Creative leader with 20+ years guiding game design vision from concept to live operation. I define creative foundations, align design across art, engineering, sound, and production - and ship polished player experiences on schedule.
I've been obsessed with that question for over 20 years. Not fun as a feeling - fun as a system with four repeatable steps: Resonate. Engage. Create Tension. Discovery. That framework is the through-line of everything I've shipped - from mobile F2P to VR haunted attractions to Alexa-powered board games. I even wrote the book on it, literally: Blueprint for Fun.
I've named games, directed attractions, managed design orgs, shipped licensed titles, and prototyped in basements. I've worked with Nolan Bushnell, Universal, Nickelodeon, Hasbro, and a lot of teams just trying to make something people love. What I keep coming back to is that the best experiences - the ones that stick - aren't accidents. They're designed.
People tell me I create environments where the best idea wins, not the loudest voice. That I ask the right questions before picking up a tool. That I invest in people the way I invest in product. I think that's what 20 years actually teaches you - that fun is a team sport.
"Joe does what few people try - he poses the question, 'What makes something fun?' and the resulting deconstruction enables him to create successful experiences time and time again."
"Companies hire entire people-ops teams to do what Joe naturally accomplishes on his own... He understands that people do their best creative work when they feel supported, safe, and challenged."
"Joe Mares is not just a manager; he's a mentor who invests in the growth and success of his team members... I am grateful for the invaluable experiences and mentorship he's provided that have shaped my career in meaningful ways."
Most designers talk about making things fun. Few can explain what fun actually is. Blueprint for Fun answers that question - with a repeatable framework that works across platforms, budgets, audiences, and technologies, regardless of genre, precedent, or medium.
After 20 years shipping games across mobile, VR, LBE, theme parks, and tabletop, I kept seeing the same problem: teams working incredibly hard on experiences that just didn't connect. This book is the distillation of what I learned about why that happens and how to fix it.
Get the Book →Built and deployed the world's first controller-free walk-through VR haunted attraction across 30+ countries. Winner of USA TODAY's Best Theme Park Halloween Event 2024. Active B2B rollout targeting major venue operators.
Named the title that became the most-played PC game on the planet. 152M monthly active players, BAFTA Best Persistent Game, The Game Award for Best Esports Game.
152M PlayersLocation-based VR experience tied to the Jurassic World franchise. Brought cinematic IP into a real-world venue context at scale.
LBE / VROriginal multiplayer VR combat game leveraging full-body tracking with the TMNT IP. Designed core loop, combat mechanics, and progression systems.
VR / MultiplayerAlexa-powered narrative mystery game. CES Innovation Award winner. Designed the voice-first interaction model and full narrative arc.
CES Innovation AwardLed design across a dozen shipped VR/AR enterprise experiences. Built the design org, mentored associate-to-principal designers, and established cross-departmental quality frameworks.
12+ Titles ShippedPublished book articulating a universal framework for fun - a fixed process applicable across all platforms, audiences, budgets, and technologies.
Published AuthorA deep dive into how I designed, built, and deployed the world's first controller-free walk-through VR haunted attraction - now running in 30+ countries with 2,000+ paid runs.
