Behind the Play: Game Designer Arron Mollet

In this Behind the Play feature, Aron Mollet shares how his experiences as an athlete, game designer, and father of two shape the games your family plays on Nex Playground.

Eight years ago, Arron had just returned home from playing professional basketball in Taiwan when a friend invited him to a local park to test a new basketball shot-tracking app.

Little did he know that afternoon would lead to a career designing games for families. Shortly after testing the app, Arron joined the small startup behind it as a product designer.

Who Designs Games with Nex?

Nex Playground games are designed by people like Arron, who bring unique backgrounds and experiences to game development.

When Arron joined Nex, he had no formal training in design or software development. He did have two decades of basketball experience, a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science, and a background as a trainer.

That experience gave him a different perspective on game design. "I wasn’t product focused; I was user focused," Arron explains.

He thought about kids who were just beginning their basketball journeys and what he wished he'd had at their age. He wanted to create something that would make a real difference for kids to help them develop their skills.

How Are Nex Playground Games Designed to Get Kids Moving?

Nex Playground games get kids moving by making physical activity part of the fun. Using motion-tracking technology, kids use their bodies as the controller to complete challenges, score points, and have fun.

For Arron, this approach goes back to Nex's early days.

The team originally focused on HomeCourt, a basketball training app that helped players practice and develop their skills. About four years into Arron's time with the company, Nex expanded from basketball training to motion-based video games for kids.

While that might sound like a big change, Arron saw it differently. Because the purpose behind the games remained the same.

He compares Nex Playground to something as simple as a basketball hoop. Both give kids a reason to move by turning physical activity into a game with a goal to work toward.

Here are a few examples he shared:

• Home Run Heroes: Swing your arms with the right timing to hit home runs and score points.
• Keepy Uppy in Bluey: Bust a Move: Run, jump, and reach to keep balloons from touching the ground.
• Copy Cat Deluxe: Twist and stretch your body to match silly poses while a cheeky raccoon rates your performance.

"We are attempting to teach the same thing over and over in 60+ different ways. Taking on challenges is rewarding," Arron explains.

Can Video Games Help Kids Develop Important Life Skills?

Yes! Video games that encourage active play give kids opportunities to practice skills like perseverance, problem-solving, and learning from mistakes.

Many of those lessons started on the basketball court for Arron.

"Basketball taught me a lot of really important life lessons, and we have a unique opportunity with Playground to bring some of those lessons into the living room," he shares.

Growing up playing sports shaped how Arron thinks about effort, competition, and the value of taking on challenges. Now, as a game designer, he hopes kids can experience some of those same lessons through active gaming.

Whether they're figuring out the timing of a new movement or trying a different strategy after losing a round, kids can practice those skills while having fun.

How Does Nex Playground Encourage Kids to Keep Trying?

Nex Playground encourages kids to keep trying by making games fun and giving them a reason to come back for another round.

That motivation has become even more important to Arron since becoming a father of two boys.

Over his eight years at Nex, he's discovered how closely his roles as a parent and game designer influence each other.

"The challenge and joy of being a father to two boys has made me more empathetic and better as a designer. And my time spent thinking deeply about what kids need broadly, as a designer, has made me better as a father," Arron shares.

He understands why winning matters to kids. It's exciting, and those little victories give them something to work toward.

But as a parent, he's also thinking about what happens along the way.

"The lessons I want my kids to learn don’t come from winning. They come from trying to win, and the first step in trying to win is playing," he says. "At the end of the day, I care less about how good they are at things, and I care a lot more about how good they are as people."