Big Run Studios has raised $1.4 million in seed round funding, led by game and tech investor Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund.
The Oakland, California-based game studio develops casual mobile games that add a competitive twist. Big Run Studios’ hit, Blackout Blitz, has already become a Top 25 free game on the Apple App Store over the last two months. Big Run Studios is building games based on Skillz multiplayer competitive gaming platform.
The team of gaming industry veterans have worked on franchises including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, FarmVille, Harry Potter, and Madden NFL.
By layering in the Skillz competitive mobile games platform, the studio has shown retention, monetization, and growth beyond what has been previously seen in this market space.
Big Run Studios cfounder and CEO Andrew Bell said in a statement that launching a successful game today is extremely competitive and requires a lot of capital, large teams, and massive brands. But he said the studio sets itself apart by creating player experiences for diverse casual gaming-playing audiences.
“Andrew’s mission – to create casual games for non-traditional gaming audiences – resonated with us immediately,” said Sam Englebardt, head of Galaxy Interactive, in a statement. “Big Run’s rapid growth as a studio reflects what’s possible when a founder and operator as talented as Andrew moves aggressively to put a great plan into action. We’re confident that Big Run will follow up on the early success of Blackout Blitz with several more cutting-edge games and make a significant mark on the mobile gaming industry.”
(Englebardt will moderate a session on the Metaverse at GamesBeat Summit Digital on April 28 and April 29).
Big Run Studios currently has three games on iOS and Android and plans to launch three additional titles in 2020 with increasing complexity and upside opportunity.
Bell and Buren Renick (COO) started Big Run Studios. The team has 20 members, including eight full-timers.