What PikPok does

PikPok (legal entity Prodigy Design Limited) is a Wellington, New Zealand-based independent games publisher operating since 1997 with 51-100 employees. The studio develops and publishes a portfolio of more than 20 free-to-play games across mobile (iOS, Android, Amazon), desktop (Steam, Windows, Mac), console (PlayStation Network, Meta Horizon Store), and VR platforms, organized around flagship original franchises — the zombie action series Into the Dead (75M+ downloads), the Rival Stars sports franchise (Horse Racing, Basketball, College Football), the BAFTA-nominated Super Monsters Ate My Condo, and the award-winning Shatter — alongside incremental/clicker titles (Dungeon Inc., Doomsday Clicker, Kung Fu Clicker, Viking Gods), casual titles (Clusterduck, Greedy Cats, Ready Set Golf), and licensed IP (Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue under license from Mattel). PikPokPlus provides cross-device player profile synchronization as the unifying technical backbone, and the company operates an active third-party game submissions publishing program.

The business model is free-to-play / freemium across the portfolio, monetized through in-app purchases (premium currency packs from $0.99 to $99.99, monthly subscriptions at $9.99), loot box and gacha mechanics with published odds, and in-game advertising delivered through a broad ad-network stack (Adcolony, AdMob, AppLovin, Chartboost, Facebook Audience Network, ironSource, Unity Ads, Vungle, TikTok for Business, InMobi, Tapjoy, Mintegral, Moloco, Pangle). Distribution is entirely digital via app stores and storefronts globally, with cross-promotion across the franchise portfolio serving as a primary user-acquisition channel and AWS hosting all gameplay services. The studio operates as a privately held, founder/management-led company with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent-company relationship.

Name

PikPok

Legal name

Prodigy Design Limited

Website

https://pikpok.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PikPok is a Wellington, New Zealand-based independent games publisher (operating since 1997) that develops and publishes 20+ free-to-play mobile, desktop, console, and VR games — including the Into the Dead and Rival Stars franchises and the Mattel-licensed Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue — monetized via in-app purchases, subscriptions, loot boxes, and advertising to a global consumer audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Game Publishing

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

VR/AR Game Publishing & Distribution (MPAFABAK), Mobile Game Publishing Networks (UA, Cross-Promo, Portfolio Publishing) (MPAFABAE)

Keywords

• Mobile game publishing
• Free-to-play games
• Casual mobile gaming
• Sports management games
• Zombie action games

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

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. Freemium / Free-to-Play Downloads: All PikPok games are available as free downloads with no upfront purchase required, generating revenue through optional in-game purchases and advertising.
2. In-App Purchases: Players purchase premium currency (gems), in-game items, chests, subscriptions, and event bundles. Dungeon, Inc. offers gem packs from $0.99 to $99.99, monthly subscriptions at $9.99/month, and bundle packs. In-app purchases are the primary revenue driver.
3. In-Game Advertising: The company serves advertisements within free-to-play games, with ad networks including Adcolony, AdMob, AppLovin, Chartboost, Facebook Audience Network, ironSource, Unity Ads, Vungle, and others listed in their advertising partners.
4. Loot Box / Gacha Mechanics: Players purchase randomized loot boxes and card packs to acquire in-game items. Detailed probability rates are published for each game. These include chest purchases, pro packs, and tournament packs across Rival Stars and Dungeon, Inc. franchises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PikPok develops and publishes free-to-play video games across mobile (iOS, Android, Amazon), desktop (Steam, Windows), console (PlayStation), and VR (Meta Horizon) platforms. The portfolio spans original franchises (Into the Dead zombie action series, Rival Stars sports management series, Dungeon Inc., Doomsday Clicker, Shatter) and licensed properties (Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue developed with Mattel). Revenue is generated through in-app purchases (premium currency, loot boxes, gem packs, bundles), in-game advertising, and monthly subscriptions. The company also runs a third-party game submissions program providing publishing support including production, monetization, finance, QA, distribution, PR, marketing, cross-promotion, and customer support.

Product overview

PikPok is a New Zealand-based game publisher delivering a portfolio of games across mobile (iOS, Android), desktop (Windows, Mac), and console/VR platforms, spanning both original IPs and licensed properties. The portfolio is organized around flagship original franchises — the zombie survival action series Into the Dead, Into the Dead 2, and Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days; the sports management franchise Rival Stars Horse Racing, Rival Stars Basketball, and Rival Stars College Football; the BAFTA-nominated Super Monsters Ate My Condo puzzle series; and the Shatter brick-breaking franchise — alongside licensed titles such as Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue. Supporting titles include incremental/clicker games (Dungeon, Inc., Doomsday Clicker, Kung Fu Clicker, Viking Gods), casual games (Clusterduck, Greedy Cats, Ready Set Golf), action titles (Breakneck, Agent Intercept), and sports games (the Flick Kick series of field goal, football, and rugby kicking games). Platform-specific editions include Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition and Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Edition, demonstrating multi-platform reach within individual franchises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Into the Dead: Flagship zombie action franchise including Into the Dead, Into the Dead 2, and Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days
• Rival Stars
• Flick Kick

Products and services

• Into the Dead Original endless zombie runner mobile game where players navigate a zombie-infested world; the franchise-defining title that launched PikPok's flagship IP.
• Into the Dead 2 Highly anticipated sequel to Into the Dead featuring an evolving narrative with 7 chapters and 60 stages, powerful weapons and ammo perks, varied gameplay environments, and loyal canine companions.
• Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days Survival horror game set in Texas, 1980 during a zombie outbreak, where players lead a band of survivors by scavenging, crafting, and evading zombies.
• Into the Dead: Crimson Heights Horror game in the Into the Dead franchise, offering an immersive horror experience.
• Rival Stars Horse Racing Horse breeding, training, stable management, and racing game where players breed and train horses, manage their stable, and race to become a champion.
• Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition Desktop PC edition of the Rival Stars Horse Racing game, providing the full horse breeding, training, stable management, and racing experience on desktop platforms.
• Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Edition Immersive VR edition of Rival Stars Horse Racing providing a scenic horse ranch environment to experience caring for a world-class stable of horses.
• Rival Stars Basketball Basketball team management and card collection strategy game where players create the ultimate basketball team through drafting, strategizing, and playing.
• Rival Stars College Football College football management and card collection strategy game where players build a college football program, recruit and train athletes, build a dynamic playbook, and compete in multiplayer tournaments.
• Dungeon, Inc. Fantasy-meets-office incremental clicker game where players manage the Gold Production branch of a corrupt corporation, expand dungeons with rooms and environments, recruit mischievous monsters to defend against rivals, and compete in Manager of the Week multiplayer events.
• Doomsday Clicker Apocalyptic incremental clicker game where players push a big red button to destroy the world and then profit from building an underground shelter, with quirky characters, room expansions, and a wheel-of-chance mechanic.
• Kung Fu Clicker Martial arts idle/clicker game where players restore a dojo to its former glory and become a martial arts master through tapping mechanics and upgrades.
• Viking Gods Viking-themed idle game where players earn coins, upgrade champions, and fight to restore glory to the realm.
• Shatter Retro-inspired brick-breaking game that merges familiar action with unique twists; the original release of an award-winning franchise.
• Shatter Remastered Deluxe Remastered deluxe edition of the award-winning Shatter brick-breaking classic, redefining the genre with updated visuals, a module soundtrack, and modern platform support.
• Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue Licensed mobile equestrian adventure game developed in partnership with Mattel; players join Barbie characters at Roaming Hearts Rescue Ranch to rescue and rehabilitate wild horses in Moonrise Valley.
• Super Monsters Ate My Condo BAFTA-nominated chaotic puzzle match-3 game featuring a condo-matching mechanic and high-score chasing gameplay.
• Ready Set Golf Multiplayer golf game where players play with friends to become the ultimate winner.
• Greedy Cats Casual game where players aim to become the greediest cat by collecting snacks, with no snack being too big.
• Clusterduck Casual game featuring bizarre ducks with unconventional body parts such as a sword for a head or a horse hoof for a wing.
• Flick Kick Football Kickoff Soccer/football kicking game in the Flick Kick series, offering old-school football kicking gameplay as a free mobile title.
• Flick Kick Field Goal Kickoff Field goal kicking game in the Flick Kick series, presenting the ultimate field goal challenge as a free-to-play mobile title.
• Flick Kick Rugby Kickoff Rugby conversion kicking game replicating the pressure and excitement of rugby conversion kicks, available for free on smartphone.
• Four Letters Word puzzle game where players make words from four letters as fast as possible, testing vocabulary and speed.
• Breakneck Futuristic high-speed action game where players master their speeder and defeat pursuers across a world occupied by invaders.
• Agent Intercept Action driving game where players use a transforming spy vehicle to blow things up and save the world.
• Game Submissions Publishing Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Into the Dead achieved 75 million+ downloads globally across mobile, desktop, and TV.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration28 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TigerTime (The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2016PikPok partnered with TigerTime, a tiger conservation campaign run by The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, through Into the Dead. Players could purchase a tiger companion named 'Sabre', with 50% of proceeds from sales donated to TigerTime during October 2016. The partnership supported tiger conservation projects in Russia, India, and Thailand.
• MattelcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPikPok developed and published Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue under license from Mattel. Barbie and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by and used under license from Mattel. This is a flagship licensed IP title for the company.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAll gameplay services are hosted using Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS is described as a global leader in cloud technology with robust data protection and privacy policies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jam City: Mobile and social game publisher (Cookie Jam, Disney Mirrorverse, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery). Comparable licensed-IP plus original-IP mobile publisher with multi-platform distribution.
• Zynga: Major mobile and social casual game publisher (Words With Friends, CSR Racing, Golf Rival). Directly comparable freemium mobile portfolio model with similar reliance on IAP, ads, and platform-storefront distribution.
• Scopely: Mobile game publisher with hits including Monopoly GO and Stumble Guys. Closely comparable mobile-first free-to-play publisher using licensed IP (Hasbro) plus original franchises.
• Outfit7: Mobile game publisher of Talking Tom / Talking Gold Miner franchises. Comparable mobile-first free-to-play publisher with broad IP portfolio and reliance on app-store distribution.
• Voodoo: Hyper-casual mobile game publisher and UA-driven portfolio operator. Overlaps with PikPok's casual portfolio (Clusterduck, Greedy Cats) in distribution channels and ad-monetization model.
• King (Activision Blizzard): Mobile casual game publisher best known for Candy Crush. Comparable freemium mobile publisher monetizing across iOS, Google Play, and Facebook with similar IAP/loot-box mechanics.
• Playrix: Mobile casual/puzzle publisher behind Homescapes and Gardenscapes. Comparable free-to-play midcore mobile portfolio, multi-platform distribution, and reliance on cross-promotion and UA networks.
• Rovio (Sega): Mobile game publisher of Angry Birds and licensed IP titles (now owned by Sega). Comparable freemium mobile portfolio with cross-platform distribution and licensed-IP experience.

Emerging players

• Kwalee: UK-based mobile casual/hyper-casual publisher. Adjacent in casual mobile publishing model but smaller scale; useful comparable for portfolio breadth and UA economics in casual categories.
• Noodlecake Studios: Indie mobile game publisher and developer. Similar multi-platform indie mobile publisher footprint with smaller headcount; relevant comparable for cross-platform indie publishing economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pikpokgames
• Facebookfacebook.com/pikpokgames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pikpok

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 PikPok