It all started with three friends and an idea…
Our game design philosophy is simple; We want to create accessible, balanced, high-quality games that can be enjoyed by experienced and novice players alike.
Meet our team
Dedicated professionals driving our success
Christian Barry
Co-owner | CFO
Christian brings a background in accounting to Masters of Myth, along with a lifelong interest in board and card games.
As Co-Owner and CFO, Christian oversees the company’s accounting, finance, and legal matters, while also contributing to the game itself through balancing, proofreading, and playtesting. He particularly enjoys the challenge of creating decks that are balanced against one another in order to allow games to be decided by strategy and decision making rather than simply by which deck a player choses.
Each founder brings a different area of expertise to Masters of Myth, with Christian focused primarily on the financial and business side while also helping shape the gameplay and final product.
Zachary Barton
Co-owner | COO
Zach brings a long history of enjoying card games to help bring Masters of Myth to life. He joined the Masters of Myth team near the very beginning and has been part of the development team every since.
He oversees development as well as much of the artistic direction of the game, drawing on his long-standing friendships with and connections to the talented artists who give Masters of Myth its distinctive flair and personality.
Still actively involved in other card games and the local communities surrounding them, Zach is passionate about fostering a welcoming and fun environment for everyone. Whether you're playing Masters of Myth or simply enjoying the community around it, he wants to make sure everyone has a great time.
Michael Shaddock
Co-owner | CMO
Michael brings a lifelong passion for creativity, game development, and design to Masters of Myth. He was instrumental in designing the game’s initial decks and rules, helping establish the foundation that would grow into the game it is today.
As Co-Owner and CMO, Michael oversees the company’s marketing and website while also contributing his expertise in game development, graphic design, and production. He has spent countless hours in design documents tinkering with new deck concepts, card ideas, and mechanics. Some of which you just might see in a future release.
Michael rounds out the team by taking on whatever role is needed to help Masters of Myth and the company succeed. Whether he’s designing a new card, refining the website, creating marketing materials, or working behind the scenes, he is always looking for new ways to help the game grow and give players something exciting to look forward to.
Why Is It Called You’re Close! Gaming?
Coming up for a name for your company isn’t easy, it must be unique enough to stand out but not so unique that someone would have difficulty remembering it. We tossed around a few different ideas but ended up settling on You’re Close! Gaming based on a catch phrase we came up with in college. Now, I will regale you with the tale of how that phrase came to be.
One night while we were in college, the three of us had taken over one of the study rooms to play our favorite wargame at the time. We had all of our models set up, terrain laid out and all but Christian’s dice were rolling poorly (per usual). The study room was connected to some of the on-campus housing, some of our more eccentric classmates decided to throw a party in their room. So many, many intoxicated partygoers were walking by our study room. This had been going on for a few hours when one enterprising individual decided to open the door and walk in.
This gentleman, clearly intoxicated, unsteadily stood at the end of our game table. We greeted him, but he gave no response, however he seemed very interested in our game. He started walking around to take a closer look at our models, so we asked him a few more questions, had he ever played before? Did he need anything? Still no response. Eventually he made his way over to Christian’s models. Unsettled by his lack of response, Christian approached the gentleman, asking him if he needed anything. To which, the gentleman took a stumbling step back and raised finger defiantly stating the only two words he would ever speak to us. He slurred out, “You’re Close!” moments later he would stumble out of the room leaving us with endless questions and a new catch phrase, “You’re Close!”
So random stranger, if you too have this memory, thank you for providing an everlasting lasting memory.