Santosh A P
Bangalore
Summary
Director-level Game Designer with 20+ years in gaming and 16 years leading high-impact design across top-grossing global F2P titles. Principal designer of Bingo Bash, India’s #1 mobile game with $100M+ annual revenue, and design lead behind Garena’s India-first synchronous multiplayer AAA title. Deep expertise in systems design, economy balancing, live ops strategy, monetization design, progression, social loops, product vision, and team leadership. Skilled at scaling games from concept → global success, improving retention, boosting monetization, and aligning product, engineering, and art around a unified vision. A strategic thinker with hands-on execution skills — able to guide teams, ship features fast, analyze KPIs, and iterate toward winning product outcomes.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Game Designer
Garena
Pune
01.2021 - 01.2024
- Led design for a flagship India-market title with first-in-genre synchronous multiplayer
- Owned product vision, feature roadmap, core systems, meta, and monetization strategy
- Designed India-specific payment integrations to increase conversion
- Created player progression systems, event loops, and engagement drivers
- Collaborated with engineering, art, and product leadership to maintain a cohesive vision
- Drove KPI-aligned feature design with measurable improvements to retention and engagement
Lead Game Designer
GSN Games / Scopley
Bengaluru
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Owned feature roadmap + system design across core gameplay, meta, and monetization, aligning cross-functional pods (PM, engineering, art, analytics).
- Delivered high-impact features under aggressive timelines, improving retention and revenue while maintaining strong design documentation + production pipelines.
- Led vision and execution through full lifecycle (concept → prototype → launch → iteration), ensuring consistent KPI growth and product cohesion.
Game Design Consultant
Freelance
Bengaluru
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Led high-impact feature and systems design for Teen Patti Gold (Moonfrog), driving meaningful boosts in player engagement and gameplay depth.
- Expanded portfolio value for PokerStars by delivering new systems and gameplay for Jackpot Poker & Slots; created a full TV game-show format for Apra Games.
- Modernized MechMocha’s Ludo with redesigned gameplay loops and engagement mechanics, elevating a classic into a more competitive, modern multiplayer experience.
Lead Game Designer
Mech Mocha
Bengaluru
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Led end-to-end design of Jetpack Joyride (India edition), tailoring core systems, pacing, and UX for regional player behavior and market fit.
- Designed India-specific monetization systems and economy loops that aligned with local payer patterns and boosted conversion.
- Built culturally resonant gameplay features that significantly improved engagement, accessibility, and session length among Indian audiences.
Senior Game Designer
Zynga
Bengaluru
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Drove revenue, retention, and core-loop optimizations, delivering multi-million-dollar KPI improvements across major Zynga titles.
- Designed and launched new features exceeding $2M+ performance targets, shaping core systems, meta loops, and long-term engagement strategies.
- Provided leadership across pods by mentoring designers, refining pipelines, and aligning teams around a unified product vision and roadmap.
Lead Game Designer
Bash Gaming / GSN Games
Bengaluru
01.2010 - 01.2015
- Principal designer on Bingo Bash, owning core systems, feature roadmap, and gameplay evolution that scaled the title into India’s #1 mobile game and a top-grossing global bingo product.
- Designed high-impact social and virality systems (Facebook invites, gifting, sharing loops) that significantly boosted DAU, session frequency, and organic acquisition.
- Built and optimized monetization engines that increased both first-time and repeat purchases, strengthening long-term LTV and player lifecycle health.
Education
MBA - Marketing
University of Sheffield
England, UJK01.2007
BBM - Marketing
Administrative Management College
Bengaluru01.2004
Skills
- Systems design and monetization strategy
- Live operations management
- Player retention and lifecycle
- KPI ownership and data-driven design
- Product strategy and roadmap leadership
- Feature specification and execution
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team development
- Mentorship and coaching
- Design culture enhancement
- Rapid prototyping and iteration
Timeline
Lead Game Designer
Garena
01.2021 - 01.2024
Lead Game Designer
GSN Games / Scopley
01.2020 - 01.2021
Game Design Consultant
Freelance
01.2017 - 01.2020
Lead Game Designer
Mech Mocha
01.2016 - 01.2017
Senior Game Designer
Zynga
01.2015 - 01.2016
Lead Game Designer
Bash Gaming / GSN Games
01.2010 - 01.2015
MBA - Marketing
University of Sheffield
BBM - Marketing
Administrative Management College