What ChillyRoom does

ChillyRoom (凉屋游戏; legal entity 深圳市凉屋游戏科技有限公司) is an independent Chinese game developer and publisher founded in 2015 and headquartered in Shenzhen. The company operates a portfolio of 15+ published titles across mobile (iOS, Android) and PC (Steam), with planned expansion to PlayStation 5. Its flagship franchise is Soul Knight (元气骑士), a pixel-art top-down roguelike dungeon crawler, which anchors the studio's reputation and is supported by a prequel (Soul Knight Prequel) and related titles such as Battle Soul Inscription. The portfolio spans multiple genres — roguelike action, extraction shooter, action RPG, survival, and gacha-style collection games — unified by a retro pixel-art visual identity. Recent and upcoming releases include Fantasy Girls Guild (launched April 2026), No Such Place (a 4-player co-op extraction shooter in development by Crit Team and published by ChillyRoom, planned late 2026), and Loulan: The Cursed Sand (an action RPG supported by Sony's China Hero Project for PS5/PC release).

The underlying technology is a cross-platform pixel-art game engine supporting multiplayer co-op gameplay, inventory and loot systems, and customizable weapon mechanics. Notable proprietary features include cross-era weapon customization (allowing parts from different historical eras to be combined) and a Data Continuity feature in No Such Place that carries player progress from the free demo into the paid full release. Distribution is product-led: mobile titles rely on free-to-play downloads through app stores with in-app purchases and advertising, while PC titles use Steam — leveraging events such as Steam Next Fest 2026, where No Such Place ranked 12th in demo popularity with over 3,000 concurrent demo players.

The business model combines four revenue streams: in-app purchases of virtual items and currency (with RMB top-up that is non-redeemable per the user agreement), in-game advertising with ad-tracking permission prompts, full-game sales on Steam, and publishing services for third-party developed titles (e.g., Crit Team's No Such Place). Total disclosed funding is approximately $5.15 million across three rounds between 2015 and 2018, with Kuaishou Technology leading the largest $3.14 million Series 2 round in May 2018. The company serves a global consumer gamer audience with a horizontal segmentation approach, primarily targeting players who prefer retro pixel-art aesthetics in modern genres and who value multiplayer co-op in genres (such as extraction shooters) where solo PvP dominates.

Name

ChillyRoom

Legal name

深圳市凉屋游戏科技有限公司

Website

https://chillyroom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ChillyRoom is a Shenzhen-based independent Chinese game developer and publisher operating a portfolio of 15+ pixel-art mobile and PC titles — including the Soul Knight franchise — across roguelike, action RPG, and extraction shooter genres, monetized via free-to-play in-app purchases, advertising, Steam sales, and third-party publishing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-App Purchases (Virtual Items and Currency): Players purchase virtual items, in-game currency, and consumables within games. The user agreement explicitly notes that virtual items may have usage time limits and that RMB充值 (RMB top-up) converts to virtual items that cannot be converted back to RMB.
2. In-Game Advertising: For games with ad-tracking features, ChillyRoom serves targeted advertisements to players. The privacy policy notes that ad-tracking permission is requested upon first use of games containing advertising functionality.
3. Full-Game Sales (PC/Steam): For PC and Steam releases such as No Such Place, the company charges a purchase price for the full game. The demo is free with data continuity into the paid release.
4. Publishing Services: ChillyRoom publishes third-party developed games (e.g., No Such Place by Crit Team), earning revenue from sales of published titles in addition to its own development output.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ChillyRoom develops and publishes a portfolio of retro pixel-art video games for mobile (iOS, Android), PC (Steam), and PlayStation 5. Its flagship Soul Knight franchise anchors a catalog spanning roguelike action, dungeon crawlers, action-RPGs, extraction shooters, and survival genres, monetized through free-to-play with in-app purchases on mobile and full-game sales on PC. The studio also operates as a third-party publisher, notably for Crit Team's extraction shooter No Such Place.

Product overview

ChillyRoom (凉屋游戏) is a Chinese independent game studio headquartered in Shenzhen that operates as a game publisher and developer. The portfolio consists of multiple distinct mobile and PC game titles spanning various genres including roguelike action, extraction shooters, action-RPGs, survival games, and simulation games. Key flagship titles include Soul Knight (元气骑士) and its prequel Soul Knight Prequel (元气骑士前传), which established the company's reputation in the roguelike genre. Recent releases include Fantasy Girls Guild (幻想少女公会) launched in April 2026, and an upcoming extraction shooter No Such Place (查无此地) developed by Crit Team and published by ChillyRoom, planned for late 2026. The company also develops action-RPGs like Loulan: The Cursed Sand (楼兰：诅咒之沙), survival games like Ant City (蝼蚁之城), and various other titles. The product line operates independently without a unified platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soul Knight (元气骑士) A mobile roguelike action game with pixel-art visuals and hundreds of characters and weapon types; ChillyRoom's flagship title that established the company's reputation in the indie game space. Free-to-play on iOS and Android with in-app purchases.
• Soul Knight Prequel (元气骑士前传) A prequel to Soul Knight that continues the roguelike action gameplay with new story content and character developments. Free-to-play on mobile with in-app purchases.
• Loulan: The Cursed Sand (楼兰：诅咒之沙) An action-RPG where players control a skeletal warrior using magical sand powers, inspired by Chinese desert landscapes. Supported by Sony's China Hero Project with planned release on PlayStation 5 and PC, featuring retro-inspired top-down combat.
• No Such Place (查无此地) A top-down extraction shooter featuring co-op gameplay, pixel-art visuals, looting systems, weapon customization, and inventory management, inspired by Escape from Tarkov. Distinguishes itself with multiplayer co-op support unavailable in genre competitors. Published by ChillyRoom for developer Crit Team; full release planned for late 2026 on Steam.
• Fantasy Girls Guild (幻想少女公会) A mobile game featuring pixel-style monster girl characters with gacha-style gameplay. Launched April 2, 2026 on iOS and Android, offering 100 initial draws and 1000 cumulative draws.
• Battle Soul Inscription (战魂铭人) An action roguelike game in ChillyRoom's portfolio featuring distinctive combat mechanics and character abilities.
• Hank's Inn (汉克旅店) A game in ChillyRoom's portfolio, part of the studio's published mobile and PC catalog.
• Ant City (蝼蚁之城) A survival game in ChillyRoom's portfolio featuring pixel-art aesthetic and multiplayer elements.
• Big Jianghu: The Black and White Birds (大江湖之苍龙与白鸟) A martial arts-themed game in ChillyRoom's portfolio featuring wuxia aesthetics.
• Juedi Duck Guard (绝地鸭卫) A game in ChillyRoom's portfolio.
• Mo Shou Gu Cheng (墨守孤城) A game in ChillyRoom's portfolio featuring city defense gameplay.
• Meow Star Hunter (喵星猎人) A game in ChillyRoom's portfolio.
• Soul Falling Deep (魂坠深境) A game in ChillyRoom's portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 concurrent players during free demo period for a new PC extraction shooter
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sony (China Hero Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChillyRoom's game Loulan: The Cursed Sand is supported by Sony's China Hero Project, an initiative that provides development funding, technical support, and platform access to promising Chinese game developers. This partnership grants ChillyRoom access to PlayStation 5 platform distribution and Sony-backed development resources for this action-RPG title.
• Crit TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChillyRoom serves as the publisher for No Such Place, an extraction shooter developed by Crit Team. This is a development/publishing partnership where ChillyRoom leverages its publishing infrastructure, Steam relationships, and marketing channels to bring Crit Team's game to market, while Crit Team handles the core game development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Veewo Games: Veewo Games is a Chinese indie game studio known for pixel-art titles like Super Phantom Cat. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a fellow Chinese indie developer with retro pixel-art aesthetic and premium mobile/PC distribution.
• Papergames: Papergames is a Chinese mobile game developer behind Love and Producer and Shining Nikki. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese mobile game studio with global titles and freemium monetization targeting broad gaming audiences.
• Habby: Habby is a Chinese mobile game developer/publisher whose hit title Archero is the most direct mobile roguelike competitor to Soul Knight. Both studios operate in the casual/roguelike mobile segment with similar freemium monetization and global distribution.
• Moonton: Moonton is a Chinese mobile game developer behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese mobile game studio with a global hit franchise and cross-region distribution, though at significantly larger scale.
• XD Inc. XD Inc. operates the TapTap game distribution platform and publishes titles including Ragnarok Origin. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese game publisher with platform-level distribution capabilities and developer support services for indie studios.
• Lilith Games: Lilith Games is a Shanghai-based mobile game developer/publisher behind global hits like AFK Arena and Rise of Kingdoms. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese mobile game studio with global distribution and a multi-genre portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• miHoYo (HoYoverse): miHoYo/HoYoverse is one of China's largest game developers behind Genshin Impact and Honkai. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese game developer with multi-platform reach (mobile, PC, console), though at much greater scale and AAA production quality.
• NetEase Games: NetEase Games is a major Chinese game publisher with an extensive mobile and PC portfolio. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese game publisher operating across mobile and PC, though at substantially larger scale and with broader genre coverage.
• Perfect World Games: Perfect World Games is a Chinese game developer/publisher with extensive mobile and PC titles. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese game publisher operating across mobile, PC, and console with multi-genre portfolio, though at substantially larger scale.
• Tencent Games: Tencent is the largest Chinese game publisher with an extensive portfolio including Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile. Comparable to ChillyRoom as a Chinese game publisher with mobile-first roots and global distribution, though at vastly larger scale and resource base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChillyRoom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ChillyRoom