As a Game Master on StartPlaying, the best way to stand out and start getting bookings is to fully complete your profile, create detailed game listings, and stay responsive to players. This article covers the key best practices for each area.

Your profile is often the first thing a parent sees before they book their young hero in a game with you. Fill it out as completely as possible so parents and guardians feel like they know you before they even reach out.

Consider addressing the following in your profile:

Your profile picture should be clear, engaging, well-lit, and show a bit of your personality. Avoid dark, grainy, or overly casual shots. A bright, expressive photo draws players in and looks more professional.

You must use a photo of yourself. You should be centered and upright in the image. You should be the only person in the photo, and the image should be high resolution.

You'll need to create a Game Template first, then use it to create an Adventure. Once you have enough players, you can schedule Sessions for that Adventure.

The process in order:

When filling out your game description, aim for 2–3 paragraphs and give parents and guardians as much information as possible about what their kid or teen will be doing.
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No. Using licensed or copyrighted art will result in your Game Template not being approved. We have a Google Drive folder with art available for DMs to use for free.

It's one of the most important factors in getting bookings. A fully filled-out listing lets parents and guardians understand exactly what the Adventure will be like for their young hero, what they'll need to bring, what safety tools you use, and more.

We find it best to approach your game description like the back of a book:

Yes, we recommend pre-generated character sheets. This may be many kids and teens first TTRPG experience.

Having a pre-generated character sheet option makes it easy for them to jump in. It's also great for last-second bookings.

Invite players you've played with before to join your StartPlaying games. When new players are browsing, seeing filled seats builds confidence and encourages them to book.

This is one of the fastest ways for new GMs to get their first games off the ground.

Use clear content warnings and safety tools in your game listing so players know what to expect before they book. When players feel safe and like their input matters, they're more likely to keep booking with you.
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Common safety tools include:

All games on Young Heroes are required to have content warnings.

Reviews are critical to building your reputation on Young Heroes. All parents or guardians who have a young hero attend one of your sessions can leave a review afterward.

You can also send your review link to up to 20 parents or guardians whose young heroes have played in a TTRPG with you in the past.

From a guardian whose kid or teen has played with you on Young Heroes. Includes a blue checkmark and shows how many games you've played together.

From a guardian whose kid or teen has played with you outside of Young Heroes (e.g. through an afterschool program or through your local library). No blue checkmark.
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Very important. If a guardian messages you, respond promptly. If someone applies for your game, approve or deny them quickly. Make sure parents and their children have all the information they need well before the session starts.

If you’re having trouble filling up your game, test and experiment! Change the title to something new or more descriptive, swap out your artwork, etc.

The average time for a new Dungeon Master joining the site to running a paid game is about 3 weeks, give or take 2 weeks.

The minimum on Young Heroes is $25 per session per player, but charge what feels right for you. You can always raise your prices as you grow.

Young Heroes Dungeon Masters are required to use D&D Beyond Maps.

Run games on a schedule that works for you. That said, our data shows that evening and weekend games in US time zones see the most bookings. Midday and European prime-time slots also perform well.

The average time from signing up to running a first paid game is about 3 weeks, give or take 2 weeks.

Experiment! Try updating your title, swapping your artwork, or adjusting your schedule. Also check that Instant Book is enabled and that you have at least 3 sessions scheduled.
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