UT student builds Tavern, a connection platform for D&D campaigns
The founder pitched “Tavern” at the Spring 2025 Vol Court competition through the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) and took home second place.
More than 50 million people worldwide have “interacted” with Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) since it was created in the mid-1970s, according to a report by the New York Times. Many websites cater to the storytelling side of the game, character customization, and virtual/ digital gaming community, but not one seamlessly connects people to begin new campaigns.
Semilore Abiodun-Adeniyi (Semmy) gathers with a group of five people to play each week. He’s been the “Game Master” for the past year, meaning that he navigates game play and keeps track of each character’s evolving storyline. His group has become closer as the game evolved, adding to the enjoyment and dynamics. But Semmy remembered the unique challenge of finding five people to play.
“When I tried looking for campaigns, I found it hard to find a group that matched my schedule, vibe, and shared the same goals for gameplay,” Semmy said.
He is currently a computer science student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). He thought to himself, there’s got to be a better solution.
“If you connect people with the right group, a campaign can continue for 20+ years. It’s that dynamic and interesting,” Semmy said. “But approaching people about D&D and fantasy games can be difficult.”
He pitched a business idea for a new platform called “Tavern” at the Spring 2025 Vol Court competition through the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI). The concept is to create a platform where D&D players can connect locally, facilitate campaigns, and teach new players the game rules. During the competition, he place in second and took home a $1,000 check to advance the idea.
Semmy pointed out that the barrier to entry for new players can feel overwhelming since the game can be complex.
“If you don’t have someone guiding you, it can be a headache. So, we want our platform to be that resource,” he said.
Tavern is currently in development. Semmy is working with some of his computer science classmates to build the platform, which surprisingly doesn’t already exist. While websites for D&D offer character design and forums, there isn’t a single platform dedicated to matching groups. When Semmy officially announced and marketed the idea for Tavern, he was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive feedback he received on Discourse and other social media.
“I’ve seen a lot of projects start up and fail. I’m in contact with the developer of one of those projects, and the main issue is that she has a full-time job. So, developing the community platform became more of a side project. From my perspective, you need someone working on this full-time. As a student, I have the capacity to do that,” Semmy said.
The platform will allow players to join, create a profile about each of their characters, as well as define attributes, playstyle, and availability. Then, the platform will recommend groups based on shared styles, and then help facilitate the campaign launch – either in-person or in a virtual capacity.
Semmy’s hope is that Tavern can take off and support him upon graduation.
“It would be rewarding to do something I love as a full-time career,” Semmy concluded. “I’ve been studying computer science my whole life, and to apply those skills to benefit the D&D feels right.”
To learn more about Tavern, visit the website.
Connect with Semilore Abiodun-Adeniyi (Semmy).
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