Vanilla

What Vanilla does

Vanilla b.v. is a Netherlands-based independent mobile application studio founded in 2013 that operates a portfolio of approximately 27 apps distributed globally through Apple App Store and Google Play. The studio targets general consumers across three primary verticals: social party games (Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Gossip, Spin the Bottle, Most Likely To, Charades, Would You Rather, Imposter, and others), couple/relationship applications (Love Notes, Mood Pass, Coupled by PumPum, Sex Roulette by PumPum), and fitness/wellness tools (Sweat Map, Posture Workout, Stretching Workout). The company reports 3 million people connecting monthly across its portfolio and 30+ million cumulative players worldwide, with flagship titles including Truth or Dare (10M+ players since 2012), Gossip (30M+ worldwide), and Never Have I Ever (5M+ players since 2010). The company also wholly owns PsyCat Games, a brand focused on browser-based casual games, extending its reach into the web games segment.

Technically, Vanilla's apps are built natively for iOS and Android with notable platform-specific integrations including on-device local processing for the Sweat Map workout heatmap (which pulls route data from Apple Health and supports Strava, Nike Run Club, Garmin, and other fitness apps via HealthKit), widget-based home and lock screen integration in Love Notes, and a specialized Magic: The Gathering companion app (MTG Companion App: Lotus) supporting up to 10 players with life, poison, experience, charge, and storm counters. The company uses standard mobile app infrastructure: RevenueCat for subscription management, Superwall for paywall conversion optimization, Google Firebase for analytics and crash reporting, Sign in with Apple for authentication, and attribution integrations with Apple, Meta, and TikTok ad platforms. AI is deployed in a single consumer-facing feature: AI-generated custom statements within the Never Have I Ever: Dirty Game app.

The business operates a product-led growth model with free-to-download apps monetized through three streams: premium subscriptions (1-week with 3-day trial and 1-month plans, auto-renewing through app store billing), in-app purchases for content packs, and third-party advertising. The company is privately held, appears bootstrapped with no funding rounds disclosed, and maintains a small distributed team of approximately 9 employees across the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, France, the Philippines, and the United States. Vanilla is GDPR-compliant under EU data protection law.

Name

Vanilla

Legal name

Vanilla b.v.

Website

https://vanilla.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vanilla b.v. is a Netherlands-based independent mobile app studio operating ~27 apps across social party games, couple-care tools, and fitness/wellness. The bootstrapped company distributes via app stores, serving 3 million monthly active consumers globally through subscriptions, in-app purchases, and advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Social Entertainment Apps

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)

Keywords

• Mobile party games
• Social entertainment apps
• Couple relationship apps
• Wellness fitness apps
• Icebreaker games

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Subscriptions: Users subscribe for premium access to remove ads and unlock all existing and future content. Subscription options include 1-week with 3-day trial and 1-month plans. Auto-renewal with cancellation through App Store or Google Play.
2. In-App Purchases: Some apps offer individual deck upgrades or full bundle purchases for additional content
3. Advertising: Some apps display third-party advertisements and ads for company's own apps. Uses advertising identifiers for attribution purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Vanilla develops and publishes a portfolio of approximately 27 mobile applications spanning social party games (Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Gossip, Spin the Bottle), couple/relationship apps (Love Notes, Coupled by PumPum, Mood Pass, Sex Roulette by PumPum), and wellness tools (Stretching Workout, Posture Workout, Sweat Map). The apps are distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, monetized primarily via premium subscriptions and in-app purchases with some advertising.

Product overview

Vanilla operates as a portfolio of mobile applications focused on social entertainment and wellness. The company develops approximately 27 apps spanning party games (Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Spin the Bottle, Gossip, Most Likely To, Charades, King's Cup, Would You Rather, 5 Second Battle, Imposter, Party Trivia, Picoboom, Spinner Party, NoCap!, 2 Truths 1 Lie), couple/relationship apps (Love Notes, Coupled, Mood Pass, Sex Roulette by PumPum), fitness and wellness apps (Stretching Workout, Posture Workout, Sweat Map), and specialized tools (MTG Companion App: Lotus). The products primarily target iOS and Android platforms, with some apps exclusive to one platform. The portfolio emphasizes social connection through games and meaningful interactions, with flagship titles like Truth or Dare (10M+ players since 2012) and Never Have I Ever (5M+ players since 2010) serving as long-standing pillars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PsyCat Games: Playful web games brand - playful, curious, and designed to be always open in a tab.

Products and services

• Truth or Dare Multiplayer party game with 2,000+ truths and dares across three difficulty levels; works by passing a phone around. Loved by over 10 million players since 2012.
• Never Have I Ever Conversation game where players put fingers down when statements apply to them. Contains 4,500+ questions across 8 categories including family, road trip, and more. Loved by over 5 million players since 2010.
• Truth or Dare Extreme Adult-oriented party game with 3,000+ truths and dares across three intensity levels (beginner, experienced, expert). Features custom question creation.
• Truth or Dare Party Group party game with 2,500+ truths and dares for large groups and sleepovers. Features icebreaker mode, multiple game modes, and custom question creation.
• NoCap! Multiplayer party game where players answer prompts, guess who has done what, and reveal answers. Works in person or remotely via room codes.
• Picoboom Fast-paced pass-the-bomb party game with 7+ modes including challenges, roasts, and word games. Players complete challenges before the bomb explodes. Loved by over 1 million players.
• Gossip Most Likely To multiplayer game with 3,000+ challenges across 9 game modes. Players vote on who's most likely to do crazy, unexpected things. Loved by over 30 million players worldwide.
• 5 Second Battle Fast-paced party game where players have 5 seconds to name 3 things matching a topic. First to 10 points wins; includes bonus rounds with physical challenges.
• Most Likely To Party game where players vote on who's most likely to fit statements. Contains 2,000+ questions across ten packs with categories for friendships and relationships. Loved by over 2 million players.
• King's Cup Social card game app for large groups based on Kings Cup/Ring of Fire/Circle of Death rules. Features multiple game modes and custom rule creation.
• Charades Charades game with 3,000+ words across 30+ categories including kid-friendly options. Features built-in timer, team scoring, and custom deck creation.
• Would You Rather Dilemma-based game with 3,000+ scenarios across 20+ categories. Players choose between options and see global voting results. Supports custom card creation.
• 2 Truths 1 Lie Icebreaker game where players share two truths and one lie, and others guess which is false. Features online multiplayer, multiple categories, and point scoring.
• Imposter Bluffing party game where everyone sees a secret word except one Imposter who must fake it. Features 1,700+ words across 16+ categories for 3-20 players.
• Spin the Bottle Classic party game revival with 6,000+ truth, dare, and kiss challenges across nine game modes. Loved by over 2 million players.
• Party Trivia Group quiz game with thousands of questions in 6 categories. Questions become progressively more difficult as players build correct answer streaks.
• Spinner Party Multiplayer Truth or Dare game with spinning wheel mechanics. Features QR code joining, team dares with group voting, and Aura Points scoring system.
• SuperBFF Quiz platform where users create quizzes about themselves, share via social stories, and discover who truly knows them best. Loved by over 4 million players.
• Never Have I Ever: Dirty Game Mature audience version of Never Have I Ever with 5,000+ questions across 8 categories plus AI-generated custom statements. Features adult-themed content for parties and sleepovers.
• Love Notes Widget-based app for couples to send love notes that appear on the partner's home and lock screen. iOS only, uses widget technology for romantic messaging.
• Mood Pass Mood sharing app for couples to express feelings without words. Shows partner's mood on home screen, supports custom moods with emojis, and includes gentle nudges for staying connected.
• Coupled by PumPum Relationship app for couples featuring daily prompts, couple activities, weekly relationship checkups, How Well Do You Know Me quizzes, and Most Likely To challenges.
• Sex Roulette by PumPum Couple care app featuring wheel-based adventures with minigames, conversation starters, and relationship-building activities. Includes Truth or Dare, Hot or Not, and Would You Rather style games.
• Posture Workout Posture correction app with 10-minute daily guided exercises designed by physiotherapists. Includes personalized quiz-based plans targeting tech neck, slouching, and muscle imbalances.
• Stretching Workout Daily stretching and flexibility app with guided routines designed with physiotherapist input. Targets hip flexibility, hamstrings, shoulders, neck, and lower back. 10-minute sessions for all fitness levels.
• Sweat Map Workout route heatmap tracker that pulls workout history from Apple Health and displays outdoor activities as a visual map. All processing happens locally on device.
• MTG Companion App: Lotus Magic: The Gathering companion app providing life counter, dice roller, commander damage tracking, and game history. Supports up to 10 players with poison, experience, charge, and storm counters.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CrazyLabs: Mobile game publisher and developer of casual/hyper-casual titles monetized through ads and in-app purchases on the App Store and Google Play. Closely comparable multi-app portfolio strategy and indie-developer publishing model.
• Voodoo: Paris-based mobile game publisher focused on casual and hyper-casual social/party-style games distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Operates a large portfolio of small apps with similar product-led, ad- and IAP-driven monetization.
• Kwalee: UK-based mobile game publisher focused on casual, party, and social multiplayer games. Operates a portfolio of small apps with ad- and IAP-driven monetization, comparable in distribution model and product-led approach.
• SayGames: Mobile game publisher specializing in casual and hyper-casual apps distributed via Apple App Store and Google Play. Operates a portfolio approach with multiple lightweight titles, similar to Vanilla's 27-app footprint.
• Homa Games: Mobile game publisher and developer of casual and hyper-casual apps distributed through Apple App Store and Google Play. Uses a multi-title portfolio model with focus on lightweight social/casual games.

Broad incumbents

• Zynga: Large established mobile social and casual game publisher (Words With Friends, Zynga Poker, etc.). Operates broadly across the same App Store/Google Play distribution channel and casual social-gaming category as Vanilla, but at significantly larger scale.
• Outfit7: Established mobile game studio behind Talking Tom and related casual app franchises. Operates a portfolio of casual mobile apps distributed via Apple App Store and Google Play with IAP and ad monetization, overlapping with Vanilla's portfolio strategy.
• Playtika: Major mobile casual and social casino game publisher. Operates broadly across the same App Store/Google Play channels with subscription and IAP monetization, comparable at the business-model and category level though at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• What Do You Meme?: Party-game brand (physical and digital) built around the same social, adult-leaning humor format as Vanilla's Truth or Dare and Most Likely To titles. Comparable product category and target audience, though primarily board/card-based rather than mobile-app-first.
• Between: Couple relationship app that overlaps directly with Vanilla's PumPum and Love Notes products in the couples/relationship vertical. Smaller focus than Vanilla's party-game business, but a meaningful comparable for the couple-care subset of Vanilla's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanilla-nl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Vanilla