TouchArcade
TouchArcade was an independent mobile gaming media site (2008–2024) covering iOS, Android, and handheld PC games through news, reviews, a 285,000-member community forum, and a 600+ episode weekly podcast, monetized via Patreon, affiliate links, and podcast sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What TouchArcade does
TouchArcade was an independent online media platform dedicated to mobile gaming on iOS and, over time, Android, Apple Arcade, and adjacent handheld ecosystems. Founded in 2008 by Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson alongside the launch of Apple's App Store, the company operated three core products: a WordPress-based content website publishing news, reviews, and features (over 33,000 articles and 4,000+ reviews cumulatively); a XenForo-powered community forum that grew to roughly 285,609 members and over 4 million posts; and "The TouchArcade Show," a weekly podcast distributed via Stitcher, RSS, and direct MP3 that ran for 600+ episodes. The technology stack was standard web publishing infrastructure with no proprietary AI or platform tooling described.
TouchArcade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TouchArcade
- Legal name
- TouchArcade
- Website
- https://toucharcade.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TouchArcade was an independent mobile gaming media site (2008–2024) covering iOS, Android, and handheld PC games through news, reviews, a 285,000-member community forum, and a 600+ episode weekly podcast, monetized via Patreon, affiliate links, and podcast sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where TouchArcade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
TouchArcade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Patreon Subscriptions: Monthly recurring contributions from community supporters. Launched June 2015. Primary revenue source that enabled continued operations for nearly a decade.
- Amazon Affiliate Links: Commission-based referrals when readers purchase games or products through site links.
- Podcast Sponsorships: Occasional sponsors for podcast episodes such as Tursiipos Studios.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
TouchArcade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TouchArcade was an online media publication dedicated to mobile gaming on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. It delivered daily news articles, in-depth game reviews (over 4,000 published), a weekly podcast (The TouchArcade Show), and community forums covering game discovery, industry commentary, and indie game visibility. The site operated for over 16 years before announcing its shutdown on September 24, 2024.
Product overview
TouchArcade is a unified gaming media platform consisting of three main offerings: the main website delivering news and reviews for iPhone, iPad, and Android games; 'The TouchArcade Show' podcast providing weekly gaming commentary; and community forums enabling discussion among mobile gaming enthusiasts. The platform operated for over 16 years before announcing shutdown in September 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TouchArcade Website A web-based gaming news and review publication covering iPhone, iPad, and Android games, featuring daily articles, reviews, news, and a Hot Games trending page. Targeted at individual mobile gamers seeking curated game recommendations and editorial coverage.
- The TouchArcade Show
Companies that use TouchArcade
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TouchArcade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TouchArcade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Tursiipos StudiosminorPodcast sponsor mentioned in Episode #613 of The TouchArcade Show. A game studio whose game was featured and discussed on the podcast.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
TouchArcade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MacRumors: Large, Apple-focused news and community site covering iOS, macOS, and Apple hardware including a dedicated iOS gaming forum section. Comparable as Apple-platform media with a much larger audience and broader scope than TouchArcade.
- IGN: Major multi-platform gaming media outlet with dedicated mobile, iOS, and Apple Arcade coverage. Broad incumbent in gaming editorial with overlapping mobile gaming review and news coverage at much larger scale.
- Kotaku: Major gaming publication owned by G/O Media covering mobile and console gaming. Broad incumbent with significant overlap on mobile gaming news and reviews, serving a comparable but much larger audience.
Direct peers
- AppAdvice: iOS app discovery and review site covering games and apps for iPhone and iPad. Directly comparable as an Apple-platform editorial site with news, reviews, and a community forum serving the same reader base.
- Daring Fireball: Long-running, independently operated Apple-focused blog by John Gruber. Direct peer in independent Apple-platform editorial media with a similar small-team, Patreon-supported, no-intrusive-ads philosophy.
- Pocket Gamer: Steel Media-owned mobile gaming publication covering iOS, Android, and handheld gaming. Directly comparable as a dedicated mobile gaming editorial site serving the same audience with news, reviews, and industry coverage.
- Gamezebo: Casual and mobile gaming review site with news, previews, and downloads. Direct peer in dedicated mobile/casual gaming media, sharing the same niche audience and editorial focus.
- 148Apps: Independent iOS app and game review site covering App Store releases. Direct peer as a long-running Apple-focused gaming/app review publication with similar community forums and editorial model.
- Nintendo Life: Independent Nintendo-focused gaming publication with news, reviews, and a community forum. Comparable as a platform-specific gaming media outlet using a similar WordPress + XenForo stack and community-led model.
Others
- Patreon: Creator membership and tipping platform that was TouchArcade's primary monetization channel. Not a competitor but the critical enabling infrastructure for the company's business model, and therefore directly relevant to understanding its revenue mechanics and limits.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TouchArcade social profiles
Digital presenceTouchArcade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TouchArcade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
TouchArcade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TouchArcade 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 TouchArcade
What does TouchArcade do?
TouchArcade was an online media publication dedicated to mobile gaming on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. It delivered daily news articles, in-depth game reviews (over 4,000 published), a weekly podcast (The TouchArcade Show), and community forums covering game discovery, industry commentary, and indie game visibility. The site operated for over 16 years before announcing its shutdown on September 24, 2024.
Is TouchArcade a public or private company?
TouchArcade is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was TouchArcade founded?
TouchArcade was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TouchArcade based?
TouchArcade is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does TouchArcade make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Patreon Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are amazon Affiliate Links and podcast Sponsorships.
Who are TouchArcade's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MacRumors, IGN and Kotaku. Direct peers are AppAdvice, Daring Fireball, Pocket Gamer, Gamezebo, 148Apps and Nintendo Life. Patreon is listed as an others.
Does TouchArcade have an API?
No public API is recorded for TouchArcade.