Tether Studios
Tether Studios is an independent mobile game studio developing 30+ skill-based games (card, puzzle, word, arcade) for iOS, Android, and the Skillz esports platform, serving 35+ million players globally with freemium and real-money competitive play.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Tether Studios does
Tether Studios is an independent mobile game development studio founded in 2014 by Tim O'Neil (CEO) and Aletheia O'Neil (COO), headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. The company specializes in skill-based mobile games where player ability rather than chance determines competitive outcomes, with players able to compete for real money prizes where legally permitted. Its portfolio spans 30+ live titles across card games (multiple Solitaire variants, 21 Blitz, Rummy Royale, Cribbage Blitz), puzzle games (Cube Cube, Bubble Cube, Merge Cube, Sweeper Cube), word games (Word Cube 2, Word Race), sports games (Mini Golf King, Moneyball), trivia (Question Cube), and arcade titles (Super Blast, Party Blast, Mixmaster). Games are built on the Unity engine with C# and distributed through Apple App Store, Google Play, Samsung Galaxy Store, and the Skillz mobile esports platform. The company also launched Cash-Out Club in April 2025, a unified premium app consolidating its games with cash competitions, fair matchmaking, daily rewards, and rotating events.
Tether Studios monetizes through a freemium model with virtual currency (Chips) sold for real money and used to enter cash competitions; entry fees and competition-related transactions drive a usage-based revenue stream, supplemented by revenue share through the Skillz platform. The company claims 35+ million players worldwide, 6.6+ billion competitive matches played, and surpassed $250 million in lifetime revenue as of March 2022. It is privately held, bootstrapped without disclosed institutional funding, and operates with a lean team of 11–50 employees. Intellectual property includes a patent-pending skill-based slots mechanic. Notable recent strategic moves include the April 2025 Cash-Out Club launch, the June 2022 addition of former Zynga executive Sara Stapleton as General Counsel and CBO, and an ongoing legal dispute with Skillz Inc. documented in April 2026 that introduces platform dependency risk.
Tether Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tether Studios
- Legal name
- Tether Studios Inc.
- Website
- https://tetherstudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tether Studios is an independent mobile game studio developing 30+ skill-based games (card, puzzle, word, arcade) for iOS, Android, and the Skillz esports platform, serving 35+ million players globally with freemium and real-money competitive play.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tether Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Gaming
- NAICS
- Gambling Industries (7132), Amusement Arcades (71312)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Casino Studios & Game Publishers (Slots, RNG, Live Dealer) (MPAEABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Skill-Based & Hybrid Gaming Machines (MPAEAJAE)
Keywords
Where Tether Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tether Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Virtual Currency (Chips) Sales: Players purchase virtual in-game currency (Chips) with real money for entry into cash competitions. Chips cannot be redeemed for real money, goods, or any other item of monetary value.
- Competition Entry Fees: Revenue generated from entry fees for head-to-head and tournament play with real money prize options
- Platform/Skillz Revenue Share: Games distributed through Skillz platform generate revenue through the competitive gaming ecosystem with revenue sharing
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Practice Mode |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Cash Competition Entry with Chips |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Tether Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tether Studios develops and publishes a portfolio of 30+ mobile skill-based games across card, puzzle, word, sports, trivia, and arcade genres. Players can download games for free to play in practice mode or purchase virtual currency (Chips) to enter head-to-head and tournament cash competitions powered by the Skillz mobile esports platform. The studio also operates Cash-Out Club, a consolidated premium app that brings its game portfolio together with cash competitions, fair matchmaking, daily rewards, and rotating events.
Product overview
Tether Studios is a mobile skill-based gaming company offering a portfolio of 30+ individual game titles spanning card games (Solitaire variants, Rummy, Cribbage, Backgammon), puzzle games (Cube Cube, Bubble Cube, Merge Cube, Sweeper), word games (Word Cube, Word Race), sports (Mini Golf King, Moneyball), trivia (Question Cube), and arcade (Super Blast, Party Blast, Mixmaster). The games are available as standalone apps distributed through Apple App Store, Google Play, and Samsung Galaxy Store, and are powered by the Skillz mobile esports platform for competitive matchmaking and tournaments. The company also launched Cash-Out Club as a unified premium app combining multiple game types with cash competitions, fair matchmaking, and daily rewards. Players can compete head-to-head or in multiplayer tournaments for fun, bragging rights, and real money prizes where available.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cash-Out Club: A new premium skill gaming app featuring cash competitions, fair matchmaking, daily rewards, and rotating events. Players can play new and improved versions of favorite games all in one place.
Products and services
- Solitaire Cube Klondike Solitaire mobile game with 3-card draws where players stack cards into alternating-color piles and sort by suit before time runs out; available on iOS, Android, and Samsung Galaxy Store with optional cash competitions.
- 21 Blitz Blackjack-meets-solitaire card game where players deal cards to make 21 or 5-card stacks, playing all 4 hands to avoid busting; available as a standalone mobile app with cash competitions.
- Cube Cube Shape-fitting block puzzle game similar to Tetris without gravity, where players drag shapes to fill rows and columns to clear them; available as a standalone mobile app with cash competitions.
- Rummy Royale Gin Rummy card game where players build runs and sets, knock when ready, and can win real cash prizes; available as a standalone mobile app.
- Cash Out Bingo Fast-paced bingo mobile game where players tap called numbers on cards, daub quickly for points and boosts, and compete head-to-head or in multiplayer tournaments for cash prizes.
- Cash Out Slots Patent-pending skill-based slot machine mobile game with nudge mechanics where players set up jackpots, line up symbols on paylines, and charge a Boost Bar for combo boosts; unique as a skill-based slot product.
- TriPeaks Solitaire Card puzzle game where players tap face-up cards one higher or lower than the drawn card to clear the tableau and maintain winning streaks.
- Yatzy Royale Yahtzee-style card game combining poker skills with a Royale Deck (10 to A plus Jokers) where players make 5-card hands to fill score cards.
- Spider Solitaire Cube Single-suit Spider Solitaire game where players complete K-to-A stacks to clear them and finish 6 stacks before time runs out.
- Bubble Cube 2 Bubble shooter puzzle game where players match colors to pop bubbles, earn bonuses for clearing all of a color, and use powerups including bombs, rainbows, and ice.
- Texas Solitaire Poker-themed solitaire game where players deal cards to 4 hands using Texas Hold'em rules and score points by making the best poker hands.
- Pyramid Solitaire Cube Solitaire puzzle game where players match pairs that add to 13 to clear the pyramid and use a free slot for tricky decks.
- Freecell Solitaire Card sorting puzzle game where players sort cards by suit using 4 free cells at the top, with automatic stack moving when room is available.
- Golf Solitaire Cube Card puzzle game where players match cards 1 higher or lower to clear stacks, draw new cards when out of moves, and use the free slot to maximize score.
- One Solitaire Classic Klondike solitaire with 1-card draws where players stack cards into piles sorted by suit and solve the deck before time runs out.
- Cribbage Blitz Unique Cribbage challenge using one deck with no re-deals where card-counting is key and players score every hand to avoid Muggins penalties.
- Backgammon Blitz Simplified fast-play backgammon game on a half-sized board with a single enemy checker where players roll dice to move checkers to the goal.
- Word Cube 2 Word puzzle game where players place letter tiles to spell words, play 5 words in a row for higher scores with no waiting between turns.
- Word Race Word search puzzle game where players trace over letters in any direction to spell words, with longer words scoring more points in 2-minute rounds.
- Question Cube Fast quiz game where players pick favorite topics, designate topics with bonuses, ban disliked topics, and answer quickly with three strikes elimination.
- Mini Golf King Trick-shot mini golf game where players drag and release to shoot towards holes, balancing power and angle for hole-in-one attempts.
- Moneyball Trick-shot basketball game where players start with 4 regular balls and 1 reusable moneyball, scoring bonus points for banks and swishes.
- Pipe Cube Pipe connection puzzle game where players drag and drop pipes to connect flow from start to goal, making longer pipes for bonus points.
- Super Blast Competitive bubble-popping puzzle game with up-tempo music and over-the-top graphics where players tap matching colors to clear them and combine groups for powerups.
- Mixmaster Showdown Head-to-head match-3 puzzle game where players swap tiles to match 3 in a row, combining longer runs for powerups and combos.
- Party Blast Fast-paced match puzzle game where players combine matching tiles to pop them, make powerups by matching bigger groups, and clear multiple goals for combos.
- Merge Cube Merging logic puzzle game where players merge 3 same tiles to make higher ones while avoiding monsters blocking the path to the goal.
- Sweeper Cube Speed-optimized Minesweeper game with multi-touch controls where players use hints to avoid bombs, with guaranteed solvable boards requiring no guessing.
- Threesquare Sliding number puzzle game where players merge matching numbers by sliding tiles, with each move adding a new tile and strategic planning to avoid board lock.
- Mahjong Head-to-head tile matching game where players tap identical tiles together, scoring more points for faster matches until all tiles are matched or time runs out.
- Cash-Out Club Premium skill gaming app that consolidates Tether Studios' mobile games into one platform with cash competitions, fair matchmaking, daily rewards, and rotating events; players can play new and improved versions of favorite games all in one place.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35+ million players have joined the platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Tether Studios
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Tether Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Tether Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SkillzcoreSkillz is a mobile esports service provider that has powered many of Tether Studios' titles. The partnership enables competitive head-to-head and tournament play with real money prize options. Five of the top 10 games on Skillz were created by Tether Studios.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Tether Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- WinZO Games: WinZO is a mobile skill-based gaming platform with a portfolio of 100+ games and real-money tournaments, focused on India but expanding globally. Comparable to Tether's skill-based competition and tournament model, though at a different scale and geography.
- Mobile Premier League (MPL): MPL operates a global mobile esports and skill-based gaming platform offering casual and competitive games with cash prizes, conceptually similar to Tether's Cash-Out Club concept though with broader geographic reach.
Direct peers
- Papaya Gaming: Papaya Gaming develops skill-based mobile games with real-money tournaments, including Solitaire and other casual competitive titles, directly competing with Tether's Solitaire Cube and 21 Blitz on the Skillz platform and through its own apps.
- Game Taco: Game Taco is a skill-based mobile gaming platform that hosts competitive casual games for real money, directly competing with Tether for both developer content partnerships and player share in the U.S. skill-gaming market.
- AviaGames: AviaGames operates Pocket7Gaming, a skill-based mobile gaming platform featuring bingo, solitaire, and tile-matching tournaments with cash prizes, directly overlapping Tether's Cash-Out Bingo, Solitaire Cube, and cash competition model.
Broad incumbents
- Zynga (Take-Two Interactive): Zynga, now part of Take-Two, is a major mobile social casino and casual gaming incumbent. Sara Stapleton's prior executive role at Zynga reflects the talent overlap and direct competitive adjacency in casual mobile gaming categories.
- Playtika: Playtika is a leading mobile social casino operator with titles like Slotomania and House of Fun, broadly adjacent to Tether's cash Out Slots and skill-based casino-style gaming expansion.
- Product Madness: Product Madness (an Aristocrat Leisure subsidiary) develops mobile social casino games including Lightning Link and Heart of Vegas, providing comparable casual real-money-style mobile gaming experience to Tether's skill-based casino titles.
- Skillz Inc. Skillz is the mobile esports platform through which Tether distributes most of its games and generates the majority of cash competition revenue. While a partner, Skillz is also the platform incumbent Tether must increasingly compete against as Cash-Out Club scales.
- SciPlay: SciPlay (a subsidiary of Light & Wonder) develops mobile social casino and casual games including Jackpot Party and Monopoly Slots, comparable in mobile casual gaming distribution and monetization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tether Studios social profiles
Digital presenceTether Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tether Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Tether Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tether Studios 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 Tether Studios
What does Tether Studios do?
Tether Studios develops and publishes a portfolio of 30+ mobile skill-based games across card, puzzle, word, sports, trivia, and arcade genres. Players can download games for free to play in practice mode or purchase virtual currency (Chips) to enter head-to-head and tournament cash competitions powered by the Skillz mobile esports platform. The studio also operates Cash-Out Club, a consolidated premium app that brings its game portfolio together with cash competitions, fair matchmaking, daily rewards, and rotating events.
Is Tether Studios a public or private company?
Tether Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tether Studios founded?
Tether Studios was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tether Studios based?
Tether Studios is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tether Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Virtual Currency (Chips) Sales are the primary driver. The others are competition Entry Fees and platform/Skillz Revenue Share.
Who are Tether Studios's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are WinZO Games and Mobile Premier League (MPL). Direct peers are Papaya Gaming, Game Taco and AviaGames. Broad incumbents are Zynga (Take-Two Interactive), Playtika, Product Madness, Skillz Inc. and SciPlay.
Does Tether Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tether Studios.
What industry is Tether Studios in?
Tether Studios's product category is Mobile Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEABAJ, Online Casino Studios & Game Publishers (Slots, RNG, Live Dealer), with a secondary code of MPAEAJAE, Skill-Based & Hybrid Gaming Machines. Its NAICS code is 7132 and its SIC code is 7990.