Bringing Games to Life
Who We Are
We are NinjaPotato Games! We make a variety of outdoor experiences which will have you exploring your city in an effort to complete objectives and/or compete with others.
Our aim is to provide you with immersive means of being outside, getting active and meeting new people. Check out our wellness page to learn more about why that's so awesome.
Meet The Team
Our Story
How did we come to be?
We are the product of an athletic gamer with a love for creating named Mathieu Charette and some of the people he's met along the way. Below are the events that led to who we are and what we do today.
​
Why "NinjaPotato"?
It was in high school that Mat came up with the concept of NinjaPotato. It started out as his video game alias. Being both an avid gamer and an agile wrestler with medals to show; he felt like he related to both the (couch) potato and the ninja. Given how much Mat loves to act goofy and have fun, slapping the two together to make something silly like NinjaPotato seemed all too perfect!
​
Why Live Games?
Growing up, Mat spent a lot of time playing games like Capture the Flag, Kick the Can and Hide and Go Seek with his friends. In his childhood, he would make board games and play them with his father. In his teen years, Charette began teaching himself how to code so that he could start making video games. He eventually studied computer programming at Cambrian College where he spent many years believing that he would one day create a game design company which he would
call: "NinjaPotato Games."
During that time, he created a logo with the best of his copy-paste abilities and in 2013 the very first visualization of NinjaPotato was created!
He went on to graduate as a Computer Programmer Analyst at Cambrian College and has since taught himself various skills such as game design, coding microchips, 3D printing and more.
After a couple years of working as a coder, Mat
First ever NinjaPotato image.
decided that even though he enjoys coding - he needs to do it less often. Additionally, he learned that the corporate environment was not for him. He proceeded to explore his love for gardening and found a part-time job in a garden center. On the side, Charette continued to hone his tech skills. He still wanted to run his own business doing something he loves, but felt as though game design was not the best route for him.
A few months went by until the right idea came up... "Why make video games when we can make real life FEEL like a videogame?" Realizing that this would let him code less and play with mechanics more - which was his greater passion - he set a new plan into motion. Mat saved $50 per paycheck working minimum wage, part-time until he could afford his very first DIY 3D printer kit. It took four months of saving and he spent over 16 hours on assembly, but now he was prepared to learn prototyping and make the gadgets needed to create and play these new games.
​
When Did Things Get More... Official?
Early 2019, Mat met Alex Gagnon - founder of Timmins Fitness Alternatives and owner of Covert Mission Games Ontario.
At this time, Mat wanted to create a million complicated gadgets in order to re-create videogames in the real world and he was going to start off with the FPS genre. Realistically, this would have taken him a decade or more of hard work to accomplish.
Alex, though, was already running a variety of classes and events which allow people to get active while having fun. He was in search of someone with technical expertise to make outdoor games with digital components - basically the same thing Mat wanted to do but on a much more achievable scale.
After a bit of time discussing visions and building trust, everything clicked. Mat and Alex signed a contract in March of that year and together they created SpyNSeek which ran several successful events in Timmins the summer of 2019.
Finally, on March 25, 2020 NinjaPotato Games was officially registered as a licensed business operating out of Sudbury, Ontario with the intention of creating and hosting live, outdoor games.
It is around this time that we had ceased to operate due to the pandemic but we've taken this time to learn new technologies, create this awesome website and make new games! As the province re-opens expect to see more of NinjaPotato Games and Covert Mission Games Ontario in both Timmins and Sudbury!
​
Why Advocate #5W2W?
If we backtrack a few years to 2019, Charette met Veronica Mensah. At the time, Veronica was in the process of completing her nursing degree with a double major in Psychology and Pre-Health already behind her. They met at a gathering with friends on Canada day and in November, they became life partners. She soon became an active part of NinjaPotato Games in helping Mat with a wide range of tasks such as acting, photography, social media and much more.
In 2021 as launch began to approach, Veronica brought up a movement she was a part of back when she studied Psychology at University of Toronto called The Five Ways to Wellbeing. It advocates the five different things that we, as humans, need in our lives in order to maintain a healthy mind.
This movement fit so perfectly within the business seeing as our events already provided some to many of the benefits in all 5 categories! Since then, Mat and Veronica have been taking steps towards using the brand to advocate wellness.
For more details on the movement or how our events can help you stay healthy, you may contact us or view our wellness page.
Our Partner
