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Avi Romanoff

Founder at Magic Circle (a16z SR2)

Avi Romanoff is the Founder and CEO of Magic Circle, a game studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been leading this venture since its establishment in 2022, focusing on creating engaging multiplayer games that foster connections among players through cooperation and creativity.12

Background and Education

Romanoff is an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned recognition for his innovative projects during his studies. His accolades include winning multiple hackathons, such as the Grand Prize at PennApps and first place at Apple's iOS App Challenge.1 These experiences laid a strong foundation for his entrepreneurial endeavors.

Professional Experience

Before founding Magic Circle, Romanoff was involved in various tech projects that emphasized rapid development and user engagement. Under his leadership, Magic Circle has gained traction by offering games accessible through platforms like Discord, emphasizing a relaxed and low-pressure gaming environment.3 The studio has also been recognized for its innovative approach to game development, utilizing modern infrastructure to scale efficiently while maintaining low operational costs.3

Vision for Magic Circle

Romanoff's vision for Magic Circle revolves around creating games that not only entertain but also strengthen relationships among friends and communities. The studio aims to ship new content rapidly, reflecting a commitment to agile development practices typical in the tech industry.3

In summary, Avi Romanoff is a dynamic entrepreneur with a strong background in technology and game development, dedicated to enhancing social interactions through gaming.

Highlights

Sep 4 · linkedin

🚀✨🎉 As of 11am today: Magic Circle is launched GLOBALLY on Discord!

Now, 10s of millions of Discord users can play the next generation of party games where they're already hanging out: in Discord DMs & servers :)

After 6 months of intense focus & collaboration with the awesome team at Discord, we're super proud to be among the very first game studios to ship a game on Discord's new game platform.

Going global comes after our soft-launch in Canada, where thousands of users played Magic Circle via organic discovery & word of mouth — collectively playing for 250+ DAYS of in-game time in just 3 weeks (!!!)

This is (literally) day 1, and we're just getting started. Huge thank you to the folks who made this possible:

  • The talented folks at Discord for lots of playtesting, partnership & recognition over these past few months (particular s/o to Matthew Hovanec for many late-night bug chasing sessions!)

  • Our wonderful investors including Niko Bonatsos and Jonny Z. at General Catalyst, Andrew Lee at A16Z GAMES, Michael Akilian & Maran Nelson.

  • Our incredible team at Magic Circle: Rob Kayson, Xiao Xiao Long, Abraham Dieckman, and Jynnie Tang emeritus — y'all have made coming into the office every day such a joy 💜

And last but not least, the 10s of thousands of players who've played Magic Circle over the past few weeks!! We have so much more in store, stay tuned for more :D

You can play now in any Discord text or voice chat (including DMs!), on the web at https://magiccircle.gg, and join our Discord Server at https://lnkd.in/dZFG3e7Z!

Mar 25 · linkedin

if you've ever wondered why it's called Magic Circle, this is why

Had an incredible time bringing Magic Circle to GDC this week. The best part is taking people from "how do you play?" to "omg this is so fun" in about 60 seconds.

magic is the feeling, circle is the form 💜

besides folks spontaneously circling up to play with friends and strangers alike, attendees could also create their very own REAL LIFE magic circle avatar... complete with stickers, nametag, and of course, a lanyard to wear it around (and a QR code to play again on the back :))

after playing the game with friends for about 30 minutes standing outside our table, one person told me "this is the best thing I've done at GDC so far", and man, that just about made my week.

so proud of the magic circle team for pulling it all together — all I had to do was stand around and talk about it!

p.s. lmk if you want to see a recording from our pitch at a16z games demo day, lmk!

Related Questions

What inspired Avi Romanoff to start Magic Circle?
How did Avi Romanoff's experience at Carnegie Mellon influence his career?
What are some of the notable projects Avi Romanoff has worked on?
How does Magic Circle's approach to game design differ from other studios?
What challenges has Avi Romanoff faced while scaling Magic Circle?
Avi Romanoff
Avi Romanoff, photo 1
Avi Romanoff, photo 2
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Location

San Francisco Bay Area