Frustrated by boring preschool games, Elon Lee and his four-year-old daughter designed their own using craft supplies. This collaborative process led to 12 prototypes, four of which became successful retail products. It highlights the power of co-creating directly with the target audience, even young children, to build something they'll love.

The company's core philosophy is not to create entertaining games, but to create "games that make the people you're playing with entertaining." This principle guides their design to focus on facilitating interaction and connection, treating the game as a catalyst for a social experience rather than the experience itself.

The guiding principle for the game was that every card must create an interaction between players. This intentional design choice ensures people play against each other, not just against the game's rules. It fosters a social, dynamic, and often confrontational experience that keeps players engaged.

Sea transformed its hit game, Free Fire, from a static product into an evergreen service. By treating it as a platform, they continuously add new gameplay and rapidly integrate real-world social trends (like a famous local hippo), making the game a dynamic cultural hub that extends beyond gameplay.

The game's original name was the generic "Bomb Squad." Co-creator Matt Inman argued that being scared of a bomb is obvious, but being scared of "cute, adorable, fuzzy little kittens" is absurd and memorable. This simple, clever rebranding was a critical ingredient for the game's massive success.

When their Kickstarter momentum slowed, the team ignored monetary goals. Instead, they created "achievements"—absurd, collaborative tasks for the community. This transformed the campaign into a game, re-engaging the audience and driving growth by prioritizing community over cash.

Success isn't linear. Mobile gaming giant Supercell didn't start with mobile games, and drone delivery firm ZipLine began with a robotic toy. This shows that foundational failures in one area can be the necessary learning experiences that lead to market-defining success in another.

Supercell's culture redefines failure. Instead of punishing unsuccessful projects, they are treated as learning experiments. The company literally celebrates killing a game with champagne, reinforcing that learning from a false hypothesis is a valuable outcome.

At the end of every design retreat, game designers must pitch their creations to the marketing team. If marketers can't envision a clear path to sell the product, they have the power to kill it immediately. This process ensures that every game developed is inherently marketable and commercially viable from day one.