Dig-It! Games
Dig-It! Games is a privately held, woman-owned indie game studio in Bethesda, MD that develops archaeology-based educational games (Excavate!, ExoTrex, 3 Digits) for K-12 classrooms and consumer casual puzzle games (Roterra series, SlidewayZ) distributed globally across mobile, Steam, Chromebook, and Apple Vision Pro.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBethesda, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Dig-It! Games does
Dig-It! Games (legal entity: DIG-IT GAMES, LLC) is a privately held, woman-owned indie game studio headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, founded in 2010 by archaeologist Suzi Keehn. The studio operates two interlocking product lines from a six-person in-house team: an educational portfolio anchored by the Excavate! archaeology-based world-history series (Egypt, Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, Byzantine), the ExoTrex STEM title for 8th-10th grade science, and 3 Digits (Maya base-20 math), aligned to C3 social-studies standards; and a consumer casual puzzle line led by the six-title Roterra perspective-shifting gravity puzzle series (2019-2025) plus SlidewayZ: A Musical Journey and Silk Road Match 3. All titles are developed on the Unity engine and distributed across Apple App Store, Google Play, Steam, Amazon App Store, Facebook, Chromebook/HTML5, and Apple Vision Pro.
Technology stack is Unity-based with Unity Analytics integration for mobile telemetry, COPPA-compliant child data handling with parental consent flows and 48-hour breach notification, and self-attested GDPR-style data-subject rights processes. Game development uses proprietary mechanics: the Roterra perspective-shift/gravity-flip puzzle engine, the archaeology-driven artifact-discovery content engine for Excavate!, and a sliding-block-plus-classical-music engine for SlidewayZ.
The studio monetizes through a mix of premium one-time purchases (Roterra 4 and 6, priced per platform/country), freemium with in-app purchases (SlidewayZ), free-to-play titles used as marketing lead generation (Roterra 5 anniversary edition, Excavate! Egypt browser version), subscription/site licensing to schools and educators (Stand-alone, Multi-seat, Network, Educational Institutional, Student, and 30-day Evaluation tiers), in-game advertising through third-party ad networks, and B2B custom game development services. Primary customer segments are K-12 schools and educators (especially middle-school social studies and STEM), casual mobile puzzle consumers, museums/cultural organizations such as the Archaeological Institute of America, and B2B clients commissioning custom interactive media. Recognition includes Apple App Store Game of the Day (Roterra - Flip the Fairytale, 2019), multiple Apple Editor Collections, NYX Games Awards 2023 Silver for Mobile Puzzle and Indie Games (Roterra 4), and Pocket Gamer 10/25 coverage.
Dig-It! Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dig-It! Games
- Legal name
- DIG-IT GAMES, LLC
- Website
- https://dig-itgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dig-It! Games is a privately held, woman-owned indie game studio in Bethesda, MD that develops archaeology-based educational games (Excavate!, ExoTrex, 3 Digits) for K-12 classrooms and consumer casual puzzle games (Roterra series, SlidewayZ) distributed globally across mobile, Steam, Chromebook, and Apple Vision Pro.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dig-It! Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Mobile & Educational Game Development
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Software Publishers (5132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms (EDAFANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where Dig-It! Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bethesda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dig-It! Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Freemium with in-app purchases (SlidewayZ): SlidewayZ is offered free to download on App Store and Google Play with in-app purchases. The game has 400+ standard puzzles plus 400 extra-hard puzzles, encouraging ongoing engagement and potential monetization through virtual items.
- Premium mobile/PC game sales (Roterra series): Roterra 6 – Royal Adventure, Roterra 4 – Magical Revolution, and other Roterra titles are sold as premium paid games via App Store, Google Play, and Steam. Pricing varies by platform and country. Roterra 4 was released on App Store January 31, 2023 and later on Steam. Roterra 5 – Just Puzzles was released as a free download but Roterra 6 returned to a premium model.
- Educational subscription / site licensing: Educational games are sold via subscription codes / EULA-based licenses. License structures include Stand-alone (Individual), Multi-seat Stand-alone, Network Version, Educational Institutional Version, Student Version, Personal Learning Edition, and Evaluation Version — supporting per-seat, site-wide, and institutional perpetual or subscription terms.
- In-game advertising (mobile games): Mobile games use ad network providers, ad exchanges, and ad servers (Advertising Partners) to present interest-based advertisements and measure ad campaign effectiveness.
- Contract / custom game development services: Studio offers paid game development services ("Hire Us") to transform client messages and ideas into interactive games or creative multi-media products for employees, customers, or stakeholders — professional services revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | SlidewayZ: Free download with in-app purchases |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roterra 6 – Royal Adventure: premium paid puzzle game |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Roterra – Flip the Fairytale: free for limited time as entry point |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Roterra 5 – Just Puzzles: free download (anniversary edition) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Excavate! Egypt: free to play online |
| Subscription | Annual | Educational institutional / site / network licenses |
| Subscription | Monthly | Free trial subscriptions and subscription upgrades with credit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels8 records
Dig-It! Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dig-It! Games designs, develops, and publishes its own portfolio of mobile, PC, and HTML5 games across two product lines: (1) consumer casual puzzle games led by the award-winning Roterra series and SlidewayZ, and (2) classroom educational games including the six-empire Excavate! archaeology series, ExoTrex STEM series, and 3 Digits Maya math game. The studio also offers custom B2B game development services and distributes globally through Apple App Store, Google Play, Steam, Amazon, Facebook, Chromebook/HTML5, and direct school licensing via subscription codes.
Product overview
Dig-It! Games operates as a single indie game studio offering two interlocking product lines that share the same in-house production pipeline. (1) The award-winning consumer Roterra casual puzzle series — comprising Roterra – Flip the Fairytale, Roterra Extreme – Great Escape, Roterra 3 – A Sovereign Twist, Roterra 4 – Magical Revolution, Roterra – Just Puzzles (Roterra 5), and Roterra 6 – Royal Adventure — distributed on iOS, Android, and Steam, alongside the SlidewayZ: A Musical Journey sliding-block puzzle, the Silk Road Match 3 casual tile game, and the 3 Digits math game. (2) A classroom-focused educational portfolio built around the Excavate! archaeology-based world-history series (Egypt, Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, and Byzantine), the ExoTrex STEM series, and supplemental teacher resources. The studio also offers a B2B Game Development Services line for organizations seeking custom interactive games and multimedia. All products are developed in-house in Bethesda, MD under the DiG-iT! Games® brand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Roterra: Award-winning casual mobile puzzle game series featuring gravity-defying worlds of paths and cubes. Series includes Roterra - Flip the Fairytale, Roterra Extreme - Great Escape, Roterra 3 - A Sovereign Twist, Roterra 4 - Magical Revolution, Roterra 5 - Just Puzzles, and Roterra 6 - Royal Adventure.
- SlidewayZ
- Excavate!
- ExoTrex
- Silk Road Match 3
- 3 Digits
Products and services
- Roterra 6 - Royal Adventure Premium casual mobile puzzle game featuring over 160 gravity-twisting levels, ghost blocks, and Princess Angelica's animated storyline across underwater, jungle, and holiday-themed worlds; targeted at casual mobile puzzle gamers.
- Roterra - Just Puzzles (Roterra 5) Free anniversary edition of the Roterra series featuring block-based maze puzzles with hidden blocks and path-swapping gem mechanics, plus an in-game help feature for every puzzle; for casual mobile puzzle gamers.
- Roterra 4 - Magical Revolution Fourth Roterra title delivering over 70 hand-crafted puzzles across 35 levels, including lava caves, icy extremes, and deserts, with new rotation and team-play mechanics; available on iOS and Steam.
- Roterra 3 - A Sovereign Twist Third Roterra title in which Angelica and Orlando contest the crown; introduces hidden paths, hard-to-reach switches, and path-changing gems in a perspective-shifting floating cube world.
- Roterra Extreme - Great Escape Sequel to Roterra - Flip the Fairytale in which Orlando becomes the main protagonist; raises puzzle difficulty with new desert environments and additional gravity-defying levels.
- Roterra - Flip the Fairytale The original Roterra entry that launched the chart-topping series; a gravity-defying puzzle adventure in a fairytale world of paths and cubes; selected by Apple editors as Game of the Day.
- SlidewayZ: A Musical Journey Free-to-play sliding block puzzle game merging checkers/chess with sliding block puzzles across 400+ normal and 400 hard-mode puzzles; features classical music collectables and supports Apple Vision Pro.
- Excavate! Egypt Free-to-play browser-based social studies game in which students dig through strata across four culturally important Egyptian sites to unearth over 50 artifacts and learn ancient Egyptian history; used in K-12 classrooms.
- Excavate! Rome Middle-school social-studies game applying C3 skills to ancient Roman daily life through archaeology-based gameplay; available for Chromebooks, App Store, Google Play, and Amazon via subscription/site licensing.
- ExoTrex 2 STEM-focused educational game for 8th-10th grade science students challenging them to solve chemistry and planetary science puzzles to find a new home for humanity.
- Silk Road Match 3 Casual tile-puzzle game set on the 1st-century trade route from Rome to China; players match ancient coins and become famous traders; available on Facebook, iOS, and Android.
- 3 Digits Fast-paced math game teaching the ancient Maya base-20 number system using shell, dot, and bar symbols; supports desktop play as an HTML 5 game playable on Chromebooks for K-12 classrooms.
- Game Development Services Custom interactive game and creative multimedia development service for organizations wanting to transform messages and ideas into interactive experiences for employees, customers, or other stakeholders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20+ critically acclaimed and award-winning game titles designed for the AppStore by founder Suzi Keehn
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Dig-It! Games
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dig-It! Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature7 records
Dig-It! Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Unity AnalyticscoreMobile games use Unity Analytics for usage data processing. The mobile privacy policy explicitly references Unity's Data Processing Addendum and routes analytics data through Unity. Used for technical performance and game optimization across DiG-iT!'s portfolio.
- Facebook (Meta)coreFacebook login integration allows players to sync gameplay across multiple devices. Facebook also serves as a distribution platform for Silk Road Match 3. Facebook is referenced as a data controller with respect to user data collected via social login.
- Zendesk (digitgames.zendesk.com)coreDiG-iT! Games uses Zendesk to host its customer support help desk (digitgames.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new) for end-user support, customer correspondence data processing, and account changes.
- Ad network providers / Advertising PartnerscoreThird-party ad networks, exchanges, and ad servers present interest-based ads inside DiG-iT! mobile games and measure ad campaign effectiveness. These partners act as data processors/controllers depending on scope.
- Payment Service Providers (PSPs)coreThird-party payment service providers process transactions for in-app purchases (e.g., SlidewayZ) and other paid game products. DiG-iT! routes transaction data through PSPs per their own privacy policies.
- Partner network providers (game distribution)core"DIG-IT may use partner network providers who assist us to distribute the Game in order to enable as many gamers as possible to play the Game" — third-party distribution and user-acquisition networks.
- Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)coreCo-marketing partnership for International Archaeology Day each October; DiG-iT! Games promotes the AIA event calendar and runs a virtual event promoting Excavate! Egypt with Q&A by archaeologist Suzi Keehn. AIA's IAD programs are highlighted across the company's blog.
- Apple Inc. (App Store)flagshipApple App Store is a primary distribution channel and authorized retailer for DiG-iT! mobile games. Apple's editors have selected Roterra series titles as Game of the Day and curated them in multiple Collections (New Games We Love, Games with Amazing Art, Incredible Indies, Pretty Cool Puzzles). DiG-iT! games also support Apple Vision Pro.
- Google (Google Play)flagshipGoogle Play is a primary distribution channel for DiG-iT! mobile games including Roterra series, SlidewayZ, and Excavate! titles. Apple App Store referenced as an "authorized retailer (ex Apple App Store)" in the Terms of Service, with similar treatment for Google Play.
- Valve (Steam)flagshipSteam distribution for Roterra 4 – Magical Revolution (and Roterra 3 announced for Spring 2023). Press kit and website link to the Steam store page.
- Amazon (App Store)minorAmazon App Store distributes Excavate! Rome (and potentially other Dig-It! titles).
- Authorized distributors / vendors (Dig-It!)corePer the EULA, DiG-iT! licenses its Software through "Dig-It!'s website or through any Dig-It! Vendor or partner" — references an authorized distribution network for subscription codes and software.
- GamesPress.com (PR distribution)minorSlidewayZ official press release distributed via gamespress.com for media coverage.
- Mailchimp (newsletter / email marketing)minorDiG-iT! Games uses Mailchimp to deliver newsletters to educators and parents (e.g., Summer 2021 newsletter campaign).
- PBS NewsHour ExtraminorPBS lesson plan "Ancient Maya: Knowledge through art" featured as a teacher resource alongside Dig-It! Maya Mesoamerica content.
- Federation of American Scientists (FAS)minorReferenced via employee Melanie Stegman's prior role at FAS as Director of Learning Technologies Program, where she designed Immune Attack and Immune Defense. While not an active commercial partnership, the relationship informs Dig-It!'s STEM educational game development expertise.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dig-It! Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Simogo: Swedish indie studio known for premium, art-driven mobile puzzle games such as Monument Valley-style titles. Comparable as a small team shipping narrative puzzle experiences on iOS and Steam with strong App Store visibility.
- ustwo games: Independent studio behind Monument Valley, the benchmark perspective-shifting puzzle game that Dig-It! explicitly references as the comparison point for Roterra. Comparable as a small-to-mid premium mobile/Apple Vision Pro puzzle developer with strong Apple-editor relationships.
- Filament Games: Educational game studio producing standards-aligned K–12 learning games for classrooms and consumers. Directly comparable to Dig-It!'s Excavate! and ExoTrex lines on product type, customer base (schools/educators), and B2B game-development services offering.
- Schell Games: Pittsburgh-based studio producing educational and entertainment games for schools and consumers (e.g., I Expect You To Die). Comparable in combining C3/standards-aligned educational titles with premium consumer puzzle experiences and B2B custom development.
- Tinybop: Independent studio building award-winning educational apps for kids distributed via App Store and Google Play. Comparable in scale, indie positioning, educational-meets-consumer positioning, and Apple-editor curation strategy.
- The Voxel Agents: Australian indie studio behind puzzle adventure titles like The Gardens Between and Unpacking. Directly comparable premium mobile/PC puzzle developer with a similar headcount and distribution footprint.
- Artgig Studio: Independent studio behind award-winning educational apps such as Mystery Word Town. Comparable in target customer (K–8 classrooms and parents), iOS/Chromebook distribution, and C3/Common Core alignment.
- Lolo (Lolo Education): Developer of early-childhood and K–12 educational apps distributed via app stores and school channels. Comparable in product type, classroom-use case, and subscription/institutional licensing model.
Broad incumbents
- Niantic: Large, established AR/spatial-computing games publisher (Pokémon GO, Ingress). Relevant broad incumbent context for Dig-It!'s Apple Vision Pro puzzle positioning and AR-style location-and-cube gameplay.
- Rovio Entertainment: Major mobile puzzle game publisher (Angry Birds series). Useful broad-incumbent comparison for monetization mechanics (IAP, ads, freemium), App Store distribution, and puzzle franchise lifecycle management.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dig-It! Games social profiles
Digital presenceDig-It! Games compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Dig-It! Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dig-It! Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Dig-It! Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dig-It! Games 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 Dig-It! Games
What does Dig-It! Games do?
Dig-It! Games designs, develops, and publishes its own portfolio of mobile, PC, and HTML5 games across two product lines: (1) consumer casual puzzle games led by the award-winning Roterra series and SlidewayZ, and (2) classroom educational games including the six-empire Excavate! archaeology series, ExoTrex STEM series, and 3 Digits Maya math game. The studio also offers custom B2B game development services and distributes globally through Apple App Store, Google Play, Steam, Amazon, Facebook, Chromebook/HTML5, and direct school licensing via subscription codes.
Is Dig-It! Games a public or private company?
Dig-It! Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dig-It! Games founded?
Dig-It! Games was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dig-It! Games based?
Dig-It! Games is headquartered in Bethesda, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dig-It! Games make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Freemium with in-app purchases (SlidewayZ) is the primary driver. The others are premium mobile/PC game sales (Roterra series), educational subscription / site licensing, in-game advertising (mobile games) and contract / custom game development services.
Who are Dig-It! Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Simogo, ustwo games, Filament Games, Schell Games, Tinybop, The Voxel Agents, Artgig Studio and Lolo (Lolo Education). Broad incumbents are Niantic and Rovio Entertainment.
Does Dig-It! Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dig-It! Games.
What industry is Dig-It! Games in?
Dig-It! Games's product category is Casual Mobile & Educational Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAD, Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAI, Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 45912.