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We have a simple mission: to inspire joy, spark laughter, and bring people together through play.
OFJOY was born out of a passion for playing games and the magical moments they create. The founders–Giovanni Ruiz and Lawrence Beall–shared not only a love of games, but also a passion for entrepreneurship and the arts.
In 2022, Ruiz and his sister started a friendly competition to see who could design their own game first. The competition began as a casual and playful way to discuss different game ideas. But then Ruiz and Beall came up with the concept for Death By Cupcakes, and realized that game design might actually be a calling for them. In addition to having a shared interest in games, both Ruiz and Beall are serial entrepreneurs who have started many business ventures. By drawing on this diverse and well-rounded background, Ruiz and Beall were able to grow OFJOY into what it is today. While developing and perfecting Death By Cupcakes, Ruiz and Beall spent the next few years researching the game industry and in 2025 they formally incorporated OFJOY LLC.
At OFJOY, designing each game is very personal and a labor of love. We are grateful to all our amazing fans for their support that allows us to follow our dream of sharing our love of games with the world.
Lawrence's Origins
Lawrence's Origins
Lawrence, has built a reputation as a visionary artist whose passion for creativity took root early, setting him on a journey marked by a seamless blend of artistic inspiration and technical precision. As a child, visiting museums with his designer mother ignited his fascination for art——especially when a memorable origami exhibit first caught his eye. After that, during designer work meetings with his mom, he would quietly lose himself in folding intricate paper forms, a simple pastime that evolved into a lifelong passion. Later, during his teenage years, a community fundraising event inspired him to help by crafting his first pieces of origami art jewelry. The fundraising went great! This early success propelled him to launch his own fashion line as a teenager—one that showcased his jewelry, provided opportunities for other students, and even earned his creations a feature on Teen Vogue Online.
Lawrence continued to broaden his creative horizons by venturing into art sculptures and wall art. In 2017, he unveiled his ambitious two-story origami art piece, Temple of Neptune, at The Riverside Art Museum and authored Neo Origami: An Ancient Art Reborn, a thought-provoking manifesto that reimagined traditional paper folding. His passion only deepened as he pursued industrial engineering at Harvey Mudd College, where a mentoring professor recognized his potential and taught him valuable insights into optimizing manufacturing processes.
Building on this solid foundation, Lawrence channeled his refined creative and technical talents into launching Beall Origami Jewelry on Amazon Handmade in 2019. His origami earrings quickly became a sensation—orders surged to the point that he worked round the clock over the holidays, even recruiting his family to help pack shipments; his apartment windows were nearly obscured by boxes, and his local post office eventually asked him to use the building’s loading dock to manage the influx. Ultimately, he earned Amazon Handmade bestseller status, cementing his reputation as a trailblazer in merging art with modern production techniques. Alongside these achievements, Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Claremont McKenna College, blending a deep appreciation for the past with his forward-thinking vision.
Giovanni's Origins
Giovanni's Origins
Giovanni’s leadership and entrepreneurial flair were evident from his earliest school days. Even as a young child, he delighted in inspiring creativity among his peers—lending out his office supplies and even “renting” them after wowing everyone with a hand-crafted polka-dot paper-mâché figure for Mother’s Day. Buoyed by the positive response, he soon recognized an opportunity: if his friends could benefit from borrowing supplies, then everyone should have access to owning them. This insight led him to start selling school supplies at school—marking his first taste of business. That early blend of ingenuity and resourcefulness blossomed into a lifelong passion.
Giovanni making crafts in kindergarten
A glowing recommendation from a middle school teacher earned Giovanni a place in the Gifted and Talented Education Program, while the school secretary advised his counselor that his natural talents could be further honed through extracurricular drama. His drama coach quickly took notice, consistently pairing him with more experienced students and setting Giovanni on a winning streak in statewide and national drama competitions. Later, upon entering high school and realizing that his new school lacked a robust drama program, Giovanni took the initiative to lead one as a teen drama coach—spending countless hours passionately editing scripts for his peers. At the same time, he performed at the Fontana Mummers Community Theatre and enrolled in professional acting classes to refine his craft. When a teacher observed Giovanni teaching college-level courses, he dismissed his efforts with high school students as a waste of time, arguing that young people should learn to fail on their own. Giovanni was shocked and outraged—how can someone be indifferent to helping others succeed when they have the ability to make a difference?
Giovanni (left) performing at Fontana Mummers Community Theatre in 2000
In 2004, Giovanni launched his free magazine Prosperidad, empowering others with practical insights on building their own business ventures. The following year, he produced the independent short film 208—a project designed to help aspiring talent bolster their resumes and move closer to landing their dream jobs in the entertainment industry. Giovanni’s creative journey continued as he shared his talents at Nickelodeon, while his experiences as a teen drama coach and dedicated performer at the Fontana Mummers Community Theatre laid the foundation for his unwavering commitment to creative pursuits.
Content of the first issue of Prosperidad Magazine in 2004
Giovanni (right) backstage at a Nickelodeon TV studio in 2006
In 2014, fueled by a surge of creative energy, Giovanni not only launched Closet Monster—his first t-shirt retail store in Los Angeles, where his original screen-printed designs stood as a vivid testament to his innovative spirit—but also ventured into an import/export trade aimed at boosting sales for local artisans. Captivated by the exquisite handmade clay pottery and vases crafted near his mother's home in Mexico, he was eager to help share that beautiful art with the world.
Giovanni's first t-shirt design concept for Closet Monster in 20014
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