Kumobius

What Kumobius does

Kumobius is a 3-person independent game studio founded in June 2011 in Melbourne, Australia by brothers Tom and James Greenaway alongside Ivan Neeson. The studio develops and self-publishes mobile and PC games across multiple genres, including arcade action (Duet, High Risers), platformers (Bean's Quest, Bean Dreams, Wall Kickers), puzzle (Piece Out), and physics-based gameplay (Time Surfer, Basket Fall), with a portfolio of 8 distinct titles released between 2011 and 2018. Their technology centers on touch-optimized precision controls (notably Duet's two-touch orbital navigation), retro-inspired chiptune audio, and creative mechanics such as time-rewind and physics-based slingshot gameplay, with notable engineering effort invested in backwards compatibility (Bean Dreams runs at 60fps on legacy iPad 1 and iPhone 3GS hardware). The business model combines premium one-time purchases ($0.99–$4.99 on mobile and Steam) with freemium + in-app purchases introduced from 2015 onward. Distribution is entirely digital, routed through the Apple App Store, Google Play, Steam, Mac App Store, Humble Bundle, and Desura, reaching a global audience of mobile and indie-PC gamers. The studio is founder-controlled with no disclosed external institutional investment beyond limited Australian public-sector production funding (Screen Australia, Film Victoria) for Bean Dreams in 2014.

Name

Kumobius

Legal name

Kumobius Pty. Ltd.

Website

https://kumobius.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kumobius is a 3-person Melbourne-based indie game studio founded in 2011 by brothers Tom and James Greenaway with Ivan Neeson, developing and self-publishing mobile and PC games such as Duet, Bean's Quest, and Time Surfer for global app-store distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Game Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Software Publishers (5132), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Mobile game development
• Indie game studio
• Arcade games
• Mobile platformer games
• Touch-based gaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium game sales: One-time purchase model for games like Duet and Bean's Quest sold at fixed prices ($2.99-$4.99) across multiple platforms
2. Free-to-play with in-app purchases: Games like High Risers and Basket Fall are free to download with optional in-app purchases for additional content, characters, and themes
3. Humble Bundle placement: Time Surfer appeared in Humble Mobile Bundle 2, generating revenue through bundle sales
4. Steam distribution: PC/Mac/Linux distribution through Steam platform for premium titles like Duet

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kumobius is a 3-person independent game studio that develops and publishes mobile (iOS/Android) and PC (Steam) games across platformer, arcade, puzzle, and physics-based genres. The studio sells its games directly to consumers through app stores and digital distribution platforms using both premium one-time purchase and freemium-with-in-app-purchase models.

Product overview

Kumobius is a 3-person Australian mobile game studio founded in 2011 by brothers Tom and James Greenaway with Ivan Neeson. The company operates as a single-studio developer with a portfolio of 8 distinct mobile and desktop games rather than a unified platform. The game lineup includes platformers (Bean's Quest, Bean Dreams, Wall Kickers), arcade games (Duet, High Risers), puzzle games (Piece Out), physics games (Time Surfer, Basket Fall). The games are distributed across iOS App Store, Google Play, Steam, and Mac App Store, with varying business models from premium ($0.99-$4.99) to free-to-play with in-app purchases. Their most successful title, Duet, has achieved 7-figure revenue. The studio specializes in touch-optimized gameplay with retro-inspired aesthetics and chiptune soundtracks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duet: Hypnotic arcade action game with a minimalist design featuring two orbiting spheres navigating through obstacles. Released October 2013.
• Piece Out
• Basket Fall
• Wall Kickers
• Bean's Quest
• Time Surfer
• High Risers
• Bean Dreams

Products and services

• Duet Hypnotic arcade action game with a two-touch control system where players navigate two orbiting spheres past falling obstacles. Features over 140 stages with an original soundtrack by Tim Shiel.
• Piece Out Puzzle game where players flip, slide and spin blocks to untangle over 700 puzzles. Features daily new puzzles, hint system, and no time pressure gameplay.
• Basket Fall Basketball simulation game with rope-swinging mechanics. Players tap to release the ball and aim for hoops, featuring 30+ unlockable themes and various obstacles.
• Wall Kickers Wall-jumping platformer featuring tap-to-jump and mid-air backflip mechanics. Includes 20+ characters and 8+ environments.
• Bean's Quest Retro-style precision platformer for mobile with no on-screen controls. Features 50 stages across 5 worlds with speed-run focused gameplay and over 10 original music pieces.
• Time Surfer Physics-based time-rewind game combining slingshot gameplay with time reversal mechanics. Players rewind time to fix mistakes and cheat death while surfing through the galaxy.
• High Risers Wall-bouncing arcade game where players tap to jump and bounce off walls to ascend. Features 30+ characters, 10+ environments, and free-to-play model with in-app purchases.
• Bean Dreams Deceptively simple platformer sequel to Bean's Quest with 78 stages across 13 worlds. Introduces Ninja Boots for wall jumping and chili power-up for mid-air attacks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Duet reached 7-figure revenue as the studio's most successful title
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Screen AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2014Screen Australia provided production support for Bean Dreams, contributing to the game's development and marketing
• Film VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2014Film Victoria provided marketing support for Bean Dreams
• Rubber HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2014Rubber House created the intro video for Bean Dreams
• Tim ShielcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2013Melbourne composer and Gotye multi-instrumentalist Tim Shiel created the soundtrack and in-game sound design for Duet. His orchestral performance of Duet sold out completely in Australia.
• Steam (Valve)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 October 2013Duet distributed through Steam platform for PC, Mac, and Linux
• Humble BundleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2013Time Surfer included in Humble Mobile Bundle 2 for distribution
• Derris KharlancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2013Derris Kharlan created the original soundtrack for Time Surfer
• FlashygoodnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2011Flashygoodness created music and SFX for Bean's Quest, Bean Dreams, and Time Surfer games

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vlambeer: Dutch indie game studio co-founded by Rami Ismail (who built the presskit() framework Kumobius uses). Directly comparable small-team indie model with critically acclaimed arcade-style titles like Nuclear Throne and Ridiculous Fishing.
• Noodlecake Studios: Indie mobile game publisher and developer known for Alto's Adventure collaboration and premium mobile curation. Comparable as a mobile-focused indie studio publishing quality premium titles across iOS and Android.
• Simogo: Swedish indie studio behind Year Walk, Device 6, and Sayonara Wild Hearts. Comparable as a small critically acclaimed indie studio with distinctive artistic direction and touch-optimized mobile gameplay.
• Ronimo Games: Dutch indie studio behind Awesomenauts and Blaze Rush. Comparable as a small independent studio developing multiple premium-quality games across genres with strong design identity.

Regional players

• Halfbrick Studios: Australian indie game studio best known for Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride, and Dan the Man. Comparable as an Australian mobile-focused indie that scaled from small team to global hit-driven mobile publishing.
• Team Cherry: Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight — a multi-award-winning indie hit. Comparable as an Australian indie that achieved breakout commercial and critical success with a precision-platformer/action title.
• Hipster Whale: Melbourne-based indie studio behind Crossy Road. Directly comparable as a small Melbourne indie team that shipped a globally successful mobile game with distinctive arcade aesthetic.
• League of Geeks: Melbourne-based indie studio behind Armello. Comparable as a small Australian studio developing games with distinctive artistic direction and design awards.
• Witch Beam: Australian indie studio known for Unpacking and Assault Android Cactus. Comparable as a small Australian team with award-winning indie titles spanning different genres.

Emerging players

• Sublime Games: Small indie studio focused on mobile arcade titles. Comparable as a small-scale mobile game developer operating in the same touch-optimized arcade/precision-platformer space as Kumobius.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kumobius
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Beans-Quest/237350819620654

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 Kumobius