Inside Happiness Interactive: Mathew Hoi-Broad
Mathew Hoi-Broad is the Creative Director at Happiness Interactive, a video game studio based in Vancouver, Canada. With a background in game design from Vancouver Film School, Mathew blends storytelling, systems thinking, and play theory to craft living digital worlds. His work explores games as tools for self-discovery and emotional growth. He believes play is a vital force across all stages of life, and designs immersive experiences where players and AI coexist equally. unlocking joy, curiosity, and a deeper sense of presence through interactive exploration.
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- I used to experience suicidal thoughts and even attempts, but over time, I’ve learned to handle intense emotions differently.
- I discovered something called IFS—Internal Family Systems, or “parts work.” It’s based on the idea that we’re made up of different parts inside us, and each one has its own voice.
- Now, when I feel overwhelmed, I pause, breathe, and let those parts speak. It helps me understand what’s really going on—without letting the emotion completely take over.
Breathing is everything. It took me a while to realize this.
I've read a lot of Eckhart Tolle's books which talk about breathing. I realized that breathing is really the foundation of everything.
- Book: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
- Book: No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz
- App: Finch - Self Care Pet
Things were okay when I started school, but I eventually realized I was being a bully, especially to my best friend. I used to threaten that if he didn’t do what I wanted, our friendship would “break,” even miming a chain snapping.
Once, I made him cry on the bus, and I lied about it. Seeing how much I hurt him changed me.
Later, I had to repeat third grade, which was traumatic. I lost connection with friends but stayed close with him—and even made a new best friend by annoying him into noticing me. We’re all still friends today.