Starni Games
Starni Games is a Kyiv-based indie studio founded in 2013 that develops hardcore PC turn-based strategy and wargame titles — chiefly the Strategic Mind and Headquarters franchises — distributed globally through Steam to strategy-game enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Starni Games does
Starni Games is a privately held, Kyiv-based PC game development studio founded in 2013 that specializes in hardcore turn-based strategy and wargame titles, primarily set in World War II. The studio's catalog is organized around two flagship franchises: the Strategic Mind series (The Pacific, Blitzkrieg, Spectre of Communism, Fight for Freedom, Spirit of Liberty), which delivers historically accurate WW2 campaigns from multiple national perspectives (USA, UK, Germany, Finland, USSR, Japan), and the Headquarters series (World War II, with Cold War upcoming), a faster-paced tactical branch. Earlier and adjacent releases include Panzer Strategy and the free narrative title Ukraine War Stories, a visual novel based on eyewitness accounts of the 2022 Russian invasion.
Technically, the studio builds a proprietary turn-based strategy engine rendering modern 3D graphics on top of historically grounded mechanics — unit adaptation, real-life military equipment, army management layered with tactical combat, and story-driven campaign structure. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or third-party model integrations are disclosed.
Commercially, Starni Games monetizes almost exclusively through Steam as a digital marketplace, with one-time-purchase pricing in the $29.99-$39.99 range and frequent 40-85% seasonal discounts, supplemented by low-priced DLC (e.g., soundtracks at $5.99) and free-to-play entries (Ukraine War Stories, prologue chapters) used for audience acquisition. The addressable customer is a global horizontal consumer segment of "Strategy Game Enthusiasts," reached via Steam's discovery queue, wishlist, and seasonal sale mechanics, with the company's own website serving as a secondary SEO channel. No institutional funding, partnerships, B2B customers, or non-Steam distribution channels are documented.
Starni Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starni Games
- Legal name
- Starni Games
- Website
- https://starnigames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Starni Games is a Kyiv-based indie studio founded in 2013 that develops hardcore PC turn-based strategy and wargame titles — chiefly the Strategic Mind and Headquarters franchises — distributed globally through Steam to strategy-game enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starni Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Turn-based strategy video games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)
Keywords
Where Starni Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kyiv
- HQ country
- Ukraine
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Starni Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Game Sales (One-time Purchase): Starni Games generates revenue through direct sales of PC games via Steam platform. Players purchase games for a one-time fee, with regular discount sales. The company has released multiple titles in the $29.99-$39.99 price range.
- Free-to-Play Content: The company offers free titles like Ukraine War Stories to build audience and community engagement, with potential for paid expansions or related content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Game Titles |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-Play Titles |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Soundtracks and DLC |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Starni Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starni Games develops and self-publishes hardcore PC turn-based strategy and wargame titles focused on historically accurate World War II scenarios, distributed as one-time-purchase digital games on Steam. Its catalog spans the Strategic Mind franchise (multi-faction WW2 campaigns), the Headquarters series (fast-paced tactical WW2 and upcoming Cold War strategy), and ancillary titles such as Panzer Strategy and the free visual-novel set Ukraine War Stories.
Product overview
Starni Games is a development studio founded in 2013 that creates thought-provoking games, specializing in turn-based strategy and wargame titles. Their portfolio centers around two main franchises: the Strategic Mind series (including Strategic Mind: The Pacific, Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg, Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism, Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom, and Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty) and the Headquarters series (Headquarters: World War II and upcoming Headquarters: Cold War). The Strategic Mind franchise brings modern style and new features to the classic wargame genre with historically accurate WW2 campaigns. They also produced Ukraine War Stories, a set of visual novels about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Panzer Strategy, an earlier WW2 wargame title. The company primarily targets strategy and wargame enthusiasts on the Steam platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Strategic Mind Franchise: Turn-based strategy series of games set in WW2 period, bringing modern style and features to the wargame genre. Includes titles like Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg, Strategic Mind: The Pacific, Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism, Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom, and Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty.
- Headquarters Series
Products and services
- Panzer Strategy A World War II wargame combining classic turn-based strategy gameplay with modern looks, featuring real-life military equipment and battle skills.
- Strategic Mind: The Pacific A turn-based strategy game set in WW2 depicting the war between the USA and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Ocean with historical accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg A turn-based strategy game set in WW2 that brings modern look and new features to the wargame genre, featuring a German Armed forces campaign.
- Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism A story-driven turn-based strategy set in WW2 offering refined wargame mechanics, story-rich gameplay, and modern 3D graphics with a USSR campaign.
- Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom A history-driven turn-based strategy set in WW2 where players command Allied forces to protect homeland and Europe from totalitarian forces.
- Ukraine War Stories A set of visual novels about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling stories of civilians trapped on Russian-occupied territory based on real events.
- Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty - Prologue 1939 A free history-driven prologue covering the beginning of the Winter War for Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty.
- Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty A hardcore, turn-based, historically accurate strategy game set in WW2 where players lead Finnish forces through the Winter War, Continuation War, and Lapland War.
- Headquarters: World War II A fast-paced turn-based strategy game where battlefield tactics are as important as army management skills, featuring Normandy landings with USA, UK, or Germany campaigns.
- Headquarters: Cold War A fast-paced turn-based strategy game set in a hypothetical 1984 conflict between NATO and the USSR with helicopters, tanks, and infantry across 20 campaign missions.
- Strategic Mind Franchise Soundtrack Official soundtrack collection for the Strategic Mind franchise games, sold separately as a standalone add-on.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple franchise titles released spanning various WW2 theaters (Pacific, European, Finnish wars)
Companies that use Starni Games
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Starni Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Starni Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Starni Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eugen Systems: Developer of the Wargame and Steel Division series — real-time WW2/military strategy titles on PC. Eugen shares Starni's emphasis on historical authenticity and tactical depth, though it skews real-time rather than turn-based.
- Snapshot Games: Independent strategy studio (Phoenix Point, Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters) founded by Julian Gollop. Competes in hardcore turn-based tactical strategy on PC at a comparable indie scale.
- Slitherine Group: Publisher and developer specializing in turn-based and wargames (Field of Glory, Panzer Corps, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector). Slitherine operates in the same niche — historically themed turn-based strategy on PC — and both publishes and develops directly, mirroring Starni's business model on a larger scale.
- Petroglyph Games: Independent strategy studio founded by Westwood veterans (Conan Unconquered, Grey Goo, Command & Conquer Remastered). Petroglyph competes in the same hardcore PC strategy genre with similar scope and price points to Starni.
- Wargame Design Studio: John Tiller's studio producing classic hex-and-counter WW2 turn-based wargames. Operates at a similar indie scale and serves an overlapping hardcore WW2 wargamer audience, making it a near-direct niche competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Creative Assembly: Developer of the Total War series, which combines turn-based empire management with real-time tactical battles across historical settings including WW2 adjacent eras. Shares genre and historical theme with Starni at significantly larger AAA scale.
- Firaxis Games: Developer of the Civilization series, the dominant turn-based strategy franchise. Overlaps with Starni on turn-based PC strategy mechanics and player overlap with grand strategy enthusiasts, though Firaxis operates at AAA scale.
- Paradox Interactive: Grand strategy incumbent whose Hearts of Iron series is the dominant WW2 strategy franchise on PC. Paradox overlaps heavily with Starni's target buyer (military history + strategy enthusiasts) but operates at a vastly larger scale with annual releases, DLC ecosystems, and in-house studios.
Emerging players
- Proxy Studios: Indie developer of Warhammer 40,000: Gladius — a turn-based 4X strategy. Operates in an adjacent niche (turn-based PC strategy with faction diversity) at similar studio scale.
- 11 bit studios: Polish indie studio behind This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Shares thematic DNA with Starni (war-themed narrative strategy), a Central/Eastern European indie studio footprint, and a similar scale of PC-focused releases.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Starni Games social profiles
Digital presenceStarni Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starni Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Starni Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starni Games 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 Starni Games
What does Starni Games do?
Starni Games develops and self-publishes hardcore PC turn-based strategy and wargame titles focused on historically accurate World War II scenarios, distributed as one-time-purchase digital games on Steam. Its catalog spans the Strategic Mind franchise (multi-faction WW2 campaigns), the Headquarters series (fast-paced tactical WW2 and upcoming Cold War strategy), and ancillary titles such as Panzer Strategy and the free visual-novel set Ukraine War Stories.
Is Starni Games a public or private company?
Starni Games is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Starni Games founded?
Starni Games was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Starni Games based?
Starni Games is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the Europe region.
How does Starni Games make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Game Sales (One-time Purchase) is the primary driver. The others are free-to-Play Content.
Who are Starni Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eugen Systems, Snapshot Games, Slitherine Group, Petroglyph Games and Wargame Design Studio. Broad incumbents are Creative Assembly, Firaxis Games and Paradox Interactive. Emerging players are Proxy Studios and 11 bit studios.
Does Starni Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starni Games.
What industry is Starni Games in?
Starni Games's product category is Turn-based strategy video games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAK, Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7371.