R & D Studios

Meet the Turbine: The Creative Minds Behind R & D Studios

Welcome to the creative engine room of R.E.D. Games. R & D Studios is the symbiotic partnership of Randy Desmarais and Steve Doak—two designers who have turned "playing around" into a high-octane discipline.

The Origin Story

Randy and Steve first crossed paths in 2011, and the chemistry was instantaneous. Since that first meeting, they haven’t just been friends; they’ve been habitual creators. What started as a shared passion for play quickly evolved into a "turbine" of innovation, spinning out concepts that challenge the boundaries of traditional gaming.

Reimagining the Classics

Playing games is how they entertained themselves and eventually some games took on a life of thier own:

  • Ultimate Bocce: Their first major project involved taking the polite, leisurely game of Bocce and putting it on "steroids." The result was a high-energy evolution so distinct from the original that it required its own digital home at ultimatebocce.ca to chronicle its transformation.
  • Mikono: Why use Paddles when you have hands? Randy and Steve stripped Ping Pong down to its core, removing the paddles to create Mikono—a much more elaborate game than the original with longer rallies and crazy shot making.

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The R & D Philosophy: "Anything and Everything is a Game"

When it came time to channel this energy into board games for R.E.D. Games, the turbine didn't just spin—it hit overdrive. Randy and Steve operate on a simple, bold premise: We can make a game out of literally any idea.  Whether it's a high-concept strategy epic or a chaotic party game, R&D Studios thrives on the challenge of the "un-gamable."

The Challenge: We dare you to find a concept we can't turn into a tabletop masterpiece. Test us and see!

Take a glimpse inside R & D Studios:

 

Ultimate Bocce - where it all started

Gridiron War is created Jan 2023

Shootout is created Feb 2023

GridIron War prototype arrives April 2023

Soccer is created September 2023

Grandslam is created September 2023

Nascard is sketched out on paper October 2023

Nascard design is drawn on the Demo Board November 2023

Nascard starting to take shape January 2024

Grandslam Prototype 1.0 arrives January 2024

Blockade is created October 2024

Grandslam Prototype 2.0 arrives November 2024

Duplexity is created December 2024

Blockade playtesting February 2025

Blockade template (special edition) is carved out on a CNC machine October 2025

Shootout Hockey Jerseys

Ultimate Bocce - where it all started

Gridiron War is created Jan 2023

Shootout is created Feb 2023

GridIron War prototype arrives April 2023

Soccer is created September 2023

Grandslam is created September 2023

Nascard is sketched out on paper October 2023

Nascard design is drawn on the Demo Board November 2023

Nascard starting to take shape January 2024

Grandslam Prototype 1.0 arrives January 2024

Blockade is created October 2024

Grandslam Prototype 2.0 arrives November 2024

Duplexity is created December 2024

Blockade playtesting February 2025

Blockade template (special edition) is carved out on a CNC machine October 2025

Shootout Hockey Jerseys

Ultimate Bocce - where it all started

Gridiron War is created Jan 2023

Shootout is created Feb 2023

GridIron War prototype arrives April 2023

Soccer is created September 2023

Grandslam is created September 2023

Nascard is sketched out on paper October 2023

Nascard design is drawn on the Demo Board November 2023

Nascard starting to take shape January 2024

Grandslam Prototype 1.0 arrives January 2024

Blockade is created October 2024

Grandslam Prototype 2.0 arrives November 2024

Duplexity is created December 2024

Blockade playtesting February 2025

Blockade template (special edition) is carved out on a CNC machine October 2025

Shootout Hockey Jerseys

Ultimate Bocce - where it all started

Gridiron War is created Jan 2023

Shootout is created Feb 2023

GridIron War prototype arrives April 2023

Soccer is created September 2023

Grandslam is created September 2023

Nascard is sketched out on paper October 2023

Nascard design is drawn on the Demo Board November 2023

Nascard starting to take shape January 2024

Grandslam Prototype 1.0 arrives January 2024

Blockade is created October 2024

Grandslam Prototype 2.0 arrives November 2024

Duplexity is created December 2024

Blockade playtesting February 2025

Blockade template (special edition) is carved out on a CNC machine October 2025

Shootout Hockey Jerseys

Your Favorite Game Show Hosts

In addition to inventing games, we also host several Game Nights throughout the year where we run contestants through our Game Jungle and see who emerges as champions on the other side.