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Bigger Games is an Istanbul, Turkey-based mobile gaming studio that develops and publishes free-to-play casual puzzle and hyper-casual games for iOS and Android devices. The company operates with fewer than 25 employees and generates under $5 million in revenue while monetizing its portfolio through in-app purchases and advertising. Its catalog of mobile titles, which includes games such as Hollo Ball, Rope Rescue!, Color Rope, and Hoop Stack, has surpassed 120 million global downloads. Following its initial success in the hyper-casual market, the studio announced a strategic shift toward developing longer-lifecycle casual puzzle games. It has raised $6 million in total seed funding from investors including Index Ventures, Play Ventures, and Unity founder David Helgason. Bigger Games was founded in 2019 by former Peak Games employees Hakan Ulvan, Erkan Gurel, and Yigit Pehlivan.
Bigger Games has raised $31.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Bigger Games has raised $31.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Bigger Games has raised $31.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Bigger Games's investors include Coddy Johnson, Akin Babayigit, Index Ventures, Play Ventures, foobar.vc, Inventure, Mustard Seed, Chris Murphy, David Helgason.
Bigger Games has raised $31.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series A in June 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2025 | $25M Series A | Coddy Johnson | Akin Babayigit, Index Ventures, Play Ventures | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2020 | $6M Seed | Index Ventures | Foobar.vc, Inventure, Mustard Seed, Chris Murphy, David Helgason, Play Ventures | Announced |
Bigger Games is an Istanbul-based mobile gaming studio founded in 2019, specializing in intuitive, emotionally engaging casual games that make fun feel effortless, impactful, and meaningful.[1][3][5] The company builds titles like Kitchen Masters, a social cooking puzzle game designed to bring players together through lively gameplay and player empowerment, alongside earlier hits such as Hollo Ball, Rope Rescue!, Hoop Stack, and Color Rope, which have collectively achieved over 110 million downloads.[1][2][4] It serves a global audience of casual mobile gamers, solving the problem of creating memorable, emotionally resonant experiences amid commoditized gameplay by prioritizing "emotion engines" over mechanics alone.[1][5] With 41-66 employees, recent $25M Series A funding (led by Goodwater Capital, with Arcadia Gaming Partners, Index Ventures, and Play Ventures), and Kitchen Masters exceeding industry retention benchmarks, Bigger Games shows strong growth momentum in Turkey's burgeoning gaming ecosystem.[1][2]
Bigger Games was founded in 2019 by Hakan Ulvan (CEO and co-founder), Erkan Gürel (co-founder), and other former team members from Peak Games, a prominent Turkish gaming success story.[1][2][6] Headquartered in Sisli, Istanbul, the idea emerged from a passion to merge art, technology, and fun into casual games that become part of players' daily lives, pushing beyond standard execution to emotional depth.[2][3][5] Early traction came from hyper-casual titles like Hollo Ball and Rope Rescue!, building a foundation of over 110 million downloads, while pivotal moments include the 2025 Series A raise—totaling at least $31M across rounds—to scale Kitchen Masters globally.[1][4] This funding, backed by operators like Akın Babayiğit of Tripledot Studios, marks their evolution from local hyper-casual developer to a contender in socially engaging mobile gaming.[1]
Bigger Games rides the wave of emotionally resonant casual mobile gaming, shifting from pure hyper-casual mechanics to social, memorable experiences amid market saturation.[1][5] Timing aligns with Turkey's gaming boom—fueled by successes like Peak Games exits—drawing global investment to its cost-effective talent pool and ecosystem.[1] Favorable forces include rising demand for intuitive, swipe-based games that combat short attention spans, plus post-2025 funding enabling cross-border expansion in a $100B+ mobile market.[1][2] The studio influences the ecosystem by validating Istanbul as a hub, mentoring via investor ties, and proving "emotion engines" can drive retention in a genre dominated by fleeting titles.[1][6]
Bigger Games is poised to launch multiple Kitchen Masters updates and new titles, leveraging $25M to build a global portfolio of emotion-driven hits.[1][3] Trends like social gaming integration (e.g., multiplayer puzzles) and AI-enhanced personalization will shape their path, amplifying Turkey's role in Europe's mobile scene.[1] Their influence may evolve into a full studio operator, inspiring regional peers while challenging incumbents through superior engagement—redefining fun starts with that effortless swipe, and they're just getting bigger.[1][5]
