STUDIO-KURA

What STUDIO-KURA does

STUDIO-KURA is a privately-held, three-person independent game development studio based in Japan, founded in 2016. The team comprises Aoki Taishin (青木太臣, representative and programmer), Kobayashi Takahide (小林隆英, also a manga creator under the name PAPA), and Aoki Hideo (青木ヒデオ, illustrator and doll maker). The studio's sole commercial product is HumanDozer, a mobile game available on both Apple App Store and Google Play, with a freemium pricing model offering a free version and a paid "GetFullVersion" upgrade option.

The studio operates with a minimalist structure typical of small indie game development units. There is no evidence of external venture capital funding, institutional investors, or parent company affiliation. Distribution is handled exclusively through the two major mobile app marketplaces, giving the product global reach by default but subjecting it to platform dependencies and commission structures. The studio markets itself primarily through the personal Twitter accounts and online profiles of its founders, with no documented marketing budget or paid acquisition channels.

The business model relies on consumer purchases of the full version of HumanDozer, making STUDIO-KURA dependent on the game maintaining relevance and discoverability in crowded app store environments. With only one product line and no documented roadmap for additional titles, platform expansions, or technology investments, the studio's commercial surface is highly narrow. Operating expenses are kept minimal, consistent with the founder's stated 4-day work week, suggesting a lifestyle-business orientation rather than a venture-scale operation.

Name

STUDIO-KURA

Legal name

STUDIO-KURA

Website

https://studio-kura.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STUDIO-KURA is a privately-held, three-person independent Japanese game studio founded in 2016 that develops and publishes the mobile game HumanDozer on iOS and Android via a freemium model targeting consumer mobile gamers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Game Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Game Stores & Alternative App Stores (MPAFACAD)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Mobile game studio
• Casual gaming
• Mobile entertainment apps
• IOS Android games

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile Game Sales - HumanDozer: The company develops and publishes mobile games, with 'HumanDozer' available on Apple App Store and Google Play. The presence of 'GetFullVersion' and free/paid versions suggests a freemium or paid upgrade revenue model for consumer mobile gamers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

STUDIO-KURA is a small independent game development studio that develops and publishes mobile games for consumer entertainment. Their primary product is "HumanDozer," a mobile game available on both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play) platforms, offered under a freemium model with a paid full-version upgrade option.

Product overview

STUDIO-KURA is a small independent game development studio consisting of three members (青木太臣, 小林隆英, 青木ヒodio). Their sole product is the mobile game HumanDozer, which is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The company operates as a simple indie developer without multiple product lines or platform modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HumanDozer: A mobile game developed and published by STUDIO-KURA, available on iOS and Android platforms.

Products and services

• HumanDozer HumanDozer is a mobile game developed and published by STUDIO-KURA, available on both iOS and Android platforms. It is offered as a free download with an optional paid full-version upgrade (GetFullVersion) targeting casual mobile gamers seeking entertainment on smartphones and tablets.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Direct peers

• Playdead: Small Danish indie studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable as a compact, design-driven indie developer that produces a limited number of highly distinctive, art-led games.
• thatgamecompany: Indie studio behind Journey and Sky: Children of the Light. Comparable as a small studio with a strongly auteur-driven creative vision and presence on consumer platforms.
• Tribute Games: Small Montreal-based indie studio behind titles like Flinthook and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Comparable as a small indie team focused on action-style games with distinct art direction.
• Amanita Design: Small Czech indie studio known for distinctive artistic games like Machinarium and Samorost. Comparable as a small, artist-driven indie game studio with a strong personal creative vision across a small catalogue.
• Polytron Corporation: Small indie studio behind Fez, run by a tiny team led by Phil Fish. Comparable as a famously small, single-project indie developer with strong auteur identity.
• Supergiant Games: Independent studio behind Bastion, Transistor, Hades, and Pyre. Comparable as a small-to-mid indie studio with a small team and a tightly curated, artistically distinctive catalogue of titles.
• Onion Games: Small Japanese indie studio led by Yoshiro Kimura (Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Million Onion Hotel). Closely comparable as a small Japan-based indie developer with a niche, design-led catalog.

Broad incumbents

• Finji: Indie game publisher and developer (Night in the Woods, Overland). Comparable as a hybrid developer/publisher in the indie space and a potential partnership analogue for a small studio seeking distribution.
• Annapurna Interactive: Indie-focused publisher working with small studios on games like Outer Wilds and What Remains of Edith Finch. Comparable as the broader publishing/distribution layer in the indie gaming ecosystem where a small studio like STUDIO-KURA would seek partnership.
• Devolver Digital: Major indie publisher (Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, Inscryption). Comparable as an established indie-game publisher that represents the kind of partner STUDIO-KURA could approach for distribution and marketing scale.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StudioKura

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 STUDIO-KURA