Pao Salcedo
Game Curator

Favorite Coolmath Games: Powercut, 8 Ball Pool
Pao is an advertising copywriter turned game producer. A graduate of the NYU Game Center's Game Design MFA program, he has over 9 years of experience playing, testing, and curating games in an academic or professional setting.
As a Senior Game Producer at Coolmath Games, Pao has created comprehensive game design documents for experienced external developers and translated them into launched games, such as Rock Paper Scissors, Pirate Battle: Ships Ahoy, and Tag.
He has licensed over 100 games and counting for CoolmathGames.com (including Tiny Fishing, Slice Master, and Duck Duck Clicker) and the Coolmath Games mobile app.
Before Coolmath Games, Pao worked at Computer Lunch, developers of the hit mobile games Cell to Singularity and Mama Hawk. He researched historical tidbits for Cell to Singularity and wrote write-ups for limited-time events. He also wrote in-game text and copy for Mama Hawk, and store descriptions for the App Store and Play Store.
Prior to that he was briefly a playtester for one of the most successful tabletop RPG Kickstarters ever.
In a previous life, he was a creative copywriter in multinational ad agencies in the Philippines.
Outside the hallowed, equation-filled halls of Coolmath Games, he is playing old JRPGs, trying to catch up to the latest One Piece volume, and experimenting with his lola's adobong manok recipe.
WORK EXPERIENCE
- COOLMATH GAMES | Senior Game Producer
2019 – Present - COMPUTER LUNCH | Game Researcher
Apr – Jun 2019, Sep 2022 - KICKSTARTER RPG | Game Tester
Apr 2019 - COMPUTER LUNCH | Game Design and Copywriting
Jun – Aug 2017 - LEO BURNETT GROUP MANILA | Creative Team Head
May 2014-May 2016 - TBWA\SANTIAGO MANGADA PUNO | Copywriter
June 2010 – April 2014
EDUCATION
- NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, USA, MFA Game Design
- ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY, PHILIPPINES, BS Business Management
- ÉCOLE SUPÉRIEURE DE COMMERCE, PAU, FRANCE, Int’l Management Program
CONFERENCES ATTENDED
- Game Developers Conference 2023
- Indiecade 2017, 2018
- PlayNYC 2018, 2021
- Waffle Games 2018
Games Reviewed By Pao Salcedo
Math Invaders
March 24, 2026They came from outer space... to quiz you! Defeat them all with your lightning-quick solutions.
Car Out
March 19, 2026Gridlock in the parking lot! Can you move the parked cars in the correct order so you can drive home?
Fill Pix
March 13, 2026Want to be a pixel art master? Pick up your 8-bit brush and fill these blank canvases with color.
Drop It
March 10, 2026Clear out each row of blocks! With every block you move, a new row will appear. Make sure they don't reach the top of the screen.
Bowling Challenge
March 5, 2026You've never bowled like this before! Every level is a challenge that will require perfect aim and timing.
Scavenger Quest
March 3, 2026Look close... look really close! Find every hidden object in the level as quickly as you can.
9 Ball Pool
February 19, 2026This is pool with extra thinking. Don't think solids and stripes, shoot from 1 to 9!
Hidden Antique Shop 2
February 5, 2026You're back at work in the Hidden Antique Shop. Spot every keepsake before the time runs out, and don't mind the dust...
Sophie The Slug
January 27, 2026Sophie the slug is stuck in the maze! Help her reach the exit without getting trapped.
Burger Stacker
January 15, 2026This ain't your usual burger-making game. Stack ingredients in the right order, then cook them to perfection in this challenging platformer!