Raphael Coutinho is a Game Designer with over decade of involvement in game development, both academically and professionally. His background spans both hands-on production and teaching, giving him a broad approach to game development.

Raphael is especially interested in how games place players inside an experience. He believes that interactive systems have a unique ability to foster strong emotions, from empathy and reflection to joy, curiosity, and hope. To him, thoughtful game design understands the weight of player agency and how immersion gives meaning to every design decision. This is something he strives to bring into every project he works on.

His professional experience includes designing and programming digital adaptations of well-known party games such as 5 Second Rule and The Game of Things, where clarity, accessibility, and player experience were central to the design process. Alongside his industry work, Raphael teaches game design at the Centennial College, an experience that continually sharpens his design thinking and reinforces the importance of intention, communication, and collaboration.