Temple Gates
Temple Gates Games is an independent San Mateo-based studio developing digital adaptations of popular boardgames—Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, and Shards of Infinity—alongside VR games like Bazaar, sold through iOS, Android, Steam, and major VR storefronts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Mateo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Temple Gates does
Temple Gates Games (legal name: Temple Gates) is an independent game development studio headquartered in San Mateo, California, founded circa 2013–2014 by CEO Theresa Duringer. The studio operates with a core team of five named members—including veterans who created Plants vs. Zombies at EA/PopCap, Spore at Maxis, SimCity, and held senior roles at Zynga—giving it disproportionate IP pedigree for a sub-10-person operation. Its portfolio spans two product lines: digital adaptations of popular boardgames (Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, Shards of Infinity) and original virtual reality games (most notably Bazaar, released for Gear VR in 2015 and PC VR in 2016). The studio has accumulated multiple industry recognitions, including a Silver award at the Oculus VR Jam (2015), Dice Tower's "Best Two Player Game of 2018" for Shards of Infinity, and a feature in John Carmack's public VR critique.
The studio's technical foundation rests on a custom C++ boardgame engine that enables cross-platform deployment across iOS, Android, and Steam, paired with a proprietary neural-network AI developed by Keldon Jones that powers adaptive learning opponents across the Race/Roll/Shards titles. In its VR work, the company developed proprietary comfort technologies including 100% gaze-based controls with speed modulation and a "Hybridscopic" stereo/monoscopic rendering optimization. Revenue is generated through one-time perpetual license sales priced between $7.99 and $14.99 per title across major app stores (iOS App Store, Google Play, Steam) and VR storefronts (Oculus Store, Viveport), supplemented by IP licensing arrangements with boardgame publishers Rio Grande Games and Stone Blade Entertainment.
The business is privately held, appears to be founder-owned with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, and serves a horizontal consumer audience of boardgame enthusiasts and VR early adopters globally through app store distribution. Marketing is community-driven via Discord, email newsletters, YouTube tutorials, and earned media coverage, with beta testing programs used to iterate titles prior to launch. There is no evidence of enterprise customers, B2B contracts, or recurring revenue streams.
Temple Gates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Temple Gates
- Legal name
- Temple Gates
- Website
- https://templegatesgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Temple Gates Games is an independent San Mateo-based studio developing digital adaptations of popular boardgames—Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, and Shards of Infinity—alongside VR games like Bazaar, sold through iOS, Android, Steam, and major VR storefronts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Temple Gates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Board Game Apps
- NAICS
- Amusement Arcades (713120)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)
Keywords
Where Temple Gates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Mateo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Temple Gates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital Game Sales: Sale of digital boardgame adaptations through app stores (iOS App Store, Google Play, Steam). Games like Shards of Infinity ($7.99), Roll for the Galaxy ($14.99 PC, $9.99 mobile), and VR titles are sold as one-time purchases with cross-platform support.
- VR Game Sales: Sale of VR games including Bazaar for Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive through respective VR storefronts. Game supports cross-platform play between different headsets.
- Licensing Boardgame IP: Partnership licensing model where Temple Gates Games develops digital adaptations of existing boardgames in collaboration with original designers and publishers, including Rio Grande Games (Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy) and Stone Blade Entertainment (Shards of Infinity).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Shards of Infinity - Cross-platform deckbuilding card game |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roll for the Galaxy - Digital adaptation of dice boardgame |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Temple Gates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Temple Gates Games publishes self-developed digital adaptations of established board games — Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, and Shards of Infinity — along with original indie and VR games such as Bazaar, Cannon Brawl, Lumberjackin', Electric Dinofest, and Loot Piñata. Its products run as paid one-time-purchase apps across iOS, Android, Steam, Oculus, and HTC Vive, built on a proprietary C++ boardgame engine and featuring neural-network AI opponents adapted from Keldon Jones' research.
Product overview
Temple Gates Games is a team of boardgame app developers specializing in bringing boardgames to digital platforms. Their portfolio includes digital adaptations of established board games (Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, Shards of Infinity) featuring neural-network AI opponents developed by Keldon Jones, automated bookkeeping, and cross-platform play across mobile and PC. The company also develops original VR games (Bazaar) and indie games (Lumberjackin', Electric Dinofest, Loot Piñata). They use a custom C++ boardgame engine for performance and work with publishers including Rio Grande Games and Stone Blade Entertainment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dominion Digital adaptation of the deck-building card game Dominion for mobile and PC players, with automated bookkeeping and rules enforcement, intended for boardgame hobbyists who want to play on the go.
- Race for the Galaxy Digital adaptation of the space empire-building card game Race for the Galaxy for mobile and PC, with neural-network AI opponents developed by Keldon Jones, automated gameplay support, and cross-platform multiplayer.
- Roll for the Galaxy Digital adaptation of the dice-based empire-building boardgame Roll for the Galaxy, designed by Wei-Hwa Huang and Tom Lehmann, featuring neural-network AI, 2–5 player multiplayer, and 100+ custom dice. Priced at $14.99 on Steam/PC and $9.99 on iOS/Android.
- Shards of Infinity Cross-platform deckbuilding card game app designed by Gary Arant and Justin Gary, featuring neural-network AI, cross-platform multiplayer, 128 cards, and 2–4 player support; priced at $7.99 USD.
- Cannon Brawl Tower defense / action strategy game developed by Theresa Duringer and available on Steam.
- Bazaar Fully immersive VR flying carpet adventure game in which players navigate labyrinthine aqueducts, collect exotic curios, and avoid hazards. Available on Gear VR (2015), Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive (2016), with 100% gaze-controlled gameplay, procedurally generated levels, and motion-sickness-reducing speed-up mechanics.
- Lumberjackin' Tower defense game where players build arrow factories and turrets to defend against sasquatches while harvesting wood in an Appalachian frontier setting.
- Electric Dinofest: Party of the Eon Rhythm shooter game in which players control DJ SkillRex, a Tyrannosaurus with jet pack and firepower, defeating alien enemies to an electro-beat.
- Loot Piñata Action game in which players lead neighborhood kids to defeat piñata invasions, featuring turn-based combat, character progression, and item collection.
Quantifiable outcome
- Neural network AI creates learning opponents that improve based on player strategies
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Temple Gates
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Temple Gates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Temple Gates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Rio Grande GamescoreTemple Gates Games collaborates with Rio Grande Games to create digital adaptations of their popular boardgames. This partnership has produced Race for the Galaxy and Roll for the Galaxy digital apps, with Temple Gates handling the development and Rio Grande providing the licensing and IP.
- Stone Blade EntertainmentcoreTemple Gates Games partnered with Stone Blade Entertainment for the digital adaptation of Shards of Infinity deckbuilding card game. The game was designed by Gary Arant and Justin Gary of Stone Blade.
- Oculus (Meta)majorOculus VR Jam collaboration leading to Bazaar launch on Gear VR and later Rift. Temple Gates Games developed games compatible with Oculus SDK and distributed through Oculus Store.
- HTC VivemajorBazaar VR game released for HTC Vive headsets through Steam. Single executable auto-detects and runs on both Vive and Rift headsets.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Temple Gates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Schell Games: Independent game studio with significant VR experience (I Expect You To Die). Similar indie-studio origins and VR-focused catalog targeting the same VR enthusiast segment.
- Leder Games: Boardgame publisher of Root that has partnered on digital adaptations. Adjacent participant in the same IP licensing ecosystem in which Temple Gates operates as a developer.
Direct peers
- Resolution Games: VR-focused game studio behind Demeo, Angry Birds VR, and other VR titles. Comparable VR development focus and partnership orientation with major headset OEMs such as Meta/Oculus.
- Dire Wolf Digital: Digital board and card game studio behind Root, Wingspan, and Eternal. The closest direct competitor in the digital boardgame adaptation niche, with a similar licensing-driven model and cross-platform distribution across mobile and PC.
- Playdek: Mobile and PC game developer specializing in card and board game adaptations. Comparable product category, target audience, and one-time-purchase pricing model targeting the same boardgame enthusiast segment.
- Handelabra Games: Independent studio developing digital adaptations of board and card games including Sentinels of the Multiverse. Similar size, indie profile, and licensing-driven development model with cross-platform releases.
- Nomad Games: UK-based studio specializing in digital boardgame adaptations such as Talisman and Catan. Comparable niche focus and licensing model with cross-platform mobile and PC releases for the same hobbyist boardgame audience.
Broad incumbents
- Asmodee Digital: Digital arm of major boardgame publisher Asmodee, adapting Catan, Ticket to Ride, and many other flagship titles. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same boardgame-to-digital audience and similar licensing economics.
- Survios: VR-focused game studio with larger scale and a more diversified catalog. Comparable category in VR development and partnerships with major headset OEMs, but at meaningfully greater scale.
Others
- Rogue Games: Independent game studio publishing titles across PC, console, and mobile. Adjacent indie publisher model with shared distribution channels on Steam and console storefronts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Temple Gates social profiles
Digital presenceTemple Gates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Temple Gates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Temple Gates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Temple Gates 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 Temple Gates
What does Temple Gates do?
Temple Gates Games publishes self-developed digital adaptations of established board games — Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy, and Shards of Infinity — along with original indie and VR games such as Bazaar, Cannon Brawl, Lumberjackin', Electric Dinofest, and Loot Piñata. Its products run as paid one-time-purchase apps across iOS, Android, Steam, Oculus, and HTC Vive, built on a proprietary C++ boardgame engine and featuring neural-network AI opponents adapted from Keldon Jones' research.
Is Temple Gates a public or private company?
Temple Gates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Temple Gates founded?
Temple Gates was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Temple Gates based?
Temple Gates is headquartered in San Mateo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Temple Gates make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are VR Game Sales and licensing Boardgame IP.
Who are Temple Gates's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Schell Games and Leder Games. Direct peers are Resolution Games, Dire Wolf Digital, Playdek, Handelabra Games and Nomad Games. Broad incumbents are Asmodee Digital and Survios. Rogue Games is listed as an others.
Does Temple Gates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Temple Gates.
What industry is Temple Gates in?
Temple Gates's product category is Digital Board Game Apps. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAF, Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like). Its NAICS code is 713120 and its SIC code is 7990.