SMG Studio
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersUltimo, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
SMG Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SMG Studio
- Legal name
- SMG Studio
- Website
- https://smgstudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SMG Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Subscription, Bundling & Membership Distribution (Game Pass-like, Humble-like) (MPAFABAI)
Keywords
Where SMG Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ultimo
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
SMG Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Freemium Mobile Games: Free-to-play mobile games with optional ad removal IAP ($1.99) and optional in-game purchases
- Premium Game Sales: One-time purchase pricing for console and PC games ranging from $4.99 to $14.99 USD
- Apple Arcade Subscription: No Way Home available through Apple Arcade subscription service
- Physical Game Sales: Physical retail distribution through EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, and Amazon for Moving Out
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free with ads, optional ad removal |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Steam paid, mobile free |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mobile premium pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PC/console premium pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Platform-specific premium pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Nintendo Switch premium pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
SMG Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SMG Studio is an indie game developer and publisher that designs, develops, and ships original and licensed-IP video games across mobile (iOS/Android), PC (Steam), and console (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox) platforms, including Apple Arcade subscription titles. Its portfolio spans the 'One More' casual one-button franchise, the cooperative puzzle title Death Squared, the moving simulator Moving Out, the racing game Thumb Drift, and licensed products such as LEGO Party! and Fast & Furious: Takedown.
Product overview
SMG Studio is an indie game developer with studios in Sydney, Melbourne (Australia) and Los Angeles (USA) that creates games with original and licensed IP. The company's portfolio includes the 'One More' franchise (One More Line, One More Dash, One More Bounce, Super One More Jump) - a series of casual one-button arcade games focused on timing and skill-based mechanics. Other core titles include Death Squared (cooperative puzzle game), Thumb Drift (endless drifter), OTTTD (tower defense/RTS hybrid), No Way Home (space shooter), and Moving Out (moving simulator). The studio also develops licensed games such as LEGO Party! and has published titles from partner developers like Premo Games.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OTTTD (Over The Top Tower Defense) A tower defense and RTS hybrid game featuring two unique dimensions, 25 story levels, 7 hero classes with skill trees, over 40 weapons, and epic boss battles including a giant flying zombie shark; released for mobile and Nintendo Switch.
- One More Line An addictive one-button space disco skill-timing game with intense gameplay, local multiplayer support for up to 4 players on Steam, multiple game modes, skins, and trails; released on mobile and Steam with over 6 million downloads.
- One More Dash A timing-based score chaser game featuring simple one-button gameplay with dash mechanics, collectible nodes, spinning barriers, and customizable avatars and themes; released on iOS and Android.
- Death Squared A cooperative puzzle game for 1-2 players in story mode or 2-4 players in party mode where players guide robots to color-coded goals while avoiding deadly traps, requiring teamwork and communication.
- Thumb Drift An endless drifting racing game featuring one-thumb controls, addictive gameplay inspired by Ridge Racer and Temple Run, with over 30 unlockable unlicensed cars and a low-poly visual style; available on iOS and Android.
- One More Bounce A zen-like drawing game where players draw lines to bounce their character to victory, featuring 100+ hand-crafted levels, a daily endless mode, and community challenge levels.
- Death Squared Mobile The mobile version of the cooperative puzzle game Death Squared, featuring 80+ puzzling levels with a fully voiced story, optimized for Bluetooth controllers, with 10 additional Vault levels; available on iOS.
- Super One More Jump
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 6 million downloads for One More Line alone
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SMG Studio
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SMG Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SMG Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.
- Soap CreativefoundationalSMG is described as the 'skunkworks' indie studio for Soap Creative. Core team previously worked together for over 12 years creating advergames for brands.
- DEVM GamescoreCo-development partner for Moving Out game, working alongside SMG Studio to create the furniture-moving simulation game.
- Premo GamescoreDeveloper of Super One More Jump, published by SMG Studio. SMG Studios served as publisher while Premo Games developed the game for Nintendo Switch.
- BatteriecoreSydney-based music composer providing original soundtracks for multiple SMG games including OTTTD, One More Line, One More Dash, Thumb Drift, and Super One More Jump. Also known as Jared Underwood.
- RicepiratecoreVoice actor (Mick Lauer) providing comic voices for OTTTD and voice acting for Death Squared. Known Newgrounds superstar.
- Drift Car Partners (Zen Garage, Domestic Mango, Street Driven, Bulletproof Automotive, King of Nations, Yasid Design, Shock Mansion, Drift All Stars)minorSpecial Guest Cars featured in Thumb Drift from various drift racing community partners and artists.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SMG Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Behemoth: Indie studio behind Castle Crashers, BattleBlock Theater, and Pit People. Closely comparable focus on couch co-op / party-style original IP across console and PC storefronts.
- Team Cherry: Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong. Comparable as a small Australian developer publishing original IP across multiple platforms (PC + console) with strong community traction.
- Halfbrick Studios: Australian indie game studio of comparable size with multi-platform hits like Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride, and Fruit Ninja 2. Closest geographic and product fit: casual, mobile-first titles with cross-platform extensions.
- Supergiant Games: Small independent studio behind Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades. Comparable as a multi-platform original-IP indie studio with strong critical reputation and cross-storefront release strategy.
- Finji: Indie developer/publisher behind Tunic, Overland, and Night in the Woods. Comparable as a multi-platform indie that both develops and publishes external titles, similar to SMG's co-development and publishing of Premo Games' Super One More Jump.
- Playdead: Small indie studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable size and approach: lean team shipping original IP across console and PC with strong critical reception.
- Armor Games Studios: Indie publisher-developer shipping original-IP titles (e.g., Exit the Gungeon) across consoles and PC. Comparable size and platform breadth.
- Choice Provisions: Indie studio behind the BIT.TRIP series and Runner games. Comparable in size, platform reach (multi-platform indie), and focus on skill-based casual/arcade mechanics.
- Hipster Whale: Australian indie studio behind Crossy Road and Crossy Road Castle. Highly comparable as a casual mobile-first studio that expanded into console/PC and licensed IP, with similar headcount range.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Major indie publisher with a broad portfolio of original-IP titles across PC and console. SMG co-developed Moving Out (a Devolver-published franchise) with DEVM Games, making Devolver a directly relevant commercial partner and broader incumbent peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SMG Studio social profiles
Digital presenceSMG Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SMG Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SMG Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SMG Studio 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 SMG Studio
What does SMG Studio do?
SMG Studio is an indie game developer and publisher that designs, develops, and ships original and licensed-IP video games across mobile (iOS/Android), PC (Steam), and console (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox) platforms, including Apple Arcade subscription titles. Its portfolio spans the 'One More' casual one-button franchise, the cooperative puzzle title Death Squared, the moving simulator Moving Out, the racing game Thumb Drift, and licensed products such as LEGO Party! and Fast & Furious: Takedown.
Is SMG Studio a public or private company?
SMG Studio is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SMG Studio founded?
SMG Studio was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SMG Studio based?
SMG Studio is headquartered in Ultimo, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does SMG Studio make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freemium Mobile Games are the primary driver. The others are premium Game Sales, apple Arcade Subscription and physical Game Sales.
Who are SMG Studio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Behemoth, Team Cherry, Halfbrick Studios, Supergiant Games, Finji, Playdead, Armor Games Studios, Choice Provisions and Hipster Whale. Devolver Digital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SMG Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for SMG Studio.
What industry is SMG Studio in?
SMG Studio's product category is Indie Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAF, Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like), with a secondary code of MPAFABAI, Subscription, Bundling & Membership Distribution (Game Pass-like, Humble-like). Its NAICS code is 51321.