What ZingGames does

Zing Games Inc. is an independent video game developer founded in 2011 and headquartered at 24 W. 500 Maple Avenue Suite 219A, Naperville, Illinois (the company describes itself as Chicago-based). The studio is led by co-founders Ding Ye (CEO and Creative Director; award-winning game designer formerly of THQ/Volition) and Zhan Ye (Biz Dev; founder of GameVision and one of China's first-generation PC game developers). Zing Games develops and self-publishes original games on multiple platforms using the Unity Engine, with a portfolio anchored by two franchises: the Zombie Rollerz series (a pinball-tower defense hybrid spanning Zombie Rollerz, Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes, and Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship) and the Mr. Runner series (Mr. Runner X with 9M+ downloads and Mr. Runner 2: The Masks). A back catalog of legacy titles — including Professional Police Training, Seawolf 1942, App Icon Quiz, Super Smash Mole, Yummy Bugs, Melody Match, and Pebble Smartwatch games — rounds out the catalogue.

The studio's products are distributed globally across mobile storefronts (Apple App Store, Google Play), PC gaming platforms (Steam), console platforms (Nintendo Switch), and subscription services (Apple Arcade). The business model combines freemium mobile distribution with in-app purchases on iOS and Android titles, premium one-time-purchase sales of standalone PC and console titles, and licensing inclusion in Apple Arcade. Go-to-market relies primarily on app-store organic and editorial discovery (including high-trust placements such as Apple App Store No.1 Free App and 'Today' feature for Mr. Runner X), supplemented by participation in industry events (GDC, PAX West/East, IndieCade, Tokyo Game Show, Casual Connect, Game Connection America, Google Indie Games Festival) and earned media from outlets such as GamesBeat. The studio has accumulated roughly 20 industry recognitions across its franchises but discloses no revenue, funding, or team size figures.

Customer focus is split between two personas: primary casual mobile gamers on iOS and Android (drawn to endless runner, pinball, and tower defense mechanics) and a secondary cohort of hardcore/indie PC and console gamers seeking innovative hybrid-genre gameplay (particularly the roguelike and roguelite mechanics within the Zombie Rollerz franchise). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the mix of free-to-play and premium distribution channels is designed to reach both casual and engaged gaming audiences at global scale.

Name

ZingGames

Legal name

Zing Games Inc.

Website

https://zinggames.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zing Games Inc. is an independent Unity-based video game developer in Naperville, Illinois that creates and self-publishes the Zombie Rollerz and Mr. Runner franchises across iOS, Android, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Arcade, reaching over 10 million downloads worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile Game Downloads & In-App Purchases: Freemium mobile games distributed through Apple App Store and Google Play, generating revenue through free downloads with optional in-app purchases and monetization.
2. Premium PC/Console Game Sales: Full-featured games like Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes sold as premium titles on Steam and Nintendo Switch, as well as included in Apple Arcade subscription service.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zing Games is an independent video game developer that designs, develops, and publishes original casual and indie games across mobile, PC, and console platforms. Its flagship franchises — the Zombie Rollerz pinball-tower defense hybrid series and the Mr. Runner endless runner series — are distributed worldwide through app stores (Apple App Store, Google Play, Apple Arcade), Steam, and Nintendo Switch, reaching over 10 million downloads.

Product overview

Zing Games is an award-winning independent game developer based in Chicago with over 10 million total downloads. The company's core product portfolio centers on the Zombie Rollerz franchise — a pinball-tower defense hybrid series spanning three titles: the original Zombie Rollerz, Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes (released on Apple Arcade and Steam), and Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship (a roguelite survival variant). The Mr. Runner series (Mr. Runner X and Mr. Runner 2: The Masks) represents a secondary franchise of fast-paced endless runner games. Both franchises have received industry recognition including Apple App Store features and awards. Zing Games has also developed various legacy titles across mobile platforms including Professional Police Training, Seawolf 1942, App Icon Quiz, Super Smash Mole, Yummy Bugs, Melody Match, and Pebble Smartwatch games. The company builds games using the Unity Engine for PC, consoles, and mobile platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes A sequel to Zombie Rollerz that fuses classic pinball mechanics with tower defense gameplay, featuring roguelike elements and hundreds of hero and power combinations. Available on Apple Arcade, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
• Zombie Rollerz An original pinball-tower defense hybrid where players rescue and recruit heroes to defend against zombies using unique pinball mechanics and skill combinations. Distributed via Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship A tower defense-on-wheels zombie survival roguelite where players command the last ship in a zombie-filled world, building turrets, leading a crew, upgrading the ship, and gathering loot. Released on Steam.
• Mr. Runner X A fast-paced endless running game with unique speed-control mechanics, featuring 26 unlockable skins and random power-ups; over 9 million downloads worldwide. Available on the Apple App Store.
• Mr. Runner 2: The Masks Sequel to Mr. Runner featuring mask-themed gameplay where players hunt down antagonist Le Magie through four themed game worlds with boss fights. Achieved Best New Games on the Apple App Store and other industry awards.
• Professional Police Training 1&2 A challenging tap shooting game series that achieved over 400,000 downloads on the Apple App Store.
• Pebble Smartwatch Games Four games published on the Pebble Smartwatch platform, including Mr. Runner Pebble which was named Game of the Year 2014 on Pebble.
• Seawolf 1942 A fast-paced arcade action game inspired by the classic Seawolf, featuring innovative gameplay mechanics.
• App Icon Quiz A quiz game featuring over 200 app store icons where players guess the correct application from its icon.
• Super Smash Mole A mole-whacking game where players save Mac Donald's farm from infestation using hammer mechanics.
• Yummy Bugs A bug-themed challenge game where players taste or dare to taste living bugs.
• Melody Match A musical puzzle game combining graphic effects with diverse songs and innovative gameplay modes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 million total downloads across all games
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Finji: US-based indie developer and publisher (Night in the Woods, Overland, Tunic co-publishing). Comparable to Zing as a small, multi-platform indie studio with curated platform presence and a focus on accessible, character-driven experiences.
• Playdead: Danish indie studio behind Limbo and INSIDE, with a strong Apple Arcade presence. Comparable to Zing as a small, award-winning indie studio with curated-platform premium distribution and a hybrid gameplay-identity approach.
• Nitrome: UK-based independent mobile and web game developer known for pixel-art action games. Comparable to Zing in team size, indie-festival participation, and mobile-first distribution across iOS and Android.
• Motion Twin: French indie cooperative developer behind Dead Cells, distributed across mobile, PC, and consoles. Comparable to Zing as a small-team, multi-platform indie studio with critically acclaimed hybrid-genre (roguelike + action) gameplay and multi-platform reach including Nintendo Switch.
• Halfbrick Studios: Australian independent mobile game studio behind Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride, and Dan the Man. Closely comparable to Zing Games as a similarly-sized indie developer with hit mobile franchises, multi-platform distribution, and a focus on accessible action/casual gameplay.
• Thunder Lotus Games: Canadian indie studio behind Jotun and Spiritfarer, with strong multi-platform (PC, console, mobile) presence. Comparable to Zing as a small indie developer leveraging a distinctive art style, premium distribution, and indie-festival recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Devolver Digital: Larger indie publisher and developer (Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, Inscryption). Comparable to Zing as a multi-platform indie-game operator but materially larger in scale and as a publisher rather than solely a developer — a likely strategic acquirer or partner for studios like Zing.
• Voodoo: French mobile game publisher dominant in hyper-casual titles. Comparable to Zing as a mobile game publisher competing for the same app-store top-chart real estate, but with vastly greater UA infrastructure and capital backing.
• Rovio Entertainment: Finnish mobile game studio behind Angry Birds, now part of Sega. Comparable to Zing in mobile-game development and franchise-led growth but orders of magnitude larger in scale, headcount, and marketing budget.
• Ketchapp: Mobile casual game publisher and developer (now part of Ubisoft) known for hyper-casual hits. Comparable to Zing in the mobile-casual space but at materially larger scale with a heavy UA-spend model — represents the kind of well-capitalized publisher Zing competes against for app-store visibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zinggames
• Facebookfacebook.com/288199555507

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ZingGames