When you first join the site as a GM, you will see a section at the bottom left side of your Game Master Dashboard that shows your progress in moving through the "GM Onboarding" process. As you set up your account, that section will tell you what step is next.
To help get you started, we will walk you through each step, and provide links to "Helpful Articles" that will help you get up and running in no time!
Steps to Complete Your GM Onboarding Progress Bar
1️⃣ Create Your GM Profile
Helpful Articles:
When you first create your account, you need to fully fill out your profile.
Having a completed profile helps players know:
Who you are
What types of games you provide
Why you are the right GM for them
In the bottom right corner of the GM Onboarding, click the Add profile button. You will be taken to the Edit Your GM Profile page.
Here you can:
Fill out all the information about yourself
Update your “Profile Picture” and “Banner Image,”
Link your social media to your account.
📌 Important Note: The below sections are all required fields, but are often missed when GMs set up their profile.
Discord Tag
If you do not have a Discord account, we highly recommend setting up a free account so you can join our GM exclusive Discord server.
This is a great place to ask questions, receive feedback on your games, and see the latest updates about the site and upcoming events!
Location
This field will not be visible on your profile to players, but is used by our team to provide the best support we can for you and your players.
Your location is especially helpful to us if there is ever a problem involving Time Zones or Daylight Savings Time.
For more information about how Time Zones and Daylight Savings Time work in connection to StartPlaying, read this article.
Languages
List your primary language, along with any languages that you feel confident in your ability to use to run games. Your languages are not currently displayed on your public profile.
Your “GM Onboarding” will move onto the next step once every section of your profile has been filled out.
2️⃣ Set Up Payouts Account
Helpful Articles:
Your Payouts page is where any payments you receive for your games will be stored until you send them to your bank account.
Once your payouts page has been fully set up, your “GM Onboarding” will be moved to the next step.
3️⃣ Create a Game Template
Helpful Article:
When you click the Create game template button you will be brought to your Listings page. This is where all of the templates you make for your games will be stored.
Your templates hold all the information about your game. We automatically add that information to your games when you use them to make Adventures.
Each template you create will have a Status. There are three different statuses that you may see on your templates:
Awaiting Approval: This template has been submitted for approval, but has not yet been approved.
Draft: This template has either not yet been submitted, or it was submitted but not approved. If you submit a template and see that it has been drafted, check the email you signed up for the site with, and you should have an email from us letting you know what needs to be changed before it can be approved.
Active: This template has been submitted and approved! You can begin scheduling this template as an adventure.
Once one of your templates has been approved and shows the “Add Adventure” button, your “GM Onboarding” will move to the next step.
4️⃣ Create an Adventure
Helpful Article:
After you have an active template on your account, you will be able to create an Adventure on your Listings page!
Adventures are the listings that players see on the Find Games page.
5️⃣ Join Our GM-Only Discord Server
Helpful Article:
This is the easiest step in the “GM Onboarding,” - join the GM Discord Server!
Clicking on the “Join Discord server” button will take you to server automatically.
If you have any trouble joining the server, feel free to email support@startplayinggames.com and we will be happy to assist you in joining.
Once you have joined the Discord, you will be moved to the final step of the “GM Onboarding”!
6️⃣ Finish Onboarding by Getting 5 Reviews
Helpful Article:
The final step in the “GM Onboarding” is to receive 5 reviews on your account.
As soon as you have your GM account set up, you can send past players your Review Link. Your Review Link is on your Edit Your GM Profile page.
Your pasty players need to make an account on the site, but they will be able to leave you a review with that link. They can leave you a review even if they haven’t played in a game with you on StartPlaying!
If you don't have any reviews yet, you can still create adventures, schedule them, and be booked by players! The only area that you will not be listed yet, is in the GM Search, but your games will still appear on the “Find Games Page.”
Once you have at least 5 reviews on your profile, you are good to go! Your profile will now show in the GM Search (it may take up to an hour for your profile to show up in search after your 5th review), and you have successfully completed the “GM Onboarding”!