Regular episodes of the podcast feature the family solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and leveling up their characters in a series of cinematic and humorous encounters.

The podcast has been credited alongside Critical Role with the Dungeons & Dragons renaissance that began in the mid 2010s, and influenced later shows in the actual play genre such as Dimension 20.

The first of these recordings was initially released as an experimental MBMBaM episode entitled The Adventure Zone on August 18, 2014, to cover for Justin's paternity leave.

[8] "Déjà Vu" by Mort Garson (from the album Ataraxia: The Unexplained) served as the primary theme song for The Adventure Zone during the Balance Arc, as well as various interstitials and backing tracks.

With the conclusion of these experimental arcs, the McElroys announced that Season 2 of "The Adventure Zone" would continue the story introduced in Amnesty, and that it would become the next full campaign.

[13][14] All four cast members played as guests in Dimension 20’s Tiny Heist campaign, a game DMed by Brennan Lee Mulligan and released in early 2020 on the Dropout network.

[20] Travis considered stepping back from the show around the 20th episode, and having someone else brought in to finish the season, but decided that would be unfair to those who were invested, including the players.

[23] Before the finale of Graduation, Griffin McElroy confirmed in an interview with Brennan Lee Mulligan that the fourth season of Adventure Zone would also be played in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition system, and would involve ships.

[26] The series is set in and around the submarine city of Founder's Wake, for which Griffin McElroy drew inspiration from a number of sources including The Eternal Darkness: A Personal History of Deep-Sea Exploration by Robert Ballard.

The McElroys were able to hire Rachel Jacobs to handle post production of the series rather than editing it themselves, which made it possible for them to switch to a weekly rather than biweekly schedule.

[32] This was followed by the "Fancy Takes Flight Tour" from March to July 2022, which featured several Adventure Zone performances across the United States, along with other McElroy family shows.

[33] Future live shows performed after the original run of Ethersea would broadly maintain the format- using one-shots in unique settings and occasionally reprising Hootenanny.

Justin McElroy cited the theme park documentary series Defunctland as an inspiration, while the layout of their home-layer Ustaben was based on Kings Island.

[35] Some technical changes were made during Steeplechase's run, with Griffin McElroy producing only the main theme for the arc with the rest of the soundtrack sourced externally by Jacobs.

[37] The shorter arc, named Outre Space, is a continuation of the story of War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery, the 2019 comic which starred Miles Morales, Kate Bishop, and Wonder Man, and had originally been written by the family.

[39] This was followed by Abnimals later that year, which is inspired by the various cartoons of the 1990s and early 2000s that featured anthropomorphic heroes, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Griffin McElroy has stated that the setting is perfect for live shows as there is a large volume of public domain material to draw on, and a limited need for elaborate costuming.

The character of Indrid Cold debuted as an NPC in Amnesty, as a resident of the planet Sylvain, and was later transported to the world of Dust via unknown means that are only alluded to vaguely in the narrative.

Clint McElroy occasionally portrays an incarnation of himself, a "space janitor" who cameos in the background of scenes akin to Stan Lee's many cinematic appearances.

Balance depicts a global war on Faerûn catalyzed by the Grand Relics; seven powerful magical artifacts that compel their wielders to wreak havoc and destruction.

Amnesty uses the Monster of the Week system by Evil Hat Productions, and is set in the fictional ski-resort town of Kepler in contemporary West Virginia.

The players initially take on the role of students who have enrolled in the henchperson and sidekick program at Hieronymous Wiggenstaff's School for Heroism and Villainy.

[51] The prologue tells the story of a group of survivors with one year to find a way to transport their society underwater, as a worldwide magical storm threatens to wipe out all above-water life.

The campaign proper began the following week, detailing the lives of a group of adventurers making their way in the new underwater city of Founder's Wake.

As GM, Justin portrayed all NPCs during the campaign, with the exception of Krystal, a character present in the introductory vlogger segments that act as recaps for previous episodes.

The campaign is set in the Marvel Universe and is a non-canon follow-up to the 2019 War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery comic miniseries written by the McElroys.

After Thor's baby sister Laussa is captured by the Black Order, the Babysitters (Thori, Sebastian Druid, Wonder Man, Kate Bishop & Miles Morales) reunite to travel into space and find her.

Ever.”[59] The Amnesty arc was described by The Mary Sue as possessing a "uniquely compassionate kind of story-telling, based on connection and hope, and that's something so rare in this world that even the imperfect efforts must be applauded, simply because there's nothing else quite like it out there.

"Not only did Dust deliver a tight, satisfying mystery, but it brought moments emblematic of the familial humor distinct to The Adventure Zone‘s gameplay, like the town’s collective roast of Griffin McElroy’s Errol.

[69] Em Rowntree of The Geekiary was more positive about the direction of the campaign, emphasizing that "the heart of TAZ as far as I'm concerned is a sort of very stupid and unexpectedly emotional outrageousness.