Goodgame Studios

What Goodgame Studios does

Goodgame Studios is a Hamburg-based entertainment software studio that designs and publishes free-to-play browser and mobile games for a global audience of casual and mid-core gamers. Founded in 2009 by brothers Dr. Kai Wawrzinek and Dr. Christian Wawrzinek, the company built its core portfolio around two flagship franchises: the Empire series of medieval strategy games (Goodgame Empire launched 2011, Empire: Four Kingdoms launched 2013, plus subsequent titles Empire: Age of Knights, Empire: World War III, and Empire: Millennium Wars) and the Big Farm farm-simulation series (launched 2012, with Big Farm: Mobile Harvest as the mobile extension). Additional titles span Legends of Honor (medieval strategy RPG), Goodgame Poker (browser poker), Big Company: Skytopia (entrepreneurial simulation), and Shadow Kings (dark fantasy strategy). Games are distributed across the company's own browser portals, Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Huawei AppGallery.

The technology stack centers on Flash (historically) and HTML5 (transitioning ~1M lines of code) for cross-platform browser delivery, Java for game servers, PHP for web infrastructure and the proprietary Goodgame Shop payment system, and Unreal Engine 4 for PC client games. A dedicated in-house usability laboratory with one-way mirror observation supports player experience testing. The company operates from a single Hamburg-Bahrenfeld headquarters exceeding 10,000 square meters, with employee headcount reported in the 1001-5000 range (sources from 2014 cite 650-1000+ employees from 40-50+ nationalities).

The business model is freemium free-to-play: players access games at zero upfront cost and the company monetizes through in-game purchases of virtual currency, items, and premium upgrades. The go-to-market motion is product-led growth across digital app stores and browser portals, supplemented by TV advertising in DACH markets, YouTube influencer partnerships, presence at major industry events (gamescom, GDC Europe, ChinaJoy), and community management via Discord. The Empire brand alone surpassed €1 billion in cumulative revenue with 220M+ registered players by December 2022; Goodgame Empire specifically reached $800M lifetime revenues by August 2017. Goodgame Studios was acquired by Swedish Stillfront Group (Nasdaq Stockholm: SF) around 2016 and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with founders transitioning to passive shareholder roles and new CEO Oleg Savschouk and CPO Phillip Knust taking operational leadership in March 2019.

Name

Goodgame Studios

Legal name

Goodgame Studios

Website

https://goodgamestudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Goodgame Studios is a Hamburg-based free-to-play game studio that designs and publishes browser and mobile strategy, simulation, and role-playing games for a global audience of 500M+ registered players across its Empire, Big Farm, and Legends of Honor franchises, operating as a subsidiary of Sweden's Stillfront Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Games

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (71312), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Web3/Blockchain Game Studios (MPAFAAAO)

Keywords

• Free-to-play games
• Browser strategy games
• Mobile strategy games
• Multiplayer farm simulation
• Online social gaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-game Virtual Currency Purchases: Free-to-play model where players can purchase virtual goods and currency within games. No upfront cost to play.
2. In-game Item Purchases: Players purchase in-game items, upgrades, and customizations to enhance gameplay experience across strategy, simulation, and RPG titles

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Goodgame Studios develops and publishes free-to-play browser and mobile games in the strategy, simulation, and role-playing genres for a global consumer audience. Its portfolio centers on the Empire medieval strategy franchise (including Empire: Four Kingdoms and Goodgame Empire), the Big Farm multiplayer farm simulation series (browser and Big Farm: Mobile Harvest), Legends of Honor, Goodgame Poker, Big Company: Skytopia, and Shadow Kings. Revenue is generated entirely through optional in-game purchases of virtual currency, items, and premium upgrades.

Product overview

Goodgame Studios operates a portfolio of free-to-play browser-based and mobile games, primarily in the strategy and simulation genres. The flagship Empire franchise (including Empire: Four Kingdoms, Goodgame Empire, and Empire: World War III) dominates the strategy category, while the Big Farm franchise (Big Farm and Big Farm: Mobile Harvest) serves the farming simulation market. Additional titles include Legends of Honor (medieval strategy), Big Company: Skytopia (mobile strategy), Goodgame Poker (online poker), and Shadow Kings (fantasy strategy). The company uses Flash and HTML5 technologies for cross-platform development, with games distributed across web browsers, iOS, Android, Amazon, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Huawei AppGallery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BIG FARM: Free-to-play multiplayer farm simulation game franchise including browser and mobile versions (Big Farm: Mobile Harvest).
• Empire
• BIG COMPANY

Quantifiable outcome

• Over €1 billion in revenue generated from Empire brand
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GamesForest.ClubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2022Non-profit organization for forest protection. Vernissage art event held at Goodgame Studios office raised proceeds donated to GamesForest.Club to protect more than 1000 sqm of forest.
• One Tree PlantedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2018Non-profit charity partnership for Big Farm Forest charity event. For every truck load of seedlings collected by the community, Goodgame Studios works with One Tree Planted to plant real trees. Up to 5000 trees to be planted in spring 2019 in California reforestation efforts.
• inSocial Media / Bibi's Beauty PalaceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 May 2018Partnership with Germany's most influential YouTube superstar 'Bibi' from Bibi's Beauty Palace (5 million followers) for Big Farm: Mobile Harvest update promotion across 30 TV channels in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
• Qihoo 360coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 August 2014First German gaming company to partner with Qihoo 360, China's biggest Android app store with 300 million users. Empire: Four Kingdoms made available to Qihoo 360's user base from October 2014. Partnership announced at ChinaJoy 2014 in Shanghai.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zynga: US-based free-to-play mobile and social game publisher (FarmVille, Empires & Puzzles) with Take-Two ownership. Comparable as a broad F2P incumbent with overlapping strategy/social-casual portfolio (Empires & Puzzles competes directly with Goodgame Empire) and similar reliance on long-lifecycle live-ops.
• Supercell: Finnish mobile game developer (Clash of Clans, Clash Royale) and a global incumbent in mid-core mobile strategy. Comparable as a benchmark for F2P strategy monetization and live-ops excellence, though Supercell operates at a larger scale and on mobile-first rather than browser-mobile.
• Gameloft: French mobile game developer and publisher with a broad free-to-play portfolio across strategy, simulation, and casual genres. Comparable to Goodgame as a multi-title F2P publisher with similar distribution through app stores and similar cross-genre diversification.
• King (Activision Blizzard): Global leader in casual free-to-play mobile gaming (Candy Crush franchise) and part of Activision Blizzard. Comparable as a broad incumbent in F2P mobile gaming with deep expertise in live-ops, UA, and long-lifecycle franchise management, though focused on casual puzzle rather than strategy/simulation.

Direct peers

• Wooga: Berlin-based free-to-play casual and mid-core mobile game developer (June's Journey, Pearl's Peril). Comparable to Goodgame as a German F2P studio focused on long-lifecycle narrative/casual games with similar live-ops and monetization approaches.
• Travian Games: Munich-based publisher of browser-based strategy MMO games including Travian and Rail Nation. Direct comparable: same F2P browser-strategy heritage, similar German/European studio origin, and overlapping target audience of mid-core strategy players.
• Playrix: Russian-founded mobile free-to-play game developer behind Homescapes, Gardenscapes, and Township. Highly comparable: similar F2P model, similar live-ops-heavy simulation/casual portfolio, and direct competition with Big Farm in the farm-simulation genre.
• InnoGames: Hamburg-based free-to-play game studio (Forge of Empires, Warlords of Aternum, Elvenar) developing browser and mobile strategy/simulation MMO games. Most direct comparable to Goodgame: same city, same F2P model, same strategy/simulation genre focus, and similar lifecycle stage.
• Socialpoint: Barcelona-based mobile free-to-play game studio (Dragon City, Monster Legends) acquired by Take-Two. Comparable as a mid-sized F2P strategy/simulation mobile studio with similar live-ops-driven revenue model and similar lifecycle-management focus.
• Bigpoint: Hamburg-based browser and mobile free-to-play game developer historically known for strategy/simulation titles such as Farmerama and DarkOrbit. Direct peer to Goodgame given shared Hamburg origin, F2P browser heritage, and overlap in casual/mid-core strategy genres.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GoodgameStudios
• Xx.com/Goodgamestudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodgame-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Goodgame Studios