What Pocket Gems does

Pocket Gems is a San Francisco-based mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2009, operating as a privately-held company with approximately 200 employees. The company builds and distributes interactive entertainment titles for iOS and Android through three flagship properties: Episode (a mobile interactive storytelling platform with 125+ million downloads featuring Hollywood-caliber branching narratives), Episode XOXO (a romance/drama interactive story exclusive to Apple Arcade), and War Dragons (a 3D real-time multiplayer strategy game with guild-based dragon army combat). Across these franchises the company has accumulated more than 325 million downloads globally.

The company's product stack rests on proprietary technology, principally the Mantis Engine — a mobile-first 3D game engine with real-time multiplayer, image-based lighting, and GPU-based particles — and Episode Studio, a set of story-creation tools that enable millions of creators to publish interactive narratives on mobile. Pocket Gems also operates a cross-platform compilation pipeline that allows native iOS apps to be rebuilt for Android with minimal code changes and no performance loss, and it distributes over 1.7 petabytes of content per month through Google Cloud infrastructure, where it holds a Cloud Advisory Board seat.

Pocket Gems monetizes through a freemium model combining in-app purchases of virtual currency and goods, in-game advertising, and — via the Episode XOXO title on Apple Arcade — recurring subscription revenue. Distribution is concentrated on Apple App Store, Google Play, and Apple Arcade, supplemented by direct download via the company's website and an emerging RCS-based messaging games channel through a Jest partnership announced in February 2026. The company is venture-backed, with cumulative disclosed funding of approximately $155 million across three rounds (2010, 2015, 2017), anchored by Sequoia Capital and Tencent as strategic shareholders.

Name

Pocket Gems

Legal name

Pocket Gems, Inc.

Website

https://pocketgems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pocket Gems is a San Francisco-based, venture-backed mobile game developer founded in 2009, publishing interactive storytelling (Episode) and 3D real-time strategy (War Dragons) titles to more than 325 million downloads via app stores and Apple Arcade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Gaming

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Mobile game development
• Interactive storytelling games
• Real-time strategy games
• Proprietary game engine
• Freemium mobile gaming

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. In-App Purchases (Virtual Currency and Virtual Goods): Freemium model with virtual currency and virtual goods purchasable within games, including commodities, abilities and other digital items
2. In-Game Advertising: Third-party advertising within mobile games, served through advertising networks and platforms
3. Apple Arcade Subscription: Episode XOXO available exclusively on Apple Arcade with subscription-based access to full game catalog without ads or in-app purchases

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pocket Gems develops and publishes mobile games including Episode (an interactive mobile storytelling platform with Hollywood-caliber stories and player-driven choices), Episode XOXO (a romance/drama interactive storytelling game exclusive to Apple Arcade), and War Dragons (a 3D real-time multiplayer strategy game featuring guild-based dragon army combat). The company also builds proprietary technology such as the Mantis Engine, a mobile-first 3D game engine with real-time multiplayer capabilities powering games like War Dragons.

Product overview

Pocket Gems is a mobile game developer offering a portfolio of interactive entertainment products. Their core offerings include Episode (a mobile storytelling platform with interactive Hollywood-caliber stories), Episode XOXO (a romance-themed version exclusive to Apple Arcade), and War Dragons (a 3D real-time strategy game featuring dragon armies and guild-based multiplayer combat). The company has developed proprietary technology including the Mantis Engine (a mobile-first 3D game engine with real-time multiplayer capabilities) and Episode Studio (story creation tools for their creator community). Their games have been downloaded over 325 million times globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Episode: A mobile storytelling network and platform featuring interactive Hollywood-caliber stories built from the ground up for mobile.
• War Dragons
• Episode XOXO
• Episode Interactive Studio
• Mantis Engine

Products and services

• Episode A mobile storytelling network and platform featuring interactive Hollywood-caliber stories built from the ground up for mobile, where player choices decide the path of the story. The platform has reached 125 million+ downloads and billions of story views, with millions of viewers globally.
• Episode XOXO A romance and drama interactive storytelling game developed by Pocket Gems' Episode Interactive Studio, exclusively available on Apple Arcade subscription service with no ads or in-app purchases.
• War Dragons A visually stunning 3D real-time strategy game that puts players in control of the ultimate dragon army, featuring guild-based gameplay with real-time attacks and defense. Powered by Pocket Gems' proprietary Mantis Engine.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-4x higher D7 retention compared to traditional mobile app benchmarks (in messaging games partnership)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JestcoreTechnology or Integration · 26 February 2026Pocket Gems is an early beta partner developing games for Jest's world's first messaging games marketplace platform, which leverages RCS technology for instant no-download gameplay within messaging threads. Beta partner titles reportedly achieved 3-4x higher retention and 35-60% lower user acquisition costs compared to traditional mobile apps.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationPocket Gems is an early adopter of Google App Engine and works closely with Google's cloud team to guide their roadmap as part of their Cloud Advisory Board. The company distributes over 1.7 petabytes of content monthly through Google's infrastructure.
• Apple ArcadecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEpisode XOXO is developed exclusively for Apple Arcade, Apple's gaming subscription service offering unlimited access to over 200 games with no ads and in-app purchases, with family sharing for up to six members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pocket-gems
• Xx.com/pocketgems
• Facebookfacebook.com/PocketGems

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pocket Gems