Top video game development companies in the world

The game industry is booming. Especially among small, independent development companies. Let’s take a look at some companies I’m keeping an eye on.

I’ve ranked top game development companies, basing the list on games, as well as the number of existing players and uniqueness.

VironIT

VironIT is a video game development company that uses a well-balanced set of technology skills to build incredible game experiences.

VironIT game development teams delivers authentic gaming experiences and services across PC, mobile, console, VR and AR platforms. It also offers state-of-the-art game development, using specific gaming engines like Unity and Unreal Engine. Also, they have have created a game cost calculator.

The company uses the broad experience to ensure that clients have the best technical solutions to solve their business challenges and deliver value for their organization.

Playgendary

Playgendary is a young and rapidly developing European company, specializing exclusively in the development of mobile games which have gained incredible renown all over the world.

Its team works in two directions developing games and entertainment apps based on the cutting-edge technologies and gamification elements. It uses Unity and Swift to work out own projects in machine learning, neural networks, and cloud service areas.

Embracing its passion for games, Playgendary spreads it worldwide.

HeroCraft

HeroCraft is a Russian video game developer and publisher headquartered in Kaliningrad and with offices in Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar, Donetsk, and Novokuznetsk.

HeroCraft develops for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices as well as for Microsoft Windows and social networks and supports a variety of legacy platforms. Distribution takes place worldwide in 15 languages. HeroCraft has “Top developer” status on Google Play.

HeroCraft’s portfolio comprises over 100 games from an array of genres, from simple games for a casual gaming audience to complex sim, strategy and role-playing games. HeroCraft games are published both under original IP and with branded licenses.

Playkot

Playkot company develops social games and mobile applications. Since January 2010 total audience of games is more than 10 million people on Russian social market (vkontakte.ru, MoiMir@mail.ru and odnoklassniki.ru). Every day about 900 thousand people play its games.

Zeptolab

Founded in 2010, ZeptoLab is a Russian video game developer best known for developing the Cut the Rope series, which has been downloaded more than 400 million times since its release and can be played on major platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, HTML5 Internet browsers, OS X, Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS.

The company has also announced licensing and merchandising partnerships for Cut the Rope and its popular character Om Nom. ZeptoLab has not received any external funding to produce their games. It also owns a game studio subsidiary in the UK and started a publishing division in 2017.

Ice-Pick Lodge

Ice-Pick Lodge is a Russian video game developer. Established in 2002, the studio has released five games: Pathologic, Tension and The Void, Cargo! The Quest for Gravity, and Knock-Knock.

Video games come in such a variety of forms that it is almost impossible to perceive them as a single phenomenon. The team is fascinated by games that not only entertain but also provide food for thought and encourage the player to change for the better.

Its favorite genre is survival, and our method of choice is a challenge. Ice-Pick Lodge puts the players in the dire circumstances and allows them to find the solution themselves.

tinyBuild

tinyBuild LLC is an American video game publisher and developer. Based in Bothell, Washington, with a development studio in Utrecht, Netherlands, the company was founded by Alex Nichiporchik, Luke Burtis, and Tom Brien. Having found success with digital games No Time to Explain and SpeedRunners, the latter of which was developed by DoubleDutch Games, the company has moved into video game publishing, and has helped third-party studios release titles across PC, mobile and consoles.

After tinyBuild made a name for itself with No Time to Explain, the company began working with DoubleDutch Games on SpeedRunners. This co-development experiment proved fruitful, and since March 2015, SpeedRunners has sold over 600,000 copies. As a result, tinyBuild made the decision to begin publishing titles from third-party developers, starting with Not the Robots in 2013. tinyBuild has continued to work with third-party studios and has published titles across Steam, iOS, Android and various video game consoles. tinyBuild has also worked with student teams to help bring their first games to market.

Stark Games

Stark Games was founded in 2005 as a game development studio. It delivers games for browser, social networks, and mobile platforms.

Stark Games is recognized for a portfolio of high-quality projects such as ‘Magic Seasons’, ‘Edges of Reality’, ‘Brainstorm’, and ‘Wonderland’.

MelSoft

Melsoft was founded in 2008. Today the company comprises 90 employees. The company’s main activity is a game development. Products of Melsoft were awarded by the professional jury of Game Developers Conference, Disney Media, iParenting Media.

Melsoft team believes that best games require continuing education and exploration, bold decisions, unprecedented actions, and, most importantly, care of our players.

Visor

Vizor Interactive is the best international developer of multiplayer games for browser, social networks, and mobile platforms.

The main development center is the company’s Minsk office. Here Vizor Interactive team support for all our projects, generate new ideas and carry them out.

At the moment, the company’s main title, social farming adventure Zombie Farm (Zombie Island on Facebook), has 30+ mln players in 15 different social networks worldwide, with average DAU of one million.

Cubix.

Cubix began developing games and mobile apps in 2008 and have grown into a full-cycle software development company with highest team satisfaction in the industry, independent analyst recognition, and an ever-growing list of delighted clients. Cubix helped Estee Lauder & Clinique, Swatch Group, Politico, and dozens of startups develop their software.

Zco

Zco is a leader among mobile game development companies in the USA, bringing expertise to both desktop and mobile projects. Zco engineers and artists use Unity, Maya, Corona, Cocos2D, and many other tools to create an authentic gaming experience.

Zco’s game development services consider the entire game: the user interface, hardware capabilities, game mechanics, and visual appeal. Some clients come to Zco with every single detail of a game already mapped out and designed; developers then integrate all existing assets with the game code. Others have a more general idea what they want the game to do and need a mobile game development company to fill in the whole picture. Zco works with clients from start to finish, helping them see their vision through.

Tintash

Tintash has developed games for some well-known game publishers and developers. Its clients include Digital Chocolate, PlayFirst, Sandlot Games, iWin, iPlay, HalfBrick Studios, and StickSports to name a few. Apart from games the company also develops apps and has worked with Storytree, Bitzer Mobile, OneSchool, DropLearn, Immersion and many others.

OpenXcell

OpenXcell is amongst the software development companies in India which believe in delivering perfection. The company’s purpose is to help clients in achieving their goals.

OpenXcell skilled developers are the creators of the outstanding software application using core Php, Java, Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Javascript, Visual Basic.Net, C#, C++, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Its clients appreciate our efforts and potential to work as per their needs.

Softeq

Softeq develops custom software and hardware solutions for startups, small businesses, medium enterprises, and large corporation irrespective of their industry. Its team in Houston, TX and European office are providing services for global clients. It specializes in full-stack development.

Company’s software developers and hardware specialists can program components on the low level and drivers and firmware; design and build PCBs and embedded electronics; implement software applications for web, desktop, and mobile. These could be standalone apps and complex ecosystems for the Internet of Things.

Daphnis Labs

Mobile app and game studio having more than 18 million cumulative downloads across all their apps and games. Also consulting more than a dozen startups in US, Australia, UK, India, Germany, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands in their product development tasks. Having happy clients and customers who love its service and dedication to work.

TheAppGuruz

TheAppGuruz services include 2D/ 3D game development for iOS, Android and Windows platforms, 2D/3D game assets creation, Android application development and iPhone application development. Apart from that, the company also develop its own products.

Serenity Forge

Serenity Forge produces its own video games like The King’s Bird and Pixel Galaxy. It also acts as a video game publisher and provides video game and interactive software development services for businesses. Founder Zhenghua Yang is a TEDx speaker, the Colorado director of the International Game Developers Association and a leader in the local game dev community.

Backflip Studios

Founded in 2009, Backflip Studios is the creator of popular mobile games like DragonVale, Paper Toss, and NinJump. The company focuses on iOS and Android apps and has garnered hundreds of millions of downloads and tens of millions of daily users. In 2013, toy and game giant Hasbro bought a majority stake in the company, enabling the studio to adapt some of its classic games for mobile.

Dire Wolf Digital

Dire Wolf Digital creates some of the industry’s biggest online strategy card games. Think Magic: The Gathering, but in an online format. Its projects include Pokemon Trading Card Game Online, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, and Eternal. Since its founding in 2010, the Denver-based studio has grown to a team of more than 100 designers, engineers, and artists.

Top video game development companies in the world was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.