When the creator of Fruit Ninja spends his day with You... You Listen!

What do you do when the person behind one of the most iconic mobile games of all time walks into your space? You take notes. You ask questions. And if you’re lucky—you learn something that might just change the way you work.

That’s exactly what happened on 8 May at The Array, when we welcomed Shainiel Deo, CEO of Halfbrick Studios, for a double dose of wisdom, honesty, and real game dev grit.

Who is Shainiel Deo?

Shainiel is the CEO and Co-founder of Halfbrick Studios, one of Australia’s most successful game companies. Under his leadership, Halfbrick launched worldwide hits like Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride—games that defined a generation of mobile play. What makes Halfbrick stand out is not just the games, but the company culture: radically transparent, deeply creative, and proudly Australian.

Shainiel kicked off our TGI Masterclass by sharing Halfbrick’s journey—from scrappy survival mode to global success. He walked us through what it really takes to build not just a hit game, but a sustainable creative culture.

He wasn’t there to sugar-coat things. “I should’ve acted sooner,” he admitted about Halfbrick’s tough shift from paid games to free-to-play. It was raw, reflective, and exactly the kind of insight our local developers needed to hear.

We talked about AI, XR, and the tech on everyone’s radar. But through it all, one thing was clear: people and creativity still matter more than the newest trend.

And because one Masterclass wasn’t enough, Shainiel spent the morning with our Coworking community at The Array before heading into the Masterclass that evening at the Learning Dojo. It was chill, honest, and generous—just like him. From marketing chats to startup storytelling, our members got a rare behind-the-scenes look at the mind behind Halfbrick’s hits.

Here are just a few takeaways we’re still thinking about:

• Make five small games a year. Learn. Ship. Repeat.

• Don’t wait too long to pivot. Recognise when something isn’t working and act.

• Chaos has a system. Great ideas still need to survive testing.

• Teams last. Fame fades. Build with people you trust.

• Meditate. Stay grounded. Take care of your mind, especially in creative leadership.

• There are no silver bullets. Just persistence, curiosity, and a lot of play.

Thank you, Shainiel, for spending the day with us. And to everyone who showed up and made the night unforgettable—your curiosity and energy made it magic.

📸 Catch the full photo gallery on our Facebook and Instagram soon.

And if you want to be part of these moments, become a member. There’s more where that came from: https://www.thearray.gg/workspaces