Outerminds
Outerminds is a Montreal-based independent game studio (founded 2014) that develops freemium mobile and PC games, primarily YouTuber-branded titles such as PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator and the Steam-launched Metroidvania Turbo Kid.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Outerminds does
Outerminds is an independent video game studio founded in 2014 in Montreal, Canada, that develops and publishes mobile and PC games, primarily in collaboration with top-tier YouTube content creators. Its flagship title, PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator (launched 2016), is a freemium mobile idle/collecting game where players build and decorate virtual rooms, with monetization driven by in-app purchases of a virtual currency ('Bux') through Google Play and Apple App Store. The studio's catalog also includes PewDiePie's Pixelings (2019, mobile team-battle RPG), PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist (2015, 2D platformer), H3H3: Ball Rider (2018), and Tadpole Tap (2014, the studio's first title).
In April 2024, Outerminds broadened its portfolio with Turbo Kid, a pixel-art Metroidvania-style adventure game based on the 2015 cult film, released on Steam as a one-time purchase with an upcoming Nintendo Switch version. Turbo Kid was developed in collaboration with the original filmmakers (RKSS, EMA Films producers) and features an original soundtrack by Le Matos, representing a deliberate move beyond the YouTuber-branded game model into original / cult-film IP.
The business model is built on three revenue streams: freemium in-app purchases on mobile, one-time license sales on Steam, and ad monetization through a mature integration stack (Unity, IronSource, AppLovin, Facebook, Google, AppsFlyer, Adjust, Chartboost, Vungle, AdColony, PlayFab, Tableau, HyperMX). Customer segments are predominantly casual mobile gamers and YouTube creator fan communities, with the PewDiePie audience serving as the primary engagement and acquisition driver. The studio operates with a lean 1-10 employee team from its Montreal headquarters at 160 Rue Saint-Viateur Est, sustaining a continuous cadence of themed content updates (Home, Vacation, Prehistoric, Mini City, Pirates vs Ninjas, SciFi, Cuteness Overload) that have kept Tuber Simulator commercially active into its ninth year.
Outerminds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outerminds
- Legal name
- Outerminds Inc.
- Website
- https://outerminds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Outerminds is a Montreal-based independent game studio (founded 2014) that develops freemium mobile and PC games, primarily YouTuber-branded titles such as PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator and the Steam-launched Metroidvania Turbo Kid.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outerminds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Game Development
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where Outerminds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Outerminds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases (Virtual Currency 'Bux'): Players purchase virtual currency ('Bux') with real money to acquire in-game items, decorations, and upgrades. In-app purchases are final and non-refundable. The company reserves the right to change displayed prices at any time without prior notice.
- Game Sales (Steam / PC): Turbo Kid was released on Steam starting April 10, 2024, with a demo available for download. Games are sold as one-time purchases, as indicated by the limited license for personal, non-commercial entertainment purposes.
- Mobile Game Downloads and Engagement: PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator is a free-to-play mobile game distributed on Google Play and the App Store, monetizing exclusively through in-app purchases of virtual currency and items.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play mobile game with in-app purchase monetization |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Outerminds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outerminds is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes indie mobile and PC games. Its core offerings are YouTuber-branded mobile games, primarily PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator (idle collecting and room decoration mobile game), PewDiePie's Pixelings (team battle RPG), and PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist (2D platformer), alongside the Metroidvania-style PC game Turbo Kid based on the 2015 cult film. Games are monetized through freemium in-app purchases and one-time PC sales.
Product overview
Outerminds is an indie video game studio from Montreal, Canada that develops and publishes mobile and PC games, primarily in collaboration with YouTube content creators. Their portfolio includes PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator (mobile idle/collecting game with themed updates), Turbo Kid (PC Metroidvania based on the cult film), PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist (2D platformer), PewDiePie's Pixelings (mobile RPG), H3H3: Ball Rider (mobile game), and Tadpole Tap (their first mobile game). The company focuses on branded entertainment games with YouTubers and develops original IP like Turbo Kid.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator Mobile collecting and idle game where players build and decorate virtual rooms, collect items, and customize their Tuber avatar. Features regular themed updates (Home, Vacation, SciFi, Fantasy, Prehistoric, Mini City, Pirates VS Ninjas, Cuteness Overload, Halloween, Valentine, Holiday) with new decoration items, masks, stickers, and visual effects. Monetized through in-app purchases of virtual currency (Bux).
- Turbo Kid Pixel-art Metroidvania-style adventure game based on the 2015 cult classic film. Features BMX bike gameplay, over-the-top gore, ragdoll physics, non-linear narrative, five sprawling worlds, an in-game cassette player, an exclusive comic book system, mini-games, and original soundtrack by Le Matos. Sold as a one-time purchase on Steam.
- PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist Irreverent 2D platformer starring YouTuber PewDiePie. Features barrel-swarming gameplay and collectible items.
- PewDiePie's Pixelings Mobile team battle RPG game developed in collaboration with PewDiePie. Features competitive PvP across 6 tiers, team loadouts, guild system, and regular update cycles introducing new pixel characters (Spacelings, Fantasylings, Cavelings, Pinjalings, Egglings, Hallolings, Prisma Pixelings).
- H3H3: Ball Rider Mobile game featuring YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein (h3h3). Guide triggerable characters through gameplay. Includes holiday-themed updates.
- Tadpole Tap Outerminds' first mobile game, a tap-based game featuring collectible tadpoles, power-ups, skins, and aquarium customization features.
Quantifiable outcome
- PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator celebrated its 9th Anniversary in September 2025, demonstrating sustained engagement over nearly a decade
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Outerminds
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Outerminds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Outerminds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RKSS (Anouk Whissell, François Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell)coreTurbo Kid was developed in collaboration with RKSS, the writer-director team behind the original 2015 cult film (also responsible for Summer of 84, We Are Zombies, and Wake Up). The collaboration involved developing the game's narrative set between the end of the original film and the upcoming sequel, ensuring franchise authenticity.
- Le MatoscoreLe Matos, an electronic band, composed the original soundtrack for Turbo Kid. They previously created the soundtrack for the original 2015 film and returned as exclusive music providers for the game adaptation.
- EMA Films / Film Producers (Anne-Marie Gélinas, Ant Timpson, Benoit Beaulieu, Tim Riley)coreThe producers of the original Turbo Kid feature film — Anne-Marie Gélinas (EMA Films), Ant Timpson, Benoit Beaulieu, and Tim Riley — were involved in the development of the game adaptation, providing IP licensing and creative oversight.
- IGNminorTurbo Kid was featured as part of the IGN Fan Fest Event, with the game unveiled on IGN's platform via a new trailer and demo, providing marketing exposure through a major gaming media outlet.
- Jeik DionminorJeik Dion is credited as the comic book artist for Turbo Kid, creating the exclusive in-game comic book pages that players collect throughout the game.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Outerminds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- East Side Games: Mid-sized mobile developer that builds and operates branded, narrative-driven idle/collecting games, often with media and creator IP partnerships — a direct structural comparable to Outerminds' PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator playbook.
- Yacht Club Games: Small independent studio that built a premium retro-style platformer (Shovel Knight) with a long-running live-ops-style content cadence. Comparable to Outerminds on indie size, retro pixel-art execution, and a premium PC/console primary product.
- Sabotage Studio: Small Canadian indie developer of pixel-art games including The Messenger and Sea of Stars. Highly comparable to Outerminds on size, Canadian origin, retro/nostalgic aesthetic, and premium indie PC/console releases akin to Turbo Kid.
- Heart Machine: Small indie developer behind pixel-art action/Metroidvania titles (Hyper Light Drifter, Hyper Light Breaker). Comparable to Outerminds on Metroidvania execution, premium PC/console positioning, and small-team indie production.
- The Behemoth: Long-running independent game studio behind Castle Crashers, BattleBlock Theater, and Pit People. Comparable to Outerminds on indie status, multi-title catalog, and pixel-art comedic aesthetic.
Broad incumbents
- Voodoo: Global mobile F2P publisher and one of the largest casual/hypercasual mobile operators. Comparable as a mobile F2P distribution and UA competitor, though at materially larger scale and with different genre focus.
- Moon Active: Large mobile F2P developer known for Coin Master and similar casual-hybrid titles. Comparable on F2P mobile monetization mechanics, live-ops cadence, and ad-network-led UA, but at a vastly different scale and budget.
- Devolver Digital: Major indie games publisher with a portfolio of retro/pixel-art premium titles. Comparable to Outerminds on the indie PC/console premium segment (relevant to Turbo Kid) but at a much larger publishing scale.
- Jam City: Mobile F2P developer/publisher of branded and IP-based mobile games (e.g., Harry Potter, Disney). Comparable on mobile F2P mechanics and licensed-IP mobile development, but operates at significantly larger scale with major studio partnerships.
Emerging players
- Raw Fury: Indie games publisher focused on boutique premium titles across PC and console. Comparable to Outerminds as a potential distribution/partner for small indie premium releases like Turbo Kid.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Outerminds social profiles
Digital presenceOuterminds compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Outerminds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outerminds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Outerminds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outerminds 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 Outerminds
What does Outerminds do?
Outerminds is an independent video game studio that develops and publishes indie mobile and PC games. Its core offerings are YouTuber-branded mobile games, primarily PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator (idle collecting and room decoration mobile game), PewDiePie's Pixelings (team battle RPG), and PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist (2D platformer), alongside the Metroidvania-style PC game Turbo Kid based on the 2015 cult film. Games are monetized through freemium in-app purchases and one-time PC sales.
Is Outerminds a public or private company?
Outerminds is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Outerminds founded?
Outerminds was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Outerminds based?
Outerminds is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Outerminds make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. In-App Purchases (Virtual Currency 'Bux') is the primary driver. The others are game Sales (Steam / PC) and mobile Game Downloads and Engagement.
Who are Outerminds's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are East Side Games, Yacht Club Games, Sabotage Studio, Heart Machine and The Behemoth. Broad incumbents are Voodoo, Moon Active, Devolver Digital and Jam City. Raw Fury is listed as an emerging player.
Does Outerminds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outerminds.
What industry is Outerminds in?
Outerminds's product category is Mobile Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAB, Mobile & F2P Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAC, Indie Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.