What Big Huge Games does

Big Huge Games is a privately held mobile game development studio headquartered in Timonium (Lutherville-Timonium), Maryland, in the Baltimore metro area, founded in 2000 with a 51–100 employee headcount. The company's core product is DomiNations, a freemium mobile strategy game launched in 2015 in which players build a civilization and progress through historical ages from the Stone Age to the Space Age. DomiNations is distributed globally via the Apple App Store, Google Play, and PlayStation Store, and has expanded to a PC/browser experience through DomiNations World. The studio monetizes primarily through in-game virtual currency and virtual item purchases, with supplementary revenue from subscriptions, one-time software licenses, and pre-orders; terms of service indicate a $150 per-transaction and $1,000 per-24-hour purchase ceiling.

The company runs a product-led and community-led go-to-market motion: its official forums host over 30,000 members and ~197,000 messages, with active alliance, tactics, and feedback subforums, and the studio maintains organic social presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube alongside an earned-media footprint in outlets such as VentureBeat, the Baltimore Sun, and PocketGamer.biz. DomiNations reached $100 million in cumulative revenue by April 2017 and 50 million downloads by March 2019, when the Space Age content update shipped; the studio was named a Top 50 Mobile Game Developer in 2018 via parent/publisher Nexon. Leadership comprises Executive Producers Zoe Bell and Jenny Martin and Lead Game Designer John Hawkins. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, institutional funding rounds, M&A activity, or second major product line are disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Big Huge Games

Legal name

Big Huge Games, Inc.

Website

https://bighugegames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Big Huge Games is a Maryland-based mobile game studio that develops and operates DomiNations, a freemium civilization-building strategy game distributed globally via Apple App Store, Google Play, and PlayStation Store to individual mobile gamers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lutherville Timonium

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Virtual Currency and Virtual Items: Players purchase in-game currency to acquire virtual goods within the game. Virtual items are licensed, not owned, and have no real-world monetary value. Purchases are non-refundable and non-transferable.
2. Subscriptions: Recurring subscription purchases providing ongoing access to game content on monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis.
3. Software Access: Direct purchase of game software access, typically indefinite access without expiration.
4. Pre-orders: Early purchase of software still in development, before playable content is available.
5. In-Game Purchases: DomiNations generates revenue through various in-game monetization including premium currency, items, and subscriptions. The game surpassed $100 million revenue as of April 2017.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Big Huge Games is a mobile game development studio that develops and publishes strategy-based video games. The company's flagship title is DomiNations, a mobile civilization-building strategy game that spans human history. The studio also operates DomiNations World, a browser/PC-based companion platform for the franchise.

Product overview

Big Huge Games is a mobile game development studio focused on creating deep, well-crafted mobile games. The company's primary product is DomiNations, a strategy game where players build and grow civilizations across historical eras from the Stone Age to the Space Age. DomiNations is available as a mobile app (iOS/Android) and as a browser-based PC experience via DomiNations World. The company operates community forums for DomiNations and provides customer support through Zendesk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DomiNations: The company's primary mobile strategy game where players grow a civilization and journey through human history as the leader of a nation.

Products and services

• DomiNations
• DomiNations World

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 million+ downloads achieved
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IGDA (International Game Developers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Big Huge Games hosted the Allies Workshop presented by the IGDA with speaker Jen MacLean, Executive Director of the IGDA and IGDA Foundation in October 2018. BHG Lead Producer Zoe Bell was also appointed to the Board of the IGDA in February 2018.
• NexoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNexon is the parent company and publisher for Big Huge Games. Nexon provides publishing and distribution services for BHG's games including DomiNations. Nexon was named one of the top 50 mobile game developers of 2018 with DomiNations mentioned as a top grossing title.
• Longtale GamesminorOthersLongtale Games is listed as a related company in the navigation of Big Huge Games website, suggesting an affiliated or subsidiary relationship.
• Apple (iTunes/App Store)coreTechnology or IntegrationApple iTunes and App Store serve as primary distribution platforms for DomiNations mobile game. The Terms of Service references specific terms for purchases through Apple platforms.
• Google PlaycoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Play serves as a primary distribution platform for DomiNations Android mobile game. The Terms of Service references specific terms for purchases through Google Play.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation)coreTechnology or IntegrationPlayStation Store serves as a console distribution platform for DomiNations. The Terms of Service includes specific additional terms for PlayStation Store purchases in North America and Europe.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IGG: IGG publishes Lords Mobile and other global mobile strategy titles, operating in the same mid-core strategy/4X category as DomiNations with comparable F2P monetization and alliance mechanics.
• Kabam (Netmarble): Kabam, now part of Netmarble, developed mobile strategy games like Mobile Strike and Marvel Contest of Champions, operating in the same mid-core mobile strategy/management category as DomiNations.
• Machine Zone (AppLovin Games): Machine Zone (now part of AppLovin) publishes mobile MMO/strategy games like Game of War and Mobile Strike, sharing the same live-ops, alliance-driven, large-scale mobile strategy category as DomiNations.
• Scopely: Scopely develops and publishes mobile games including strategy/4X titles, sharing a live-ops mobile publishing model and cross-platform mobile distribution approach with Big Huge Games.
• FunPlus: FunPlus develops mobile 4X strategy titles such as State of Survival and King of Avalon, directly overlapping with Big Huge Games' civilization-building and alliance PvP gameplay.
• Supercell: Supercell is the most direct competitor, developing mobile strategy games like Clash of Clans and Boom Beach — the same mobile strategy genre as DomiNations with comparable alliance-based multiplayer and F2P monetization.

Broad incumbents

• Gameloft: Gameloft is a larger mobile game publisher with a broad portfolio including strategy titles, offering comparable mobile distribution muscle but a much wider genre spread than Big Huge Games' strategy focus.
• Take-Two Interactive: Take-Two owns Firaxis/2K, publisher of Civilization — the genre archetype DomiNations emulates — making it a strategic reference point for the 4X/civilization-building category Big Huge Games competes in.

Emerging players

• Firefly Studios: Firefly Studios develops the Stronghold series of strategy games and shares Big Huge Games' historical DNA in PC/console real-time strategy — a smaller but thematically aligned peer.

Others

• Nexon: Nexon is referenced in source data as BHG's parent/publisher for DomiNations, making it the most commercially adjacent entity even though it is not a direct product competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebighugegames
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebighugegames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-huge-games

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 Big Huge Games