Koboldgames

What Koboldgames does

Koboldgames GmbH is a privately held Swiss serious game development studio founded in 2012 in Maur, Switzerland, with a small team (1-10 employees) led by founders Ralf Mauerhofer (client relations, game design, programming) and Yasemin Günay (sound, graphic, and game design). The company develops custom games and gamification applications for awareness, learning, motivation, and behavioral research, positioning itself as the first Swiss company exclusively dedicated to serious games. Its portfolio spans approximately 25 titled projects across education (PHSZ, FHNW), museum and cultural heritage (Alimentarium, Verkehrshaus), insurance (Allianz Suisse, SVV, Mobiliar), research (ETH Zürich, UZH, NCCR Microbiomes, armasuisse), government (BAFU, Stadt Zürich), and healthcare (Rega, Dividat, Cybathlon).

The studio builds on Unity 3D with WebGL, Android, iOS, and desktop deployments, and has developed proprietary integrations including real-time RAMMS debris flow simulation visualization (MurGame), Dual Flow adaptive fitness algorithms (Sphery Racer, Plunder Planet), brain-computer interface control (Cybathlon 2024 BCI Racer), and AI chatbot-mediated moral reflection (Evergrowth, scheduled 2025). All production is in-house in Switzerland with no outsourcing. Revenue is generated through project-based fixed-price contracts across three tiers (Level 1: 8,000-30,000 CHF; Level 2: 30,000-60,000 CHF; Level 3: custom), plus standalone consulting and game design workshops. The go-to-market is workshop-led: every engagement begins with a free concept workshop, after which the company iterates with the client throughout development. The business is fully self-funded with no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Koboldgames

Legal name

Koboldgames GmbH

Website

https://koboldgames.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Koboldgames is a Swiss serious game studio founded in 2012 that develops custom gamification and behavioral research games for universities, government agencies, museums, and corporate clients across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Serious Games Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Game-Based Learning & Gamification Authoring (EDAFAHAF)

Keywords

• Serious game development
• Gamification solutions
• Custom educational games
• Simulation game design
• Behavioral research games

Headquarters

HQ city

Brugg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Serious Game Development: B2B project-based game development services for serious games and gamification solutions. Projects are commissioned by institutional clients (universities, research institutions, cultural organizations, corporations, government bodies) and developed to custom specifications. Revenue is generated through fixed-price project contracts across three service tiers.
2. Consulting & Advisory Services: Expert consulting services in game design, concept development, prototyping, and production processes. Also includes game design education workshops for schools and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Koboldgames is a Swiss game studio that develops custom serious games and gamification applications for institutional, corporate, and public-sector clients. Each project starts with a collaborative brainstorming workshop, proceeds through iterative development, and is delivered as a tailored game spanning education, ethics training, fitness, research data collection, and awareness campaigns.

Product overview

Koboldgames is a Swiss serious game development studio specializing in educational and training games for research, corporate, and public sector clients. The portfolio comprises approximately 25 distinct products including simulation games (MurGame debris flow simulation, Four Seasons cognitive-motor training), AI-powered learning games (Evergrowth with moral dilemma chatbot), GPS-based discovery apps (Artspotting Zürich, A Tale of Wells), medical ethics training games (uMed), fitness exergames (Sphery Racer, Plunder Planet), and marketing games (Babyrace). Services include collaborative workshops across three pricing tiers (Mini-Game at 8,000-30,000 CHF, Experience-Game at 30,000-60,000 CHF, and Premium/Complex at custom pricing) plus consulting and teaching services. The company operates with an iterative development approach involving customers at each step.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evergrowth A web-based serious game combining moral dilemmas with an AI chatbot coach for ethics research, developed for Universität Zürich.
• Unterricht mit Fairdinand Digital simulation game on bias and fair teaching practices developed for FHNW.
• Cybathlon 2024 BCI Racer Brain-computer interface controlled game for Cybathlon 2024, developed with ETH Zürich for athletes with spinal cord injuries.
• Rega Helikopterflug Web-based helicopter flight game for Rega's Kids platform, inspired by Flappy Bird mechanics.
• Artspotting Zürich GPS-based art adventure app guiding players to discover public art in Zurich, developed with Art Access Association.
• Microbiomes Puzzle game teaching about bacteria, viruses, and their environments, developed with NCCR Microbiomes.
• MurGame Debris flow simulation game that uses RAMMS simulation data to let players defend an alpine village from mudslides.
• Babyrace Jump'n'run game through Swiss landmarks developed for Denner's 'Close to You' advertising campaign.
• Schlagzeile Round-based card game for 3-5 players developed for SRG Aargau Solothurn on media literacy.
• Choose Your Risk Mobile strategy game teaching secondary school students about everyday risks and insurance, developed for the Swiss Insurance Association.
• DroneSim Web-based research game for studying human trust in AI decision-making, developed with UZH and armasuisse.
• Sphery Racer Fitness exergame for the ExerCube that adapts difficulty using the Dual Flow algorithm based on heart rate and performance.
• uMed 2D point-and-click adventure game for medical ethics training developed with UZH, collecting behavioral data for research.
• A Tale of Wells GPS-based game exploring Zurich's public fountains and water infrastructure for Stadt Zürich Wasserversorgung.
• Allianz Suisse Strategy Game Internal strategy game communicating Allianz Suisse's company strategy to over 300 employees.
• uFin: The Challenge Thriller-style survey and training game on moral sensitivity for banking and finance employees, developed with UZH.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 Allianz Suisse employees motivated to learn company strategy through gamified internal competition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ETH ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated with ETH Zürich to develop the Cybathlon 2024 BCI Racer game for the international Cybathlon competition, where athletes with spinal cord injuries control avatars using brain-computer interfaces. Koboldgames handled game design, graphics, and software development.
• Universität Zürich (ETH Zürich, Center of Ethics, Department of Banking and Finance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ongoing research collaborations including Evergrowth (AI-chatbot ethics study), uFin: The Challenge (moral sensitivity research), uMed (medical ethics), and DroneSim (AI trust research). Koboldgames develops games as research tools to collect behavioral data.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Schwyz (PHSZ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partner on educational games including Yami et les Aliments, Fresh Food Runner, and Unterricht mit Fairdinand. PHSZ creates teaching materials complementary to the games.
• Sphery AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary co-development of Sphery Racer (fitness game for ExerCube) and contributed to Plunder Planet (adaptive fitness game). Both games based on Sphery's Dual Flow training algorithm. Sphery Racer deployed globally in fitness studios.
• Geo7coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner for MurGame, providing RAMMS debris flow simulation data converted into game-ready formats. Geo7 conducted the actual debris flow calculations for realistic game physics.
• SLF (Schweizerisches Institut für Schnee- und Lawinenforschung)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner for MurGame, providing the RAMMS software data for realistic debris flow simulation. Part of a consortium including Geo7, Präventionsstiftung, Mobiliar, and BAFU.
• NCCR Microbiomes (Schweizerischer Nationalfonds)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Microbiomes puzzle game teaching about bacteria and viruses in collaboration with NCCR Microbiomes, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). Also sponsored by Leenaards Foundation and Herbette Foundation.
• Alimentarium (Museum für Ernährung, Vevey)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Yami et les Aliments and Fresh Food Runner games, which are displayed in the museum and available in their eMuseum online platform.
• Dividat GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Four Seasons exergame for the Dividat Senso plate, an evidence-based training device for fall prevention in older adults. Deployed in physiotherapy practices and nursing homes.
• Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHAW/ZHdK) / Game Design DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnna Martin-Niedecken from ZHAW/ZHdK led research on dual-flow adaptive fitness games (Plunder Planet, Sphery Racer). Koboldgames provided software co-development for her research projects.
• Art Access Association (Karin Frei Rappenecker & Bettina Meier-Benzel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Artspotting Zürich GPS-based art discovery app with Art Access Association. Client secured funding for the project.
• Schweizerischer Versicherungsverband (SVV)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Choose Your Risk game teaching insurance concepts to secondary school students, complementing existing SVV educational games portfolio.
• kik AG (kik Bildungswerkstatt)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner on Choose Your Risk game, which is designed for use in upper school lessons with supplementary teaching materials.
• armasuisse Wissenschaft + Technologie / Schweizerisches Drohnen- und RobotikzentrummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on DroneSim, a web-based game for studying human trust in AI decision-making systems, developed with UZH's Institute of Informatics and Digital Society Initiative.
• FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Unterricht mit Fairdinand, a simulation game on bias and fair teaching practices for the Centre for Learning and Socialisation at FHNW.
• Präventionsstiftung der Kantonalen GebäudeversicherungenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of MurGame development for debris flow prevention awareness, along with Mobiliar and BAFU.
• Stadt Zürich WasserversorgungmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned A Tale of Wells GPS game for the 150th anniversary of Zurich's water supply, teaching about public fountains and water infrastructure through a fairytale narrative.
• Red Bull Media World / Verkehrshaus der SchweizmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped RBMW: Hidden World AR scavenger hunt game for the Red Bull Media World exhibition in the Swiss Museum of Transport. Players collect props for their own Flugtag video.
• EAWAGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Das Grundwasser educational app about groundwater with an interactive laboratory for Android and iOS.
• Daedalic EntertainmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of Journey of a Roach, a 3D point & click adventure game, available on Steam, GOG, and other PC gaming platforms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BreakAway Games: Established US serious-games studio developing simulation and training games for defense, healthcare, and education clients. Comparable custom-development positioning with a heavier simulation/enterprise tilt.
• SimIS: US serious-games and simulation studio serving healthcare, defense, and public-sector clients. Direct peer in the simulation/serious-games B2B segment with institutional government contracting similar to Koboldgames' MurGame and DroneSim work.
• Filament Games: US-based custom educational and serious-games studio serving museums, publishers, and government agencies. Same B2B custom-game-development model targeting institutional education and research buyers as Koboldgames.
• Playing4Change: Switzerland-based games-for-change studio building digital and applied games for social impact, education, and institutional clients. Closest geographic and category analog to Koboldgames' Swiss serious-games service model.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Digital: Global consulting and digital services firm with an established serious-games and immersive-learning practice serving large enterprises and governments. Overlaps with Koboldgames on enterprise training and gamification mandates but at significantly broader scale.

Others

• Sphery AG: Swiss exergame hardware and fitness-tech company whose ExerCube platform runs Koboldgames' Sphery Racer game. Adjacent/partner rather than competitor, sharing the dual-flow adaptive fitness research with ZHAW and operating one of Koboldgames' flagship deployment venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koboldgames-gmbh?trk=company_name
• Instagraminstagram.com/Koboldgames
• Xx.com/Koboldgames
• Facebookfacebook.com/Koboldgames

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 Koboldgames