Sticky Brain Studios
Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media studio founded in 2013 that develops original interactive games and apps and creates custom digital content for broadcasters, non-profits, and government clients across iOS, Android, and PC platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Sticky Brain Studios does
Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media company founded in 2013 by co-founders Sasha Boersma and Ted Brunt. The studio develops original interactive games, mobile apps, and digital creative content, serving two distinct markets: consumer gaming audiences ranging from preschoolers to grandparents, and institutional content partners including television broadcasters, non-profits, film producers, and government organizations. The product portfolio comprises three self-published titles—Rooster (a multi-genre casual puzzle adventure game celebrating Chinese culture, targeted for Q1 2025 launch), Kimono (a dress-up game featuring Japanese Meiji-period aesthetics), and Loki's Castle (a mobile puzzle game with ability-absorption mechanics)—alongside service-work projects including Cutie Pugs for TVO/TFO/SRC, the Red Rover graphic novel and game series for RedRover, and GAME BRAiN educational mini-games for the Responsible Gambling Council.
The studio operates a hybrid business model combining professional-services contracts (custom game and digital content development for content partners) with one-time licensing of self-published games through mobile app stores (iOS App Store, Google Play) and, beginning with Rooster, Steam for PC and Mac. The largest self-published project, Rooster, is fully production-funded by Canada Media Fund and Ontario Creates. A team of approximately 15 includes the co-founders, developers, artists and animators, composers and sound designers, a writer/narrative designer, and marketing and communications staff. Notable technical features include multi-genre gameplay integration (Rooster combines hidden-object levels, puzzles, dating sim, cooking, logic, dialogue choices, paper crafting, garden design, and tower defence in a single title), creative customization systems (Kimono offers millions of kimono design possibilities), and novel mechanics such as ability absorption from deep-sea creatures in Loki's Castle. All published games are rated 4+/Everyone, with accessibility positioned as a core design principle (Cutie Pugs adheres to AODA standards and ships in English and French).
The studio's commercial positioning centers on culturally diverse content and accessibility-focused design for audiences underserved by mainstream gaming. The company has earned industry recognition including the 2019 Youth Media Alliance Award of Excellence for Best Preschool Digital, 2019 Kidscreen Preschool Digital Award, 2020 Kidscreen nomination, 2021 W3 Gold Award, and 2024 Export Plan of the Year from the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Sticky Brain Studios Inc. is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investment, operates from 340 King St. East in Toronto, and distributes globally through app stores while concentrating service work in the Canadian market.
Sticky Brain Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sticky Brain Studios
- Legal name
- Sticky Brain Studios Inc.
- Website
- https://stickybrainstudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media studio founded in 2013 that develops original interactive games and apps and creates custom digital content for broadcasters, non-profits, and government clients across iOS, Android, and PC platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sticky Brain Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Game Development
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where Sticky Brain Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sticky Brain Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Game Development Services: Contract development services for broadcasters, not-for-profits, government, and content creators including game development, graphic novels, and educational content
- Published Games: Self-published mobile games (Loki's Castle, Kimono) and upcoming titles (Rooster) available on iOS, Android, and Steam
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sticky Brain Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media studio that develops and self-publishes original mobile and PC games (Rooster, Kimono, Loki's Castle) while also providing custom game and app development services for television producers, broadcasters, not-for-profits, and government organizations (Cutie Pugs, Red Rover, GAME BRAiN). The studio combines multi-genre gameplay with culturally diverse storytelling and accessibility-focused design for audiences from preschoolers to adults.
Product overview
Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media company specializing in creating innovative video games and creative digital content. Their portfolio consists of original game titles (Rooster, Loki's Castle, Kimono) that reflect Toronto's diverse culture, alongside service work creating educational and branded content for partners including television producers, broadcasters, film companies, documentary producers, not-for-profits, and government agencies. The company operates from 2013, creating immersive games and apps for various audiences including children, families, and all-ages players.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rooster A casual puzzle adventure game celebrating Chinese culture and community through traditional folklore, art, music, and food. Players join Rooster on a journey of self-reflection and discovery combining multiple gameplay mechanics including hidden object levels, puzzles, dating sim, cooking, logic, dialogue choices, paper crafting, garden design, tower defence, and boss levels. Targeted for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- Kimono A tranquil dress-up game taking players through landscapes, seasons, and fashion. Players personalize kokeshi dolls with kimonos, offering millions of design possibilities, over 40 hairstyles and accessories, and 16 seasonal patterns. Available on iOS and Android.
- Loki's Castle A mobile puzzle game where players solve primordial puzzles as Loki, the cutest single-celled life-form in the ocean. Players absorb abilities of deep-sea creatures to solve levels while foiling traps set by the antagonist Phis. Available on iOS and Android.
- Cutie Pugs Educational game series for preschoolers teaching basic skills through gameplay with animated pugs, developed in partnership with Little Engine Moving Pictures for TVO Kids, TFO, and SRC broadcasters. Available in English and French with AODA accessibility compliance.
- Red Rover The Restricted Adventures of Raja - empathy app and graphic novel series teaching children ages 7-11 about empathy for animals, developed in partnership with RedRover. First graphic novel ranked 11th in Apple US app store for ebooks at launch.
- GAME BRAiN Mini games created for the Responsible Gambling Council to teach teens ages 15-17 about signs of gambling problems through fun, colourful, and upbeat gameplay with catchy tunes and strong messaging.
- Custom Game Development Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 165,000+ game plays in two years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sticky Brain Studios
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sticky Brain Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sticky Brain Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key and minor.
- Little Engine Moving PictureskeyContent partner for Cutie Pugs game series linked to live-action television series. Little Engine Moving Pictures provided the creative concept and brand direction while Sticky Brain Studios developed the games.
- TVO KidskeyOntario-based children's broadcaster and digital platform that distributed Cutie Pugs games to Canadian audiences.
- TFOkeyOntario French-language educational broadcaster distributing Cutie Pugs games to French-speaking audiences.
- SRCkeyFrench-language public broadcaster distributing Cutie Pugs games to Quebec audiences.
- RedRoverkeyAnimal welfare organization that partnered with Sticky Brain Studios to create graphic novels and games teaching empathy for animals to children ages 7-11. RedRover provided the creative concept and story direction.
- Responsible Gambling CouncilkeyRGC presented the challenge to create GAME BRAiN - educational mini games to teach teens about gambling dangers. Worked closely with Sticky Brain Studios throughout the creative development process.
- Toronto Region Board of TrademinorFeatured in Homegrown Success series showcasing local entrepreneurial journeys. Received Export Plan of the Year recognition through Trade Accelerator Program.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sticky Brain Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sago Mini: Toronto-based kids' digital play studio (Toca Boca's sister brand under Spin Master) producing preschool apps. Highly comparable given shared Toronto origin, preschool audience, and educational game design, though at much larger scale.
- Toca Boca: Larger Swedish studio (owned by Spin Master) specializing in kids' digital play. Comparable through shared kids-and-family digital play focus, accessibility-led design, and educational game mechanics, though at meaningfully larger scale.
Direct peers
- Noodlecake Studios: Canadian indie developer and publisher of mobile games. Comparable as a Canada-based indie mobile developer/publisher with a portfolio of artistic, narrative, and casual titles.
- Snowman: Toronto-based indie studio known for culturally distinctive, beautifully designed mobile and Switch titles (Alto's Adventure, Where Cards Fall). Highly comparable in city, scale, design-led indie approach, and narrative-driven casual gameplay.
- Ustwo Games: UK-based independent studio behind Monument Valley, famous for design-led, culturally rich, accessible mobile games. Comparable in design-first indie philosophy, mobile-first publishing, and accessible gameplay for broad audiences.
- Thunder Lotus Games: Canadian indie studio (Sundered, Spiritfarer) producing hand-drawn, artistic titles on PC and consoles. Comparable in independent Canadian studio profile, hand-crafted artistic style, and small-team production.
- KO_OP: Montreal-based independent studio focused on narrative and culturally distinctive games (GNOG, Goodbye Volcano High). Comparable as a Canadian indie studio with small team, strong art direction, and inclusive creative values.
- Finji: Independent game developer/publisher (Tunic, Night in the Woods) with strong cultural and artistic positioning. Comparable as a small, values-driven indie publisher developing distinctive original IP alongside curated publishing.
Emerging players
- Night School Studio: Independent narrative-game studio (Oxenfree, Afterparty) focused on character-driven storytelling. Comparable in indie scale, narrative-first design, and small-team creative output, though more focused on narrative adventure than casual/cultural gameplay.
- Strange Loop Games: Small independent studio focused on eco-conscious simulation games (Eco). Comparable in indie studio scale, mission-driven development, and educational/impact-oriented game design philosophy.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sticky Brain Studios social profiles
Digital presenceSticky Brain Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sticky Brain Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Sticky Brain Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sticky Brain Studios 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 Brain Studios
What does Sticky Brain Studios do?
Sticky Brain Studios is a Toronto-based digital media studio that develops and self-publishes original mobile and PC games (Rooster, Kimono, Loki's Castle) while also providing custom game and app development services for television producers, broadcasters, not-for-profits, and government organizations (Cutie Pugs, Red Rover, GAME BRAiN). The studio combines multi-genre gameplay with culturally diverse storytelling and accessibility-focused design for audiences from preschoolers to adults.
Is Sticky Brain Studios a public or private company?
Sticky Brain Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sticky Brain Studios founded?
Sticky Brain Studios was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sticky Brain Studios based?
Sticky Brain Studios is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sticky Brain Studios make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Game Development Services are the primary driver. The others are published Games.
Who are Sticky Brain Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sago Mini and Toca Boca. Direct peers are Noodlecake Studios, Snowman, Ustwo Games, Thunder Lotus Games, KO_OP and Finji. Emerging players are Night School Studio and Strange Loop Games.
Does Sticky Brain Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sticky Brain Studios.
What industry is Sticky Brain Studios in?
Sticky Brain Studios's product category is Mobile Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAC, Indie Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAI, Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios. Its SIC code is 7372.