When it comes to making competitive mobile games that capture players fast, Hidden Pixel Games has quickly made a name for itself. Founded in 2016 by industry veterans Brian Goble and Mike Marr, this studio focuses on channeling the lifelong passion and experience of its founders into skill-based games that connect and challenge players. Their breakout hit, Pool Payday, began as a quick holiday project and grew into a fan favorite, drawing millions of players.

In this edition of Behind the Build, we caught up with Brian and Mike to hear about how Hidden Pixel got started, what makes Pool Payday special, and why a little holiday break creativity can go a long way.

Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and the games you’ve developed using Skillz?

We are Hidden Pixel Games, founded in 2016 by Brian Goble and Michael Marr to focus on creating Skillz games. After learning the ins and outs of the platform with our MVP title, Knife Flip, we went on to build Pool Payday, which won the 2016 Indie Skillz Challenge.

Brian Goble is a serial entrepreneur and technical wizard, with over 25 years in the industry. He co-founded Monolith Productions and HipSoft, and led design and engineering on dozens of titles—from Blood II to Build-a-lot. In 2016, he teamed up with Mike Marr to form Hidden Pixel, a Skillz Premier Partner studio, launching the hit game Pool Payday.

Mike Marr has been creating and playing video games since before he could read and write. Laughingly referred to as “the bard of game development,” Mike has spent time as an engineer, game designer, and producer, making him a multi-disciplinary force of nature. He’s most notably known for being the General Manager at Glu Mobile, where the studio produced the hit games Deer Hunter, Dino Hunter, and Amazing Battle Creatures.

How did you create “Pool Payday” and why is it so important?

The original Pool Payday was created over Christmas break in 2016 as our entry into the 2016 Skill Indie Challenge.

We decided on a pool game using a homebrewed “game‑selection algorithm” where we evaluated time to build, art cost, fit for the Skillz platform, and addressable market.

After selecting a pool game, we used a $10 Unity Platform asset to give us the basic functionality of the game and customized it for our needs from there.

From there, the game has gone on to become a top hit on the Skillz Platform and generated millions of installs and countless clones.

Wrapping It Up: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

A huge thanks to Brian and Mike for sharing the story behind Hidden Pixel Games and their holiday-born hit, Pool Payday. Just like a thoughtfully wrapped present, this game started as a small holiday break project and turned into something that keeps on delivering fun, competition, and excitement to players all year long.

So why not unwrap a little of that holiday magic yourself? Jump into Pool Payday on Skillz and discover why this game has become a favorite for so many.