Hello World

What Hello World does

Hello World (武汉哈乐沃德网络科技有限公司) is a Wuhan-headquartered mobile game developer and overseas publisher founded in September 2014 by CEO Xia Linwei. The company designs and self-publishes casual mobile games, predominantly in the idle and simulation-management genres, for Android and iOS, targeting global consumers in Europe, the Americas, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore. The firm pivoted to mobile internet in August 2015 and is recognized as one of the earliest Chinese teams to systematically pursue overseas game markets.

The product portfolio spans self-developed game titles — including Hero Factory (Hero Making), Fitness Club Tycoon, and PlanetSmash — distributed through Google Play, Apple App Store, and two proprietary overseas platforms. TheHotGames serves as a comprehensive casual game distribution and online experience platform, ranked in the TOP3 globally by user volume in overseas casual game publishing, while BuzzFun operates as a quiz-based entertainment content website. By December 2019, the company's titles had reached approximately 2 million daily active users and cumulative downloads exceeding 100 million; multiple titles have received Google and Apple global editorial recommendations and chart-topping placements in Western Europe, the US, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Hello World operates a self-publishing business model monetizing through in-app purchases of virtual currency, items, equipment, and game props, supplemented by in-game advertising. Distribution is multi-channel, combining app store listings with the proprietary TheHotGames and BuzzFun platforms. The company has raised approximately $5.1M across 2016 and 2018 rounds from Elex Technology, Challenjers Capital, Tengda Touzi, and Wuhan Optics Valley Elite Investment Management, and maintains a Beijing branch established in May 2021 alongside its Wuhan headquarters. The firm has been recognized through the Deloitte Guanggu High-Growth Top 20 in 2019, 2020 (ranked 5th with 468% growth), and 2022, as well as multiple industry awards including the 2024 出海十年·游戏出海星耀企业奖 (Ten Years of Going Global - Game Publishing Star Enterprise Award).

Name

Hello World

Legal name

武汉哈乐沃德网络科技有限公司

Website

https://hellowd.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hello World (武汉哈乐沃德网络科技有限公司) is a Wuhan-based mobile game developer and overseas publisher specializing in casual idle and simulation games for global consumers. The company self-publishes titles like Hero Factory, Fitness Club, and PlanetSmash via Google Play, Apple App Store, and its proprietary TheHotGames platform (TOP3 globally by user volume).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Gaming

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG), Mobile App Stores (General) (MPAFACAC), Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)

Keywords

• Casual mobile games
• Overseas game publishing
• Idle simulation games
• Mobile game distribution
• Self-published games

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuhan

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

Revenue model

1. Game Publishing: Self-publishing of casual mobile games globally through app stores and proprietary platforms. Games include Hero Factory (Hero Making), Fitness Club Tycoon, Planet Smash, and more. Revenue generated through in-app purchases and ads.
2. In-App Purchases: Virtual currency, game items, equipment and game props as part of game services. Players purchase virtual goods within games.
3. Game Platform Revenue: Operating TheHotGames and BuzzFun platforms for game distribution and content, achieving global TOP3 user volume.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

Hello World self-develops and self-publishes casual mobile games (idle, simulation, and casual genres) for global Android and iOS users, distributing them through Google Play, Apple App Store, and its proprietary overseas publishing platforms TheHotGames and BuzzFun. Revenue is generated from in-app purchases of virtual goods (currency, items, equipment, props) and in-game advertising.

Product overview

Hello World (武汉哈乐沃德网络科技有限公司) is a mobile internet company specializing in game R&D, publishing, and operations. The company operates a portfolio of self-developed casual mobile games (including Hero Factory, Fitness Club, and PlanetSmash) distributed through its proprietary overseas game publishing platform TheHotGames, which ranks among the TOP3 globally in user volume. The company also operates BuzzFun, an entertainment content platform. Together, these products serve global users with casual gaming experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TheHotGames: A comprehensive casual game distribution and online experience platform for overseas markets
• BuzzFun
• Hero Factory (英雄工厂)
• Fitness Club (健身俱乐部)
• PlanetSmash

Products and services

• Hero Factory (英雄工厂) A simulation management mobile game where players build factories, deploy strategies with different troop types to defeat bosses, and earn rewards; available on Google Play for Android users globally.
• Fitness Club (健身俱乐部) A comedic idle simulation mobile game where players manage a gym and help people lose weight; published by Hello World on Google Play and Apple App Store (id1611726111).
• PlanetSmash A casual smash mobile game with stress-relief gameplay mechanics, self-published by Hello World on Google Play.
• TheHotGames A comprehensive casual game distribution and online experience platform for overseas markets, recognized as a TOP3 global user platform for overseas game publishing.
• BuzzFun A hotspot-oriented, quiz-based entertainment comprehensive website operated by Hello World, delivering trending entertainment content to global users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 million cumulative game downloads globally
• +2 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

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habby: Chinese-founded mobile game studio known for casual/idle hits like Archero and Survivor.io with strong overseas distribution. Highly comparable as a Chinese-headquartered publisher of casual mobile games targeting global Western and Asian markets with similar mechanics and self-publishing model.
• Voodoo: Paris-based leader in hypercasual mobile publishing with billions of downloads. Direct comparable because both compete in casual mobile publishing at global scale, monetizing primarily through ads and IAP in similar genres.
• Playrix: Russian-founded casual mobile game developer behind Homescapes and Gardenscapes with massive global DAU. Directly comparable because both publish top-charting casual puzzle/simulation mobile games globally, monetizing via IAP and ads.
• Elex Technology: Chinese mobile game developer and investor in Hello World (2016 round), known for Clash of Kings and other overseas hits. Direct peer because it operates the same Chinese-headquartered overseas mobile game publishing model with self-developed titles distributed globally.
• FunPlus: Chinese-founded global mobile game publisher (King of Avalon, State of Survival) headquartered in Switzerland with major operations in China. Comparable as another Chinese-headquartered overseas mobile game publisher with proven global hits and self-publishing capabilities.
• Yostar: Chinese mobile game publisher known for publishing Azur Lane, Arknights, and Genshin Impact overseas. Comparable as a Chinese publisher that bridges domestic titles into Western and Asian markets with established distribution infrastructure.
• Lilith Games: Shanghai-based mobile game developer behind Rise of Kingdoms and AFK Arena with major overseas presence. Comparable Chinese-headquartered mobile game developer with successful overseas publishing of mid-core and casual titles.
• iDreamSky Technology: Shenzhen-based mobile game publisher that brings overseas indie games into China and publishes Chinese casual titles overseas. Comparable as a China-headquartered mobile game publisher bridging domestic and overseas markets.
• Outfit7: Slovenia-based casual mobile game studio behind Talking Tom, now owned by Chinese group Zhejiang Jinke Peroxide. Comparable as a casual mobile game publisher with global chart presence and Chinese ownership ties.

Broad incumbents

• Tencent (via Level Infinite): Tencent's global gaming publishing brand Level Infinite operates as a broad incumbent publishing both Tencent-owned and partner mobile/PC games overseas. Comparable as the dominant Chinese-headquartered publisher serving the same overseas channels that Hello World targets, though at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 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 Hello World