Space Rock Games

What Space Rock Games does

Space Rock Games is a New Zealand-based, fully-remote game development studio operating as Space Rock Games Limited, founded in 2020 with 11-50 employees. The company runs a dual business model: it develops and publishes its own original game titles distributed via Steam and Epic Games Store, and it sells professional co-development services to other game studios and publishers. Its portfolio includes four own-IP games — Criminals Within (asymmetric co-op action-adventure on Steam), Kyoryu (post-apocalyptic Tokyo demo on Steam), Nexus (5v5 MOBA shooter on Epic Games Store), and Doomsday Diner (post-apocalyptic restaurant simulation with a trailer and playable demo released March 2026 ahead of a planned Steam launch) — plus two unannounced projects (an AA title and a Triple-I open-world survival craft game).

The studio's core technology is Unreal Engine, with specialized capability pillars in multiplayer engineering, VFX and high-fidelity shaders, technical animation, and gameplay systems. Service offerings span co-development, live content updates, remasters (modernizing existing titles with fresh Unreal Engine visuals), platform porting (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch), cinematics, and dedicated engineering, VFX, and animation teams. Team members carry experience from prior work on recognized titles including Fable, Path of Exile, and Chivalry 2, and the studio operates under a fully-remote, no-crunch cultural model with flexible working arrangements.

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) professional co-development and technical services sold directly to game studios and publishers under custom, quote-based engagements, and (2) one-time digital storefront sales of own-IP games. Pricing for both services and consumer titles is not publicly disclosed. The company has raised a total of $1.55 million across two funding rounds led by Hillfarrance Venture Capital, with New Zealand Growth Capital Partners participating in the 2022 round. Two primary customer segments are served: enterprise game studios/publishers needing additional development capacity, and PC/console gamers purchasing through Steam and Epic Games Store.

Name

Space Rock Games

Legal name

Space Rock Games Limited

Website

https://spacerockgames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Space Rock Games is a New Zealand-based, fully-remote game development studio specializing in Unreal Engine. It develops original game titles (Criminals Within, Kyoryu, Nexus, Doomsday Diner) and provides co-development, porting, remastering, VFX, and engineering services to other game studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Co-Development Services: Space Rock Games provides co-development services to other game studios, acting as an integrated second team to help ship games on time, handle specific features, or manage ongoing content updates for live games. This includes services like remastering (modernizing games with fresh Unreal Engine visuals), porting (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch), and cinematics creation.
2. Original Game Development & Publishing: Space Rock Games develops and publishes their own original game titles including Criminals Within, Kyoryu, Nexus, Doomsday Diner, and unannounced projects. Revenue is generated through direct sales on digital storefronts (Steam, Epic Games Store).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Space Rock Games is a New Zealand-based, fully-remote game development studio specializing in Unreal Engine. The company provides co-development services to other game studios and publishers, including multiplayer engineering, VFX & tech art, animation, porting (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch), remasters, cinematics, and live content updates. It also develops and publishes its own original game titles (Criminals Within, Kyoryu, Nexus, Doomsday Diner) distributed through Steam and Epic Games Store.

Product overview

Space Rock Games is a New Zealand-based game development studio specializing in Unreal Engine. Their portfolio includes four distinct games: Criminals Within (asymmetric co-op action-adventure), Kyoryu (post-apocalyptic Tokyo demo), Nexus (5v5 MOBA shooter), and Doomsday Diner (post-apocalyptic restaurant simulation). The studio offers co-development services including engineering, VFX & tech art, and animation to external clients, positioning themselves as a partner for game development rather than a traditional product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Criminals Within Asymmetric co-op multiplayer action-adventure game in which players explore a medieval fantasy land teeming with devolved dragons. Available for wishlist on Steam and targeting PC and console gamers seeking cooperative multiplayer experiences.
• Kyoryu Demo game in which the player is a young, genetically modified son of a samurai T-Rex in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, fascinated by the ruins of human civilization. Distributed via Steam.
• Nexus High-stakes 5v5 MOBA shooter that combines strategy and skill, with players defending their Nexus. Available to play on the Epic Games Store for PC gamers.
• Doomsday Diner Post-apocalyptic restaurant simulation game in which players manage the last functioning hot dog diner, featuring cooking, cleaning, equipment upgrades, and physics-based combat against wasteland raiders. Targeted at PC gamers via Steam.
• Co-Development Services Co-development partnership service enabling game studios to ship games on time without growing, crunching, or breaking their team's flow. The studio integrates as a dedicated second team handling specific features or large portions of a game.
• Live Content Updates Service delivering DLCs, features, and live updates for client games, allowing client internal teams to focus on their next major project.
• Remasters Service modernizing existing games with fresh Unreal Engine visuals while preserving what made the original title great.
• Porting Service enabling studios to ship their games to Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch without dealing with the technical complexity of multi-platform delivery.
• Cinematics Service creating memorable in-game cutscenes for clients without requiring them to massively scale up their internal teams.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Keywords Studios: Largest dedicated game services platform globally, providing co-development, art, porting, localization, and QA to publishers. Most directly comparable to Space Rock's services-plus-IP hybrid and its co-development positioning on Unreal-based projects.
• Virtuos: Major co-development and art outsourcing studio with deep Unreal Engine capability across full-game co-dev, porting, and remasters. Directly comparable service line-up including the same porting and remaster offerings Space Rock advertises.
• Lemon Sky Studios: Game art and co-development studio working on Unreal-based projects for global publishers. Comparable as a mid-size co-dev partner competing for similar Unreal art and engineering work.
• Room 8 Group: Co-development, art, and game services provider working with major publishers. Directly comparable as a multi-discipline co-dev partner targeting similar AAA client work and porting/live-ops engagements.
• Amber Studio: End-to-end game development and co-development services studio covering production, engineering, art, and porting. Comparable in scope of co-dev services and multi-platform support offerings.
• Sperasoft: Game development services and co-development studio (part of Keywords Studios) with strong Unreal Engine practice. Overlaps with Space Rock on engineering, multiplayer, and live content work for external publishers.
• Certain Affinity: Long-running co-development studio best known for supporting Halo and other major franchises with engineering, multiplayer, and content work. Most direct comparable in terms of 'integrated second team' co-development positioning.

Regional players

• Grinding Gear Games: New Zealand-based game studio behind Path of Exile — a title credited in Space Rock's team pedigree. Comparable as a regionally-relevant NZ studio of similar scale with deep Unreal/ARPG expertise.
• PikPok: New Zealand-headquartered game developer and publisher with a multi-title portfolio across mobile and PC. Closest NZ-based peer by geography and operating model (mid-size studio, multi-genre portfolio).

Broad incumbents

• Ninja Theory: Established UK studio within Xbox Game Studios with deep Unreal Engine expertise and a focus on high-fidelity action titles. Comparable as a larger, established Unreal-first studio with similar visual/technical craft positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Space Rock Games