Born on the Coastal coast. Built around the joy of play.
CoastalRange started in a small office overlooking Victoria’s Inner Harbour in spring 2022. Three people who loved classic arcade cabinets from the 1980s asked a simple question: what would a play game look like if designed purely for fun — no money, no pressure, no entertainment platform tricks?
Growing up, the founders had watched family members be drawn into gambling habits that were hard to break. That experience gave CoastalRange a clear north star: build something that captures the visual excitement of playing columns without any of the financial mechanics that make gambling harmful.
Victoria, British Columbia, blends Coastal wilderness with a love of the arts, food, and quiet community life. We wanted our game to feel like that — unhurried, visually rich, and honest. The deep forest greens and warm amber tones of the Vancouver Island coast run through every pixel we design.
Today, CoastalRange is played by tens of thousands of adults across Canada. We have never charged a single cent, and we never plan to.
The arcade era of the 1970s and 80s gave the world games that were pure — you put in your token, played as long as your skill allowed, and walked away with a memory, not a debt. That philosophy is baked into every mechanic of CoastalRange.
Our column symbols draw from Coastal Northwest iconography: totem animals, cedar patterns, ocean waves, mountain ridgelines, and harvest colours. We worked with local illustrators and took months to get the palette right. Nothing was rushed.
The sound design borrows textures from classic electro-mechanical cabinets — the satisfying clunk of playing drums, the gentle chime of matched symbols — but strips away audio designed to trigger urgency or financial anticipation. No countdown sirens. No near-miss audio illusions.
Every design decision goes through a responsible-play review. We ask: does this feature serve the player, or serve session length? If the answer is the latter, we cut it. This is why CoastalRange has no loyalty badges, no streak rewards, and no personalised push messages.
A grid that defines how we operate and hold ourselves accountable.
We believe that responsible play is not a policy document — it is a design decision made at every sprint review. From the moment a player opens our site to the moment they close the tab, we ask: does this interaction encourage someone to stay longer than is good for them? If the answer is even a tentative “maybe”, we change it.
Our Mindful Play page sits in primary navigation. Responsible-play organisation logos appear in the footer of every single page. Our age gate is the first thing a new visitor sees.
The game does not offer loyalty streaks that punish you for missing a day, and there are no push notifications. When you close the tab, the game patiently waits — on your schedule.
If you ever feel that play is becoming something other than relaxing, please visit our Mindful Play page or email [email protected]. We read every message.
Small team. Big commitment to doing this right.
Co-founder & Creative Director
Former graphic designer from Esquimalt who led visual identity for two Victoria cultural festivals before co-founding CoastalRange. Responsible for the Coastal Northwest art direction and symbol library.
Co-founder & Engineering Lead
Software engineer with a background in web accessibility and performance. Wrote the first version of the game engine in a Fernwood coffee shop and still reviews every pull request for dark-pattern risk.
Responsible Play & Community Lead
Social worker turned product lead. J. shapes every responsible-play feature and maintains relationships with Canada’s problem-gambling support organisations. Bilingual (EN/FR).
No sign-up. No payment. Just free social round fun — the Coastal Range way.
Play Free Now18+
CoastalRange is a free social game for adults only. No real money is involved.
