Sticky Hands
Sticky Hands is a privately held South Korean mobile casual game developer that builds free-to-play puzzle and merge games for iOS and Android, monetized via in-app purchases and advertising, and distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSeongdong, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Sticky Hands does
Sticky Hands Co., Ltd. (doing business as StickyHands Inc.) is a privately held South Korean mobile casual game developer headquartered in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Founded on January 11, 2016, the company builds free-to-play iOS and Android games distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play. The active portfolio centers on puzzle-mechanics-simulation hybrids, with three live titles as of 2026: MergeCats: Catopia Puzzle (a merge puzzle adventure launched January 2026), Merge Survival: Wasteland (a post-apocalyptic merge survival game launched May 2023), and Solitaire Cat Islands (a TriPeaks solitaire game launched July 2021). The company previously operated eight additional titles including Solitaire Farm Village, Solitaire Cooking Tower, and Age of Solitaire, the majority of which were sunset in February 2026 as part of a portfolio consolidation.
The underlying technology comprises two proprietary systems: a Solitaire Game Engine supporting Klondike, Spider, Pyramid, and FreeCell variants, and a Merge Mechanics System powering resource-combination gameplay. Games are developed natively for iOS and Android and integrate Facebook Login for authentication and account management. Infrastructure for the Korean region is provided by KT Cloud under a consignment contract. The company does not disclose any AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary data assets.
Sticky Hands operates a pure freemium model with revenue generated through in-app purchases of virtual items and currency, supplemented by in-game advertising served through a stack of ten ad-tech partners (Google AdMob, Unity Ads, Vungle, Pangle, IronSource, Applovin, Tapjoy, Fyber, Inmobi, HyprMX). The customer base is a horizontal segment of mobile casual gamers globally, with no enterprise or named-account customers. The company has not disclosed any external funding rounds and appears to be independently owned. Marketing relies on Facebook and YouTube organic channels plus App Store Optimization, and the company has 11-50 employees.
Sticky Hands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sticky Hands
- Legal name
- Sticky Hands Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://stickyhands.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sticky Hands is a privately held South Korean mobile casual game developer that builds free-to-play puzzle and merge games for iOS and Android, monetized via in-app purchases and advertising, and distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sticky Hands industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Casual Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)
Keywords
Where Sticky Hands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seongdong
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sticky Hands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- In-app Purchases: Freemium model where games are free to download and play, with revenue generated through the purchase of virtual items, virtual currency (coins, points), and in-game enhancements. Players can earn, buy, or purchase virtual in-game items and virtual in-game points for use within the service.
- Virtual Items: Sale of virtual in-game items including power-ups, character upgrades, card decks, and themed content. Purchases are non-refundable and non-transferable, providing recurring revenue opportunities from engaged players.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Sticky Hands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StickyHands develops and publishes free-to-play casual mobile games for iOS and Android, distributed globally through Apple App Store and Google Play. Its portfolio centers on solitaire card games (Klondike, Spider, Pyramid, FreeCell, TriPeaks), merge puzzle games, and hybrid simulation genres (farming, city-building, restaurant building, post-apocalyptic survival). Revenue is generated via in-app purchases of virtual items and currency, plus in-game advertising served through multiple ad mediation partners.
Product overview
Sticky Hands Inc. is a South Korean casual mobile game developer offering a portfolio of free-to-play games primarily combining puzzle mechanics (solitaire, merge) with simulation elements (farming, city-building, cooking, survival). The current active portfolio includes three games: MergeCats : Catopia Puzzle (a merge puzzle adventure), Merge Survival : Wasteland (a post-apocalyptic survival merge game), and Solitaire Cat Islands (a free solitaire TriPeaks game). The company previously operated eight additional titles including Solitaire Farm Village, Solitaire Cooking Tower, Age of Solitaire, Robin Fruits, Jump with Me, Piggy Royale, Monodi Little Star, and Pick Me Up, most of which have been discontinued. Games are distributed on Apple App Store and Google Play, and integrate with Facebook Login for account management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MergeCats : Catopia Puzzle: Merge puzzle game set in a mystical cat paradise Catopia
- Merge Survival : Wasteland
- Solitaire Cat Islands
- Solitaire Farm Village
- Solitaire Cooking Tower
- Age of Solitaire
- Robin Fruits
- Jump with Me
- Piggy Royale
- Monodi Little Star
- Pick Me Up
Products and services
- MergeCats : Catopia Puzzle A merge puzzle adventure game where players combine magical items to restore a cat paradise called Catopia. Features hand-drawn fairytale artwork, hundreds of combinable items, and a mystical narrative centered on finding a lost loved one. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers seeking casual merge puzzle entertainment.
- Merge Survival : Wasteland A post-apocalyptic survival merge game where players merge resources to build shelters and survive in a world affected by environmental pollution and disasters. Features eco-friendly camp building and exploration mechanics. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers who enjoy merge puzzle and survival themes.
- Solitaire Cat Islands A free classic Solitaire TriPeaks game featuring cat characters and fairytale graphics. Offers completely free offline gameplay with no waiting for hearts to refill. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers seeking cat-themed solitaire entertainment.
- Solitaire Farm Village A hybrid solitaire and farm simulation game supporting multiple card game types (Klondike, Spider, Pyramid, FreeCell) where players expand a village through solitaire gameplay. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers seeking hybrid card-game and simulation entertainment.
- Solitaire Cooking Tower A solitaire card game combined with restaurant building mechanics where players build various restaurants while enjoying classic solitaire. Features collectible card decks. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers seeking card-game and cooking-themed casual entertainment.
- Age of Solitaire A city-building Klondike solitaire game that takes players through various civilization eras. Features helpful items (Undo, Hint, Shuffle) and offline mode. Free-to-play on iOS and Android for individual mobile gamers seeking civilization-themed solitaire entertainment.
Companies that use Sticky Hands
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sticky Hands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature2 records
Sticky Hands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Apple Inc.coreApple serves as the distribution platform for iOS games through the App Store. The legal terms explicitly state Apple is not a sponsor or affiliate of Sticky Hands but provides the marketplace infrastructure.
- Google, Inc.coreGoogle provides the Google Play distribution platform for Android games. Explicitly noted in legal terms as not a sponsor or affiliate of Sticky Hands.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sticky Hands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Metacore: Developer of Merge Mansion, the leading merge puzzle game. Direct peer because StickyHands' Merge Survival and MergeCats use the same core merge mechanic and target the same casual puzzle demographic with similar hybrid meta-loop progression.
- Tactile Games: Acquired by Playtika, develops Lily's Garden and similar merge/match titles with decorating meta-layers. Directly comparable to StickyHands for combining casual puzzles with home-building progression in free-to-play mobile.
- MobilityWare: Long-standing mobile solitaire and casual card game publisher (Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, FreeCell). Direct peer to StickyHands on the solitaire-mobile-app category with similar freemium monetization and App Store distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Playtika: Major mobile casual gaming publisher with titles like Slotomania, House of Fun, and the acquired Tactile Games portfolio. Broad incumbent comparable to StickyHands on mobile casual monetization, UA scale, and freemium model.
- King (Activision Blizzard): Global leader in casual mobile games including Candy Crush Saga and various solitaire offerings. Broad incumbent that competes in the same casual mobile space and sets the bar for level design, live ops, and user acquisition spend.
- Zynga (Take-Two): Major mobile social/casual publisher with Words With Friends, Zynga Poker, and various solitaire titles. Broad incumbent comparable to StickyHands on freemium mobile distribution and ad-driven monetization.
- Moon Active: Israeli studio behind Coin Master, one of the highest-grossing casual mobile games. Broad incumbent in mobile casual gaming with similar hybrid meta-loop and ad/IAP monetization, providing a scale benchmark for studios like StickyHands.
- Rovio Entertainment (Sega): Finland-based mobile game publisher known for Angry Birds and small Battle Games portfolio including solitaire. Broad incumbent with comparable freemium casual mobile games distributed globally through App Store and Google Play.
Emerging players
- Wildlife Studios: Brazilian mobile game developer with casual and hypercasual titles globally distributed. Emerging player comparable in size and geography (non-traditional Western hub) to StickyHands' profile as an independent mobile publisher.
- Huuuge Games: Polish mobile social casino and casual game publisher. Emerging player comparable in scale and free-to-play mobile model; useful proxy for evaluating mid-sized regional casual publishers' unit economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sticky Hands social profiles
Digital presenceSticky Hands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sticky Hands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sticky Hands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sticky Hands 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 Sticky Hands
What does Sticky Hands do?
StickyHands develops and publishes free-to-play casual mobile games for iOS and Android, distributed globally through Apple App Store and Google Play. Its portfolio centers on solitaire card games (Klondike, Spider, Pyramid, FreeCell, TriPeaks), merge puzzle games, and hybrid simulation genres (farming, city-building, restaurant building, post-apocalyptic survival). Revenue is generated via in-app purchases of virtual items and currency, plus in-game advertising served through multiple ad mediation partners.
Is Sticky Hands a public or private company?
Sticky Hands is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sticky Hands founded?
Sticky Hands was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sticky Hands based?
Sticky Hands is headquartered in Seongdong, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Sticky Hands make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. In-app Purchases are the primary driver. The others are virtual Items.
Who are Sticky Hands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Metacore, Tactile Games and MobilityWare. Broad incumbents are Playtika, King (Activision Blizzard), Zynga (Take-Two), Moon Active and Rovio Entertainment (Sega). Emerging players are Wildlife Studios and Huuuge Games.
Does Sticky Hands have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sticky Hands.
What industry is Sticky Hands in?
Sticky Hands's product category is Mobile Casual Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAB, Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7990.