AB GAMES
AB Games is a private game developer behind Hidden City®, the #1 free-to-play hidden object game globally with 50 million players and 1.1 million daily active users. The Cyprus-incorporated, Ukraine-developed studio of ~100 people also offers ABrush, a generative-AI Photoshop plugin for creative professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What AB GAMES does
AB Games is a private game development studio that operates Hidden City®, the #1 free-to-play Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game globally, with 50 million accumulated players and 1.1 million daily active users across mobile, tablet, and PC platforms. Founded in 2011 by Anton Bolshakov (Антон Большаков) and operating as Cyprus-registered H.S. Happy Star Games Limited with development offices in Kyiv and Rivne, Ukraine, the company employs approximately 100 people. Hidden City® generates revenue through in-app purchases within its freemium model and is distributed via all five major global app stores (Apple, Google Play, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook) in 13 languages; the game ranks Top 3 in US adventure games and #1 in Japan puzzle games by revenue, holding an estimated 50% share of the global F2P HOPA niche. The studio also develops proprietary internal tooling, including a Custom Particle Editor, and has launched ABrush — a generative-AI Photoshop plugin built using ComfyUI and Midjourney, targeting professional artists and game developers as an adjacent B2B product line. Go-to-market is product-led growth via organic chart acquisition, with no disclosed external funding rounds and a community-driven development model in which players reportedly participate in the development process.
AB GAMES firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AB GAMES
- Legal name
- H.S. Happy Star Games Limited
- Website
- https://ab-games.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AB Games is a private game developer behind Hidden City®, the #1 free-to-play hidden object game globally with 50 million players and 1.1 million daily active users. The Cyprus-incorporated, Ukraine-developed studio of ~100 people also offers ABrush, a generative-AI Photoshop plugin for creative professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where AB GAMES is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kyiv
- HQ country
- Ukraine
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
AB GAMES business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases (Free-to-Play): Hidden City® operates as a free-to-play game where revenue is generated through in-game purchases. Players can download and play the game for free, with monetization occurring through optional in-game transactions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with in-game purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
AB GAMES product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AB Games develops and operates Hidden City®, a free-to-play hidden object adventure (HOPA) game with 50 million players across mobile, tablet, and PC platforms. The company also builds ABrush, a generative AI plugin for Photoshop targeting professional artists and game developers. Revenue is generated primarily through in-app purchases in the consumer game, with the AI tool extending the studio's creative technology capabilities.
Product overview
AB Games is a game development company specializing in free-to-play hidden object games. The company operates two core products: Hidden City (their flagship F2P HOPA game with 50 million players and 50% market share in the F2P HOPA genre) and ABrush (an AI-powered Photoshop plugin combining generative AI with professional design tools for gamedev and creative industries). The company has approximately 100 people across offices in Kyiv, Rivne, and Limassol, with corporate entity H.S. Happy Star Games Limited registered in Cyprus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hidden City: Top F2P hidden object game, #1 in its genre globally with 50 million players and 1.1 million daily active users
- ABrush
Products and services
- Hidden City® Free-to-play hidden object adventure (HOPA) game combining mechanics from multiple genres, available on iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows, and Facebook. Targeted at casual gamers globally with narrative-driven gameplay and continuous content updates.
- ABrush AI studio plugin for Photoshop that combines generative AI with native Photoshop workflow integration. Targeted at professional artists, game developers, and creative industry professionals who require control over style and quality when generating or manipulating images.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50 million players worldwide
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use AB GAMES
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AB GAMES technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
AB GAMES partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AB GAMES competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Fish Games: Long-running casual and hidden-object game developer/publisher with F2P and premium mobile titles. Direct genre peer in hidden-object adventure and casual puzzle mobile gaming.
- Artifex Mundi: Polish developer specializing in hidden-object puzzle adventure (HOPA) games, with both premium and F2P titles. Direct genre peer competing for the same hidden-object player demographic.
- Wooga: Berlin-based casual mobile studio (owned by Playtika) known for story-driven hidden-object and match games such as June's Journey. Directly competes in hidden-object and casual narrative F2P mobile.
- Playrix: Russian-founded F2P casual mobile game developer behind Homescapes and Township. Directly comparable as a top-grossing casual puzzle/story-driven mobile publisher competing for the same casual female audience and chart rankings.
- G5 Entertainment: Swedish F2P mobile game publisher originally associated with Hidden City and operator of comparable casual/hidden-object titles. Most direct comparable by genre, F2P monetization model, and cross-platform mobile distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Moon Active: Israeli F2P mobile game studio behind Coin Master, a top-grossing casual mobile title. Comparable as a top-chart F2P mobile success story with similar product-led growth, live-ops, and cross-platform mobile distribution.
- Playtika: Israel-based major F2P mobile game publisher with casual and social-casual titles (Bingo Blitz, Slotomania). Comparable as a top-grossing casual F2P mobile operator with similar IAP-led monetization, though broader portfolio.
- Rovio Entertainment: Finland-based F2P mobile game company behind Angry Birds 2 and small-town story titles. Comparable as an established European casual F2P mobile publisher with cross-platform distribution and live-ops-driven revenue.
- Zynga: One of the largest F2P mobile and social game publishers (now part of Take-Two). Comparable as a diversified casual F2P mobile leader competing for the same casual-puzzle chart positions and ad/IAP revenue pools.
- Socialpoint: Barcelona-based F2P mobile game developer (owned by Take-Two) with casual and mid-core titles. Comparable as a mid-to-large European F2P mobile operator with live-ops and IAP monetization on the same storefronts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AB GAMES social profiles
Digital presenceAB GAMES financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AB GAMES leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
AB GAMES funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AB GAMES 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 AB GAMES
What does AB GAMES do?
AB Games develops and operates Hidden City®, a free-to-play hidden object adventure (HOPA) game with 50 million players across mobile, tablet, and PC platforms. The company also builds ABrush, a generative AI plugin for Photoshop targeting professional artists and game developers. Revenue is generated primarily through in-app purchases in the consumer game, with the AI tool extending the studio's creative technology capabilities.
Is AB GAMES a public or private company?
AB GAMES is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AB GAMES founded?
AB GAMES was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AB GAMES based?
AB GAMES is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the Europe region.
How does AB GAMES make money?
One revenue line is on record: in-App Purchases (Free-to-Play).
Who are AB GAMES's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Fish Games, Artifex Mundi, Wooga, Playrix and G5 Entertainment. Broad incumbents are Moon Active, Playtika, Rovio Entertainment, Zynga and Socialpoint.
Does AB GAMES have an API?
No public API is recorded for AB GAMES.