Gilligames
Gilligames is an Austin-based independent game studio that develops and publishes casual video games, including the Word Wager mobile title (match-3 plus word-spelling gameplay) on iOS and Android, plus a portfolio of indie PC games distributed on Steam, monetized via freemium and in-app purchases.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Gilligames does
Gilligames is an independent, privately held video game development studio headquartered in Austin, Texas, operating with a small team of 1-10 employees. The studio develops and publishes casual gaming software across two channels: a mobile title, Word Wager, distributed on Apple's App Store and Google Play Store, and a portfolio of PC games distributed on Steam, including Shady O'Grady's Overnight Sensation, Shrouded Aspect, Rising Star 2, and Stranded Without A Phone. The company appears to be bootstrapped or founder-funded, with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or institutional ownership in the available records.
Word Wager is the studio's flagship product and combines match-3 puzzle mechanics with word-spelling gameplay in a proprietary engine, offering single-player practice modes that reward in-game coins and multiplayer wager challenges against friends or random opponents, along with weekly leaderboards. The Steam titles appear to be smaller-scale indie releases without disclosed commercial scale. The studio integrates Facebook Connect and Sign in with Apple for cross-device player progress synchronization using app-specific anonymous identifiers, and otherwise collects no personal information on players.
Gilligames operates a pure product-led growth model, distributing titles directly through major digital storefronts and relying on marketplace visibility and word-of-mouth rather than paid acquisition. Revenue is generated through freemium mechanics — primarily in-app coin purchases within Word Wager used for multiplayer wagers and feature unlocks — while single-player gameplay offers a path to earn coins for free. No revenue, download, or active-user figures have been disclosed, and the company has no documented partnerships, M&A activity, or formal management team in the source material.
Gilligames firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gilligames
- Legal name
- Gilligames
- Website
- https://gilligames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Gilligames is an Austin-based independent game studio that develops and publishes casual video games, including the Word Wager mobile title (match-3 plus word-spelling gameplay) on iOS and Android, plus a portfolio of indie PC games distributed on Steam, monetized via freemium and in-app purchases.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gilligames industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Gaming
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Game Publishing Networks (UA, Cross-Promo, Portfolio Publishing) (MPAFABAE)
Keywords
Where Gilligames is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Gilligames business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases: Players can earn and purchase coins within Word Wager to wager in multiplayer matches and unlock game features. Single player mode provides opportunities to earn free coins through gameplay progression.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Gilligames product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gilligames is an independent video game developer and publisher that creates mobile gaming apps and PC games. Its flagship mobile title Word Wager combines match-3 and word-spelling mechanics for iOS and Android, while its Steam catalog includes Shady O'Grady's Overnight Sensation, Shrouded Aspect, Rising Star 2, and Stranded Without A Phone. The studio operates a free-to-play model where players can earn in-game currency through gameplay and supports in-app purchases.
Product overview
Gilligames is an independent video game developer and publisher operating two distinct product lines: (1) a portfolio of Steam-based video games including Shady O'Grady's Overnight Sensation, Shrouded Aspect, Rising Star 2, and Stranded Without A Phone; and (2) Word Wager, a mobile gaming app for iOS and Android that combines match-3 puzzle mechanics with word-spelling gameplay, featuring both single-player modes and multiplayer wager challenges against friends or random opponents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Word Wager: A mobile game combining match-3 and word-spelling gameplay with single-player and multiplayer modes including friend challenges and group matches.
Products and services
- Word Wager
- Shady O'Grady's Overnight Sensation
- Shrouded Aspect
- Rising Star 2
- Stranded Without A Phone
Companies that use Gilligames
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gilligames technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Gilligames partnerships and signals
Strategic signalExpansion highlights3 records
Gilligames competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- King (Activision Blizzard): Publisher of Candy Crush and the dominant match-3 franchise. Directly comparable on the match-3 gameplay dimension of Word Wager, with significantly larger UA and live-ops resources.
- Zynga: Large mobile/social game publisher known for Words With Friends and many match-3 casual titles. Comparable to Gilligames as a multiplayer, social, freemium mobile word/casual publisher, though vastly larger and broader in scope.
- Jam City: Mobile and social game developer/publisher across word, puzzle, and casual genres (e.g., Words With Friends successor titles, Frozen franchise). Comparable in casual/social mobile category.
- Supercell: Mobile-first free-to-play publisher with multi-title portfolio on app stores. Comparable distribution and freemium mechanics, though different genres and vastly larger scale.
- Playrix: Top-grossing match-3 publisher (Homescapes, Gardenscapes). Directly comparable on match-3 gameplay loop and freemium/monetization mechanics with substantially more resources.
- Rovio Entertainment: Mobile game publisher best known for Angry Birds. Comparable as an independent mobile game publisher with multiple titles on app stores, though Rovio is much larger.
- Scopely: Mobile-first free-to-play publisher with a portfolio of social/casual games including word and puzzle categories. Comparable on freemium + IAP publishing model, though vastly better resourced.
Emerging players
- Wooga: German casual/mobile game studio known for puzzle/word games (June's Journey, Pearl's Peril). Comparable on casual hybrid genre publishing model, but larger and better funded.
- Voodoo: Hyper-casual mobile publisher that thrives on app store discovery. Comparable distribution model (marketplace-led), though focused on different sub-genre (hyper-casual vs. word/match-3 hybrid).
Others
- Solo Indie Studio (e.g., Semaphore, Lonewolf Game Studios): Other small, bootstrapped indie mobile/Steam devs in the puzzle/word space. Comparable on team size, capital structure, and product-led growth model, though no specific single peer dominates this category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Gilligames social profiles
Digital presenceGilligames financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gilligames leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Gilligames funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gilligames 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 Gilligames
What does Gilligames do?
Gilligames is an independent video game developer and publisher that creates mobile gaming apps and PC games. Its flagship mobile title Word Wager combines match-3 and word-spelling mechanics for iOS and Android, while its Steam catalog includes Shady O'Grady's Overnight Sensation, Shrouded Aspect, Rising Star 2, and Stranded Without A Phone. The studio operates a free-to-play model where players can earn in-game currency through gameplay and supports in-app purchases.
Is Gilligames a public or private company?
Gilligames is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Gilligames founded?
Gilligames was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Gilligames based?
Gilligames is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gilligames make money?
One revenue line is on record: in-App Purchases.
Who are Gilligames's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are King (Activision Blizzard), Zynga, Jam City, Supercell, Playrix, Rovio Entertainment and Scopely. Emerging players are Wooga and Voodoo. Solo Indie Studio (e.g., Semaphore, Lonewolf Game Studios) is listed as an others.
Does Gilligames have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gilligames.
What industry is Gilligames in?
Gilligames's product category is Mobile Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFABAE, Mobile Game Publishing Networks (UA, Cross-Promo, Portfolio Publishing). Its NAICS code is 5132.