StartPlaying

StartPlaying is an online marketplace that connects people who want to play tabletop roleplaying games with game masters who organize and run sessions. Founded in 2020 by Devon Chulick and Nate Tucker, the company addresses a practical obstacle in the hobby: finding someone to lead a game and assemble players. Rather than publishing a single fictional setting or selling its own roleplaying rules, StartPlaying provides a booking service. Its listings include Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and other systems. Players can browse available adventures, compare hosts, and reserve seats in games that fit their interests and available time.

A listing typically identifies the game system, the scheduled time, the price per player, and whether the adventure is a continuing campaign or a standalone session. Descriptions also explain the premise and practical requirements, helping prospective players understand what they are joining before making a commitment to attend the game. Game master profiles are central to the service. They give hosts space to describe their experience, preferred systems, and approach to running adventures. Player reviews provide another source of information. This makes the individual organizer, not just the advertised adventure, an important part of how customers choose their next session.

StartPlaying is distinct from a virtual tabletop. It helps arrange participation, while games can use external tools for conversation, maps, character sheets, and dice. Hosts may specify services such as Discord, Roll20, or Foundry Virtual Tabletop. Players therefore need to check each listing's technical requirements rather than assume identical setups. The platform accommodates both newcomers and experienced players. Listings can indicate whether beginners are welcome, and many hosts advertise instruction alongside the adventure itself. This matters for games whose rules can initially seem demanding: players can look for a session explicitly designed around learning rather than arrive without clear expectations.

Its paid model makes the game master's work visible as a service. Hosts set prices for their offerings, and players book individual seats rather than purchase a published adventure from StartPlaying. For continuing campaigns, the listing describes a recurring game, distinguishing it from an evening with a complete, self-contained story. In 2022, StartPlaying announced a $6 million seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. That investment placed the company within the venture-backed technology sector, despite its focus on a hobby built around conversation, improvisation, and shared storytelling. The business connects this traditional activity with online discovery and paid session booking.