Studio Folly
Studio Folly is an independent Melbourne-based game studio (founded 2020, 1-10 employees) that develops freemium, ad-free mobile puzzle and roguelike deckbuilder games, notably Gubbins on iOS and Android and Dogpile, for casual gamers and deckbuilder enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Studio Folly does
Studio Folly is an independent game design and development studio founded in 2020 in Melbourne (Naarm), Australia, by co-founders Jessica Shipard and Darcy Smith. The studio employs between 1 and 10 people and positions itself around making "atypical games for atypical audiences," combining experienced developers with talent from adjacent creative fields. Its core product is Gubbins, a free-to-play word puzzle mobile game available on iOS and Android in which players place tiles to form words using wildcard modifier characters called Gubbins; the title features daily puzzles, 30 collectible characters, meme-creation tools, and a strict no-advertising policy. Studio Folly has additionally developed Dogpile, a roguelike deckbuilder that combines Suika-style dog merging mechanics with Balatro-like scoring modifiers; Dogpile was initially released on PC and is being brought to iOS and Android through a partnership with Toot Games (announced 2026-06-19).
The studio's technology stack centers on mobile game development engines for puzzle and deckbuilder titles, with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML, API, or SDK infrastructure. Its business model is freemium: Gubbins is free to download and play with no in-app purchases or advertising documented, and monetization appears to rely on optional merchandise sales (tees, caps, stickers, magnets, ties) distributed through DFTBA.com. Go-to-market is product-led and organic, leveraging the Apple App Store, Google Play, and an active social presence across Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, supplemented by an email newsletter and a community postcard program. Customer segments are horizontal: casual mobile gamers seeking ad-free daily puzzles, and roguelike deckbuilder enthusiasts interested in strategic card-based mechanics. The studio operates as a privately held, bootstrapped entity with no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.
Studio Folly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Studio Folly
- Legal name
- Studio Folly
- Website
- https://folly.studio
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Studio Folly is an independent Melbourne-based game studio (founded 2020, 1-10 employees) that develops freemium, ad-free mobile puzzle and roguelike deckbuilder games, notably Gubbins on iOS and Android and Dogpile, for casual gamers and deckbuilder enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Studio Folly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios (MPAFAAAG)
Keywords
Where Studio Folly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Studio Folly business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Mobile Game Distribution: Free-to-play mobile games distributed through App Store and Google Play with no advertising. Revenue appears to come from optional merchandise sales (Gubbins merch at DFTBA.com).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free core game with optional merchandise |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Studio Folly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Studio Folly is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes mobile puzzle games, most notably Gubbins, a word puzzle game with daily puzzles and 30 collectible Gubbins character modifiers available on iOS and Android. The studio is also developing Dogpile, a roguelike deckbuilder, in collaboration with Toot Games. Related merchandise featuring the Gubbins characters is sold through DFTBA.com.
Product overview
Studio Folly operates as an independent game development studio with a focused product portfolio. The primary product is Gubbins, a word puzzle game available on iOS and Android platforms. The studio has also announced Dogpile, a roguelike deckbuilder developed in collaboration with Toot Games, currently in development for mobile platforms following its initial PC release.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gubbins A friendly word puzzle mobile game where players place tiles to form words, aided and hindered by wildcard modifier characters called Gubbins. It offers a new puzzle daily, 30 Gubbins to collect, meme creation with words, high score striving, and ad-free relaxed tea-time gameplay. Targeted at casual mobile gamers seeking ad-free, quirky, at-your-own-pace puzzle play.
- Dogpile A roguelike deckbuilder game combining Suika-style dog merging mechanics with Balatro-like scoring modifiers, where players combine dogs of the same size and use tags to increase scores through synergistic combinations. Targeted at roguelike deckbuilder enthusiasts and hobbyist gamers.
Companies that use Studio Folly
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Studio Folly technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Studio Folly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Toot GamesminorStudio Folly and Toot Games are collaborating to bring the roguelike deckbuilder Dogpile to iOS and Android platforms. Dogpile combines Suika-style dog merging mechanics with Balatro-like scoring modifiers. The game was initially released on PC before this mobile partnership.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Studio Folly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Semi Secret Software: Semi Secret Software (Canabalt, Hundreds) is an indie studio known for unconventional, polished mobile games — a near-perfect peer to Studio Folly's "atypical games for atypical audiences" positioning.
- Nitrome: Nitrome is an independent studio that builds and self-publishes quirky, casual mobile and web games — a directly comparable indie model to Studio Folly's word-puzzle and deckbuilder approach.
- Finji: Finji is an independent game studio and publisher (Tunic, Night in the Woods, Overland) that develops and self-publishes distinctive indie titles — a comparable model to Studio Folly's small-team, atypical-genre strategy.
- Playstack: Playstack is an indie publisher that funded and distributed Balatro, a roguelike deckbuilder that Dogpile's mechanics explicitly reference. Same genre, same indie-publishing dynamic, same target audience.
- Team Cherry: Team Cherry is an Australia-based (Adelaide) indie studio of comparable size behind Hollow Knight. Both are small Australian indie studios building distinctive games with global audiences.
- Toot Games: Toot Games is the strategic partner already collaborating with Studio Folly to bring Dogpile to mobile. As an indie developer/publisher with mobile expertise, it is the most directly comparable counterparty in Studio Folly's ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- King: King (Candy Crush, Wordscapes publisher via separate studios) is the dominant incumbent in casual mobile puzzle and word games — the primary competitive force Studio Folly competes against in Gubbins' category.
- Annapurna Interactive: Annapurna Interactive is an established indie publisher of distinctive games (Outer Wilds, Cocoon, Stray) with strong brand affinity for atypical titles — a broader incumbent comparable to Studio Folly's niche positioning.
- Supercell: Supercell is a top-tier mobile game studio (Clash of Clans, Hay Day) representing the scale ceiling and distribution benchmark for small mobile studios aiming at casual global audiences.
- Devolver Digital: Devolver Digital is a major indie publisher (Hotline Miami, Fall Guys, Inscryption) that distributes quirky indie titles globally — analogous to a partner that could scale Studio Folly's reach, and a comparable indie-market incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Studio Folly social profiles
Digital presenceStudio Folly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Studio Folly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Studio Folly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Studio Folly 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 Studio Folly
What does Studio Folly do?
Studio Folly is an independent game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes mobile puzzle games, most notably Gubbins, a word puzzle game with daily puzzles and 30 collectible Gubbins character modifiers available on iOS and Android. The studio is also developing Dogpile, a roguelike deckbuilder, in collaboration with Toot Games. Related merchandise featuring the Gubbins characters is sold through DFTBA.com.
Is Studio Folly a public or private company?
Studio Folly is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Studio Folly founded?
Studio Folly was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Studio Folly based?
Studio Folly is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Studio Folly make money?
One revenue line is on record: mobile Game Distribution.
Who are Studio Folly's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Semi Secret Software, Nitrome, Finji, Playstack, Team Cherry and Toot Games. Broad incumbents are King, Annapurna Interactive, Supercell and Devolver Digital.
Does Studio Folly have an API?
No public API is recorded for Studio Folly.
What industry is Studio Folly in?
Studio Folly's product category is Mobile Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAC, Indie Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAG, Casual/Hypercasual Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.