Pao Salcedo

Game Curator

Pao standing over a skillet full of bistek tagalog

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 Gameplay

Math Invaders

March 24, 2026

They came from outer space... to quiz you! Defeat them all with your lightning-quick solutions.

Car Out

March 19, 2026

Gridlock in the parking lot! Can you move the parked cars in the correct order so you can drive home?

Fill Pix Gameplay

Fill Pix

March 13, 2026

Want to be a pixel art master? Pick up your 8-bit brush and fill these blank canvases with color.

Drop It Gameplay

Drop It

March 10, 2026

Clear 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 Gameplay

Bowling Challenge

March 5, 2026

You've never bowled like this before! Every level is a challenge that will require perfect aim and timing.

Scavenger Quest Gameplay

Scavenger Quest

March 3, 2026

Look close... look really close! Find every hidden object in the level as quickly as you can.

9 Ball Pool Gameplay

9 Ball Pool

February 19, 2026

This is pool with extra thinking. Don't think solids and stripes, shoot from 1 to 9!

Hidden Antique Shop 2 Gameplay

Hidden Antique Shop 2

February 5, 2026

You'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, 2026

Sophie the slug is stuck in the maze! Help her reach the exit without getting trapped.

Burger Stacker

January 15, 2026

This ain't your usual burger-making game. Stack ingredients in the right order, then cook them to perfection in this challenging platformer!