Lizard Smoothie
Lizard Smoothie is a South Korea-based indie game studio developing Shape of Dreams, a MOBA-style game distributed on Steam under a NEOWIZ publishing deal. The studio, founded in 2023 by two university students, sells directly to global indie and MOBA players and relies on event-driven, community-led go-to-market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersSeongnam, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Lizard Smoothie does
Lizard Smoothie Co., Ltd is a South Korea-based indie game development studio founded in January 2023 by two university students in Seongnam, with the company formally incorporated as a stock company (주식회사) in August 2024. The studio operates as a single-product developer focused on Shape of Dreams, a MOBA-style indie game that the founders describe as being built by developers who actively play their own game. The studio's underlying technology stack is not publicly disclosed beyond the use of an unspecified game engine, and the product is distributed through Steam with a publishing partnership with NEOWIZ (네오위즈) acquired in January 2025 covering Shape of Dreams' commercial release.
The studio's commercial model is a one-time license direct-to-consumer sale on Steam, supplemented by a publisher-funded distribution channel via NEOWIZ. Shape of Dreams: Prologue launched in November 2024 as a preview build, followed by the full game release in September 2025. The company also participated in Steam Next Fest in February 2025 as a discovery and wishlist-building channel. Revenue is not disclosed and the studio remains at seed-stage scale, having raised approximately $72,446 from TheVentures in November 2024.
The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, anchored by participation in indie game competitions, festivals, and accelerator programs both in Korea (GIGDC, IndieGo by Smilegate, Gyeonggi Game Audition, BIGEM, IndieCraft) and internationally (Tokyo Game Show, IndieCade, indiePlay, BIC, GDWC, Burning Beaver, ALT+G AWARD). The target customer segment is indie game and MOBA genre players globally, with no named enterprise customers. The studio's reported headcount is 1–10 employees and the company is actively recruiting through a public hiring page.
Lizard Smoothie firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lizard Smoothie
- Legal name
- Lizard Smoothie Co., Ltd
- Website
- https://lizardsmoothie.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lizard Smoothie is a South Korea-based indie game studio developing Shape of Dreams, a MOBA-style game distributed on Steam under a NEOWIZ publishing deal. The studio, founded in 2023 by two university students, sells directly to global indie and MOBA players and relies on event-driven, community-led go-to-market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lizard Smoothie industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Game Development
- akta.pro primary industry
- UGC Game Creation Platforms (Roblox-like, Fortnite Creative, Core) (MPAFAIAA)
Keywords
Where Lizard Smoothie is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seongnam
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Lizard Smoothie business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Game Sales: Direct game sales through digital distribution platforms. Shape of Dreams: Prologue released November 2024, with full game release in September 2025.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Lizard Smoothie product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lizard Smoothie is an indie game development studio that develops and publishes its own MOBA-style video game, "Shape of Dreams." The studio released a Prologue build in November 2024 and the full game in September 2025, distributed digitally through Steam and with publishing support from NEOWIZ (네오위즈). The core business is developing and selling a single, self-produced game to individual consumers.
Product overview
Lizard Smoothie is an indie game development studio founded in January 2023 by two university students. The company operates as a single-product studio with its core offering being the MOBA-style game 'Shape of Dreams'. The portfolio includes the main game (Shape of Dreams, released September 2025) and a prologue version (Shape of Dreams: Prologue, released November 2024) that served as a preview build on Steam.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shape of Dreams MOBA-style indie video game developed by Lizard Smoothie and published with NEOWIZ, marketed as a game that is fun even for the developers themselves to play; distributed via Steam to individual gamers globally.
- Shape of Dreams: Prologue Early preview/prologue version of Shape of Dreams released on Steam as a taste of the full game for prospective players.
Companies that use Lizard Smoothie
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lizard Smoothie technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Lizard Smoothie partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NEOWIZ (네오위즈)coreNEOWIZ acquired publishing rights for Shape of Dreams in January 2025. This is a significant publishing partnership that provides distribution expertise and market access for the game.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lizard Smoothie competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Supergiant Games: Small independent studio known for Hades, Bastion, and Transistor — comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a similarly-sized indie studio with a strong creative vision and award-winning titles. Both studios demonstrate how small teams can ship critically acclaimed games in a market dominated by larger publishers.
- Motion Twin: Small French indie cooperative behind Dead Cells — directly comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a small, independent, multi-award-winning studio operating with a lean team structure. Both studios exemplify the indie model of small teams producing commercially successful games.
- Theorycraft Games: Small indie studio developing competitive multiplayer games including Supernova — comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a similarly-sized studio attempting to compete in the competitive multiplayer genre with a novel gameplay approach.
- Phoenix Labs: Independent game studio (acquired by Garena) that developed Dauntless — directly comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a small-to-mid studio developing a live-service multiplayer game with indie sensibilities.
- NEOWIZ: Korean game publisher and developer that acquired publishing rights for Shape of Dreams — both Lizard Smoothie's publishing partner and a Korean gaming industry peer. NEOWIZ's indie publishing arm (STOVE) provides direct comparable benchmarks for Korean indie game publishing dynamics.
- Proletariat: Small-to-mid indie studio that developed Spellbreak (a competitive multiplayer game) — comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a similarly-sized studio attempting to enter competitive multiplayer markets before being acquired by Blizzard.
Broad incumbents
- Riot Games: Developer of League of Legends, the dominant MOBA title — the primary genre competitor defining the competitive landscape Lizard Smoothie's Shape of Dreams must navigate. Not a direct peer in scale, but the central incumbent whose product sets player expectations.
- Valve Corporation: Developer of Dota 2 (the second major MOBA) and operator of Steam (Lizard Smoothie's primary distribution platform). Comparable both as a MOBA genre incumbent and as the gatekeeper for the studio's commercial distribution.
- Devolver Digital: Major indie games publisher with a portfolio of acclaimed indie titles — comparable to NEOWIZ's role for Lizard Smoothie, demonstrating how indie studios partner with specialized publishers to reach wider audiences.
- Coffee Stain Studios: Indie game developer and publisher behind Deep Rock Galactic and Satisfactory — comparable to Lizard Smoothie as a Swedish indie studio that scaled from small beginnings to sustainable multi-title operations with a strong community-driven development model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lizard Smoothie social profiles
Digital presenceLizard Smoothie financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lizard Smoothie leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lizard Smoothie funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lizard Smoothie M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lizard Smoothie
What does Lizard Smoothie do?
Lizard Smoothie is an indie game development studio that develops and publishes its own MOBA-style video game, "Shape of Dreams." The studio released a Prologue build in November 2024 and the full game in September 2025, distributed digitally through Steam and with publishing support from NEOWIZ (네오위즈). The core business is developing and selling a single, self-produced game to individual consumers.
Is Lizard Smoothie a public or private company?
Lizard Smoothie is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lizard Smoothie founded?
Lizard Smoothie was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lizard Smoothie based?
Lizard Smoothie is headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Lizard Smoothie make money?
One revenue line is on record: game Sales.
Who are Lizard Smoothie's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Supergiant Games, Motion Twin, Theorycraft Games, Phoenix Labs, NEOWIZ and Proletariat. Broad incumbents are Riot Games, Valve Corporation, Devolver Digital and Coffee Stain Studios.
Does Lizard Smoothie have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lizard Smoothie.
What industry is Lizard Smoothie in?
Lizard Smoothie's product category is Indie Video Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAIAA, UGC Game Creation Platforms (Roblox-like, Fortnite Creative, Core).