Mad Hook
Mad Hook is an Amman, Jordan-based independent game studio founded in 2018 that develops free-to-play, culturally Arabic-themed racing, drifting, fighting, and casual games across mobile, Steam, and PlayStation for global and MENA consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersAmman, Jordan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Mad Hook does
Mad Hook is an independent cross-platform game development studio founded in October 2018 in Amman, Jordan, by Hazim Al-Hanbali (Co-Founder/CEO) and Ibrahim Al-Hasan (Co-Founder/CTO). The studio builds free-to-play racing, drifting, fighting, hyper-casual, and idle games featuring Arabic and Middle Eastern cultural elements (notably hajwala drifting, Arabic-language characters, and desert environments), and distributes them across mobile (iOS, Android), PC (Steam), and console (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5). Its portfolio comprises 15 mobile titles and 3 PC/console titles, collectively surpassing 100 million downloads and reaching 3.4 million monthly active users by end-2020, with chart performance including #2 Top Free Racing Game on iOS in the USA and Japan and #1 in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Its technology stack relies on standard mobile and console game engines augmented by a broad set of advertising and analytics SDKs (Unity Analytics, GameAnalytics, Applovin, UnityAds, Chartboost, Fyber, Inmobi, Mopub, Tapjoy, Vungle, Google, Adcolony) plus social sign-in via Google Play Game Services, iOS Game Center, and Facebook.
Mad Hook monetizes through a freemium model combining in-game virtual items and currencies with personalized and non-personalized in-game advertising, and has expanded into audio advertising through an Audiomob partnership announced in November 2025. Pricing is pay-as-you-go within each free-to-play title, with virtual items purchasable using real-world money subject to platform payment terms on the App Store, Google Play, and Facebook. Go-to-market is product-led, relying on app store visibility, platform partnerships (PlayStation, Steam, Google, Apple), and earned media via industry recognition such as the 2024 MENA Games Industry Awards "Best Developer" award and selection for the Google Indie Game Accelerator in 2019. Primary customer segments are mobile gamers globally (with particular traction in MENA, the USA, and Japan) and console/PC gamers on PlayStation and Steam, served through a horizontal segmentation approach focused on culturally relevant, accessible gameplay. The company operates as a privately held Jordanian LLC with no disclosed external funding, having scaled organically from two founders to approximately 23 employees by end-2023.
Mad Hook firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mad Hook
- Legal name
- Mad Hook Co. (شركة الرمية الملتهبة للبرمجيات)
- Website
- https://madhook.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mad Hook is an Amman, Jordan-based independent game studio founded in 2018 that develops free-to-play, culturally Arabic-themed racing, drifting, fighting, and casual games across mobile, Steam, and PlayStation for global and MENA consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mad Hook industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile and Console Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile & F2P Game Studios (MPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG)
Keywords
Where Mad Hook is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amman
- HQ country
- Jordan
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mad Hook business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- In-Game Virtual Items: Virtual currencies and items sold within games for enhanced gameplay experience
- In-Game Advertising: Personalized and non-personalized advertising served within mobile games through ad partners including Adcolony, Applovin, UnityAds, Facebook, Fyber, Google, Inmobi, Chartboost, Mopub, Tapjoy, and Vungle
- Audio Advertising (Audiomob Partnership): Audio advertising monetization through partnership with Audiomob to expand revenue streams
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play with optional virtual item purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Mad Hook product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mad Hook is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes cross-platform video games for mobile (iOS, Android), PC (Steam), and consoles (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5). Its portfolio includes racing/drifting games such as the Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator series and Amer: The Chase, the party fighting title Amer Fighting, the hyper-casual game Rooftop Run, and idle games such as Amer Tycoon: Idle!, many featuring culturally specific MENA themes. The studio monetizes via a freemium model with in-game advertising and optional virtual item purchases, collectively achieving over 100 million downloads across 15 mobile games and 3 PC/console titles.
Product overview
Mad Hook is a cross-platform game development studio that creates games for mobile (Android, iOS) and PC/console (Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5). Their portfolio includes racing/drifting games like Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator and Amer: The Chase, party fighting games like Amer Fighting, hyper-casual games like Rooftop Run, and idle games like Amer Tycoon: Idle!. The company has developed 15 mobile games and 3 PC/console games, collectively achieving over 100 million downloads and 5 industry awards. Mad Hook monetizes through in-game advertising partnerships and virtual currency/items within games.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Amer: The Chase - Hit and Run A casual racing game where players control Amer, a character on a mission to reach the top, running from cops and completing missions to unlock cars and explore an entire city. Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Android, and iOS.
- Amer Fighting A party fighting game for families and friends supporting up to six players with chaotic matches, colorful maps containing traps and interactive arenas, and unlockable unique fighters. Available on PlayStation 5 and Steam.
- Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator A driving simulator featuring Middle Eastern hajwala drifting style with realistic physics, traditional cars, immersive desert and city environments, deep car customization options, and steering wheel support. Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
- Amer: Cop Pursuit A casual racing game where players evade police and complete missions. Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, and iOS.
- Highway Drifter: Hajwala Drift A mobile drifting game featuring hajwala-style gameplay with car physics and customization. Available on Google Play and App Store.
- Highway Drifter: Hajwala Online Mobile racing game with online multiplayer drifting gameplay. Available on Google Play and App Store.
- Arabian Hero Mobile adventure game with Arabian-themed gameplay. Available on Google Play and App Store.
- Amer Tycoon: Idle! An idle tycoon game featuring Amer characters and gameplay. Available on Google Play and App Store.
- Rooftop Run A hyper-casual parkour game that reached top rankings in multiple countries including USA, UK, and Canada. Available on Google Play and App Store.
- Highway Drifter (Mobile) Mobile version of the Highway Drifter drifting game series. Available on Google Play and App Store.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100M total downloads
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mad Hook
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mad Hook technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
Feature2 records
Mad Hook partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AudiomobcoreMad Hook partnered with Audiomob, an audio advertising company, to expand its in-game audio monetization capabilities. The partnership aims to support Mad Hook's existing monetization strategies and create new revenue streams through audio advertising within their games.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mad Hook competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tamatem Games: Jordan-based mobile game publisher focused on Arabic/MENA gaming content. Closest regional peer to Mad Hook in terms of geography, cultural localization strategy, and mobile-first distribution model.
- Peak Games: Turkey-founded mobile casual/social game studio with strong MENA distribution and global chart presence. Directly comparable in casual mobile genre focus and MENA heritage.
- Sandsoft Games: MENA-based mobile game studio publishing casual and mid-core titles globally. Comparable in regional headquarters (Middle East/Africa) and cross-platform mobile publishing focus.
- Falafel Games: Lebanon-based mobile game developer focused on Arabic-localized casual games. Comparable as a regional MENA peer producing culturally-tailored mobile games for Arab-speaking audiences.
- SayGames: Mobile game developer and publisher specializing in hypercasual and casual titles with strong global UA operations. Comparable in product category (casual/hypercasual mobile) and freemium ad-supported monetization.
Broad incumbents
- Voodoo: Paris-headquartered global leader in hypercasual mobile games (e.g., Rooftop Run category comparable). Larger scale incumbent that dominates UA and chart rankings in hypercasual — direct genre competitor but at materially greater scale.
- CrazyLabs: Israel-based hypercasual mobile game publisher with global hit titles. Overlaps with Mad Hook in hypercasual mobile mechanics and ad-driven monetization, but operates as a broader publisher/platform.
- Rovio Entertainment: Finland-headquartered mobile game studio famous for Angry Birds franchise. Comparable in mobile-first, character-IP-driven casual gaming and multi-platform expansion.
- Zynga: Major mobile social/casual game publisher with global chart-topping titles. Comparable freemium + ad-supported mobile monetization, but at vastly larger scale and with broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Jawaker: MENA-focused digital card and casual game platform headquartered in Jordan. Comparable as a regional MENA peer targeting Arabic-speaking gaming audiences with mobile-first distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mad Hook social profiles
Digital presenceMad Hook financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mad Hook leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mad Hook funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mad Hook 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 Mad Hook
What does Mad Hook do?
Mad Hook is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes cross-platform video games for mobile (iOS, Android), PC (Steam), and consoles (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5). Its portfolio includes racing/drifting games such as the Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator series and Amer: The Chase, the party fighting title Amer Fighting, the hyper-casual game Rooftop Run, and idle games such as Amer Tycoon: Idle!, many featuring culturally specific MENA themes. The studio monetizes via a freemium model with in-game advertising and optional virtual item purchases, collectively achieving over 100 million downloads across 15 mobile games and 3 PC/console titles.
Is Mad Hook a public or private company?
Mad Hook is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mad Hook founded?
Mad Hook was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mad Hook based?
Mad Hook is headquartered in Amman, Jordan, in the Middle East region.
How does Mad Hook make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. In-Game Virtual Items are the primary driver. The others are in-Game Advertising and audio Advertising (Audiomob Partnership).
Who are Mad Hook's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tamatem Games, Peak Games, Sandsoft Games, Falafel Games and SayGames. Broad incumbents are Voodoo, CrazyLabs, Rovio Entertainment and Zynga. Jawaker is listed as a regional player.
Does Mad Hook have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mad Hook.
What industry is Mad Hook in?
Mad Hook's product category is Mobile and Console Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAB, Mobile & F2P Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAG, Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.