Today we’d like to introduce you to David Razidlo
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our family and friends have always loved playing games when we are together, from quick, silly games to more complex, strategic games. I got frustrated, though, that it was so hard to find the time and the right group of people to play certain games with. This led us to create Game Haven – a web app specifically geared towards board game enthusiasts and designed to help people connect with each other. Game Haven (MyGameHaven.com) is free to use, and provides a platform for finding and creating game events near you, finding people who want to play the same kind of games, and personalized game recommendations based on our custom machine learning model. My brother, a coworker, and I built Game Haven as a startup over the past four years, and we are excited that it is now live and ready to use.
Related to that, I have attended a few board game conventions over the years, which are always memorable and fun. These gaming events align perfectly with our mission at Game Haven – helping people connect in person, share common experiences, and make memories. We realized that our community of Rochester, Minnesota, had not had such an event in many years. This led us to create Rochester’s own board gaming convention, which we named Castle Con. We just held the inaugural Castle Con in January 2025, and it was beyond our expectations! Over 700 people attended this weekend-long convention, most from southeastern MN but some from a great distance! It was very important to us that we created an event that was welcoming and fun for all – both experienced gamers and people who had never been to such an event before, but were game to give it a try. We heard so many stories about how much it meant to be able to get out on a winter weekend, meet and play games with new people, and make memories and have fun. We had such a great experience that we are hosting the next Castle Con in May!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest part of building Game Haven and Castle Con is building awareness. When we tell people about both the website and the convention, they are very excited! But it has been challenging getting the word out to people. For Game Haven, the networking effect is an important part of the software – finding other users and events near you is a valuable part of the website. To get the most out of MyGameHaven.com, we encourage people to help spread the word and help grow Game Haven in their communities.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our goal with Game Haven is that it is a web-based platform that is friendly and helpful for all kinds of gamers – from very casual to very serious, and for all kinds of tabletop games. Our customized game recommendation engine is unique in that it is based on how much individuals like certain board games – not what they buy, not what is critically acclaimed, and not what is popular with other groups. Users can also search for gaming events near them of all sizes – from small game nights at a local brewery to conventions, and even use the Events feature to create their own public events! Based on our experience creating Castle Con, we also designed and added an Event Scheduling feature for conventions, so users can use Game Haven to host games and sign up for spots in other scheduled games.
We created Castle Con, a new board game convention in Rochester, Minnesota, to bring people together. Castle Con was inspired by and named after its venue – the Historic Chateau Theater, which features an incredible castle facade complete with night sky. It is the PERFECT venue for gaming events, especially those with a fantasy theme, and elevates the whole convention to a magical experience. Our top priority for Castle Con is to be welcoming for all levels of gamers. Experienced gamers find each other to play the kinds of complex games that work best at big conventions, but importantly, also volunteer to teach games and lead events, helping make the convention fun and approachable for everyone.
Our next event is “Castle Con: Enter the Dungeon” on May 10-11, and will focus primarily on Tabletop role playing games. This includes games like Dungeons & Dragons, but is so much broader than that. Beyond fantasy games, there are also different themes, and games for all ages and levels of experience. We are in search of Game Masters willing to lead games/sessions!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The tabletop gaming industry is rapidly expanding, with thousands of new games introduced annually, many coming from independent publishers catering to diverse interests and niche audiences. While the core appeal remains rooted in face-to-face interactions, innovations like Augmented Reality (AR) and other digital enhancements are beginning to influence gameplay.
Another powerful aspect of tabletop games is their inherent inclusivity. Board games uniquely bridge cultural, political, and social divides, sometimes even overcoming language barriers. As our society becomes increasingly diverse, fostering meaningful connections through shared experiences like tabletop gaming grows more essential.
Pricing:
- Game Haven is free to use (MyGameHaven.com). Simply create a free online account, and then you can engage with the site – use it to manage your game library, keep a running log of games you play and annotate with photos or notes, build your friend network and see what games they are playing. To get customized game recommendations, rate as many games as you can – both what you like and what you don’t like! This helps provide data for or algorithm to recommend games based on other users that like (and dislike) the same kinds of games.
- Castle Con: Enter the Dungeon will be on May 10-11 in Rochester MN. Registration for the weekend is $20, $10 for students, and kids under 11 are free. You can use MyGameHaven.com to schedule and sign up for games that you want to attend.
- https://mygamehaven.com/#/public/home/castleCon2025ETD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mygamehaven.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gameHavenApp
