Why hasn't this been done before?

It has, many times. To varying degrees of success. There are several places where you can go right now to find people to play with. In truth, making this work is just really hard!

Why is it hard to make a player finder?

At its core, having a player finder app is self-defeating. Where a true social app thrives on people becoming engaged with the app, the entire goal here is to get people off their phones and into a group. Dating apps succeed at a similar goal by having a user base that is essentially everyone that isn't in a relationship. RPGs are a much smaller demographic and ultimately people who fail to find a group just quit the gaming scene, something which is much less likely in the dating scene. Less users means less incentive for advertisers and ultimately fewer dollars to advertise the app and grow it. 

So, what makes this different?

The main difference between the Tavern App and other attempts that have come before is simply the experience of the designer and the whole-hearted desire to see people connect in person. Rather than simply focusing on connecting people, I'm attempting to bring brick and mortar stores into the equation. Rather than focusing on RPG groups solely, I'm offering a place for anyone with a club that is related to showcase their offerings as well. 

The goal is to connect people for in person gaming. App users are not customers. Stores are not customers. Clubs are not customers. I have no desire to commodify these groups. If I can make the app self-sufficient with advertising from manufacturers and creators, I will be happy.

Is it just for Role-Playing Games?

No, tavern can be used for anything role-playing adjacent. Board games, miniatures, LARP, even TCGs and more. Role-playing is simply the hardest of these to find people for, so that was the first goal. Everything else easily works within the same framework.

Is this a social media platform?

Yes, and no. Yes, because you can meet people online through it, no, because it's not intended to become that ongoing source of interaction that many other platforms are already doing so well. The goal here is connect people, not to make a replacement for public chat. If you want to continue to organize your group through it, that's great! The functionality is there. If you want to have a place where you can discuss the latest book release or poll the populace about your new power build, then the functionality is not there. 

Why the focus on the Local Gaming Store?

The LGS has been a focal point for connecting people in the RPG community for decades. Before the internet, there were game boards at the store. I was an LGS owner for seventeen years and I never found a method to connect people that I thought was very functional. Too many options exist online. The instore option obviously missed even more people and just served to further divide where people were looking.

I started my LGS because I wanted to connect people to enjoy the games I enjoyed growing up. I did that. I made thousands of connections happen. Untold numbers of games happened, friendships, marriages even, because of the countless events and gatherings I hosted. However, almost every single day I would have someone come in and say they couldn't find folks to play with.

The reason I am including LGSs on the front page of the app is because I believe they are still the lifeblood of this community. When a lapsed player wants to find a group, they check their LGS. When someone moves to town and wants to check out the local scene, they check their LGS. I want the LGS owner to have a pocket answer for those folks who they maybe don't have the perfect answer for. Maybe they run Dungeons & Dragons three nights a week, but that person really just wants to find a game of Vampire: The Masquerade to join. The LGS can't accommodate every single interest, but they are still the place that people of every interest know to look. I hope that relationship with the community never changes.

I'm looking to make the thousands of LGSs a partner in this endeavor. I give them a ready way to connect people and in return they sell games, as people who play games buy far more than those who only wish they got to play.

What's a club?

Clubs are any group that is open to the public and hosts regular events, with a focus on those hobbies that role-players are frequently a part of. That includes board game groups, live-action role-play organizations, and trading card tournament organizers.

Can I register my club?

Probably! If you think role-players would like to hear about it, then yes! If your club is hosted exclusively at an LGS discuss with them who should handle the posting of events. This will help avoid duplication and confusion for people who are just learning about your group.

How much does this cost?

The Tavern app is free to all users including clubs and LGSs. The app will pay for itself from ads or not at all. I've already spent more creating this than I I'll ever get back. It exists because I think it should. If any stores find it useful and makes connections in their community, that's a win for me. People playing games makes me happy.