accumulate across large maps, and hex grids may need separate adjustment on each axis. Owlbear Rodeo’s Aligning a Map guide explains both methods.

Then run a short rehearsal: join the room from one player touchscreen, move an authorized token, pan the GM view, verify the TV follows when Sync View is active, and check that the shared screen shows only what you intend. If the map stutters, Owlbear’s troubleshooting guide says the browser needs WebGL support and hardware acceleration for optimal performance. The troubleshooting guide provides browser-specific checks.

For a first session, use a computer connected to the TV as an extended display, cast a player view from Chrome or Edge, and have players join on their own touchscreen devices. Keep the GM controls on the computer, use Sync View to keep the TV framed on the action, and test permissions and map alignment in advance. Add TV touch hardware only if direct interaction on that screen is a specific requirement. This setup gives the group a shared map while each player keeps a device for their own interaction.

• Getting Started | Owlbear Rodeo Documentation

• Casting | Owlbear Rodeo Documentation

• Permissions | Owlbear Rodeo Documentation

• Aligning a Map | Owlbear Rodeo Documentation

• Troubleshooting | Owlbear Rodeo Documentation