Ten years ago, the idea of a paid Game Master would be considered a pipe dream. Ten years ago, TTRPG's didn't have the positive reception they do today. Now more than ever, people are looking at tabletop games as a way to connect and replace passive entertainment (aka Netflix streaming).
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Now, players can finally find the absolute best games on the internet. Each week, our GMs and players provide invaluable feedback to make our platform better.
We think you shouldn't have to dig through forums and servers to find a game. There hasn't been a lot of innovation in the Tabletop Game finding space. We knew we could make something better than what was being offered.
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About StartPlaying
We love games, and we think you shouldn't have to dig through forums and servers to find one.
Our mission
Finding games is in need of innovation
Our founders
Meet StartPlaying's Game Masters
Nate Tucker
Nate Tucker is a computer scientist and Harvard alum. He has worked for tech giants like Facebook & Google. Outside of gaming, he enjoys hiking, yoga, and anime.
Devon Chulick
Devon Chulick is a longtime product manager & marketer, and TTRPG content creator. He was featured in Bloomberg’s "Rise of the Professional Dungeon Master". Outside of gaming he loves volleyball, reading, and pizza.
Jared Gollhardt
Jared has eight years of experience building web applications and web services. He is an avid gamer and puzzle solver. His favorite board game is Cosmic Encounter.
Our story
How the adventure began
A few days after San Francisco went into lockdown, we met over a phone call. Six hours later we had a dozen ideas spinning around and the first inklings of the platform that would become StartPlaying.Games had begun to form.
Devon had been featured in Bloomberg for being a professional dungeon master and had a background in the Tabletop Gaming industry as a Twitch content creator for his channel Total Party Chill.
Nate, a Harvard alum and previous engineer for tech heavyweights like Google and Facebook, was the first customer of his own product. In their quest to revolutionize how people find online and in-person entertainment, Nate and Devon spent the next three months building the platform StartPlaying.
We were the first customers of our own product. Every week, we talk with users, game masters, and publishers on how to improve and bring a better experience to our users. We make sure to take breaks for playing games ourselves!. We met in a park in San Francisco to (socially distant) celebrate our first organic booking.
If you have an idea on how we can better serve the TTRPG community and professional game masters, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re looking for some fun, then we suggest you click the button below to search for a game so you can start playing.
Find a gameDevon had been featured in Bloomberg for being a professional dungeon master and had a background in the Tabletop Gaming industry as a Twitch content creator for his channel Total Party Chill.
Nate, a Harvard alum and previous engineer for tech heavyweights like Google and Facebook, was the first customer of his own product. In their quest to revolutionize how people find online and in-person entertainment, Nate and Devon spent the next three months building the platform StartPlaying.
We were the first customers of our own product. Every week, we talk with users, game masters, and publishers on how to improve and bring a better experience to our users. We make sure to take breaks for playing games ourselves!. We met in a park in San Francisco to (socially distant) celebrate our first organic booking.
If you have an idea on how we can better serve the TTRPG community and professional game masters, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re looking for some fun, then we suggest you click the button below to search for a game so you can start playing.
We're hiring!
Meet the team
Our mission is simple: Build Community through Play. This is our amazing team making this possible.
Sarah Murphy
Customer Experience Specialist
Sarah is a jack of all trades — Support Goblin, GM, TTRPG content creator, TTRPG writer, Twitch streamer, and cosplayer. She also loves performing musical improv and reading sci-fi novels. Her favorite TTRPGs are Blades in the Dark and Tales From the Loop!
Gabriella Strong
Operations Manager
Gab is a start-up professional with over eight years of experience helping leadership teams achieve operational excellence. She loves reading fantasy, cooking, and traveling with her fam. As a teen, she built play-by-post RPG websites for her and her friends!
Alex Hartford
Senior Software Engineer
Alex is a software engineer who has founded or worked on startups across many domains such as customer service, health & fitness, IoT, & async communication. Outside of gaming he enjoys music, spicy food, and chasing his toddler around. He typically plays a gnome wizard!
Alan Chang
Senior Software Engineer
Alan is a software engineer and University of Southern California alum who enjoys working with startups. Outside of coding, he loves traveling, exploring new restaurants, building mechanical keyboards, and watching anime.
Jeremy Copling
Senior Software Engineer
Jeremy is a startup veteran with over 25 years experience doing fullstack web development. He is passionate about UX, playing as a lifestyle, and anything that brings people closer to one another or themselves.
Nick Tisch
Staff Product Designer
Nick is a designer that specializes in making sound effects while he works and sensing if something is one pixel off. He’s worked across design agencies, gaming, and tech. He was raised by mIRC and the Counter Strike community. When not pushing pixels he’s usually playing music with his friends or learning about another random DIY project.
Hunter Fell
Customer Experience Specialist
Hunter considers himself a real life Bard, and seeks adventure in all its forms. He has lived in the Amazon rain forest, traveled the USA in an RV, and was one of the first five GMs on StartPlaying! When he’s not running games he can be found on Twitch, where he runs a TTRPG Morning show called “Warlocks & Waffles”.
Our values
How we work at StartPlaying
Our shared values keep us connected and guide us as one team.
Growth Mindset
We're all about being better today than we were yesterday. We see challenges as chances to level up and learn. Embracing the journey of self-improvement and cheering each other on along the way.
Play is Important
We embrace a playful spirit that infuses everything we do. Whether we're brainstorming new ideas or engaging with our community, we believe in bringing a sense of fun and whimsy to every interaction. Play isn't just a pastime for us; it's a mindset that fosters creativity, innovation, and genuine delight.
Community Centered
We're all about building community through the power of play. In a world where loneliness is all too common, we see community as the antidote. Everyone is welcome in our vibrant and inclusive community, where bonds are formed, friendships flourish, and laughter is shared.
We're Hiring!
Our team is growing fast and we’re always looking for smart adventurers to join our party.
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