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UK Game Developer Kwalee Surpasses Half a Billion Downloads of Hyper-Casual Mobile Games
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Leamington Spa-based mobile game developer and publisher hits milestone following 2020 successes including Bake It, Let’s Be Cops 3D and Teacher Simulator
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90% of downloads have come in past two years, with Kwalee growing rapidly and recently passing 100 employees
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Many more internally-developed and published titles in the works as the race to a billion begins
Kwalee, a leading developer and publisher of hyper-casual mobile games, has surpassed half a billion downloads across its portfolio of hyper-casual games on the App Store and Google Play.
After a strong year in which the company has grown to more than 100 employees and launched hit games including Bake It, Line Up: Draw the Criminal, Let’s Be Cops 3D, Teacher Simulator and Blade Forde 3D, Kwalee’s 500 million milestone positions it firmly among the world’s premier mobile game publishers.
Underscoring the incredible reach of Kwalee’s games, latest releases Let’s Be Cops 3D and Teacher Simulator have consistently featured alongside one another in the top 5 most downloaded iOS games in the USA, since launching in October and November respectively.
Headquartered in Leamington Spa and with growing teams in Bangalore, India and Beijing, China, Kwalee is led by CEO, founder and games industry legend David Darling CBE. Darling previously co-founded and ran Codemasters, a company reportedly the subject of a $1 billion acquisition, so his track record in the industry is beyond question. He recently won the Outstanding Leadership Award at the 2020 TIGA Awards.
Kwalee has firmly established itself as a leading developer and publisher of hyper-casual games – a style of mobile games that are defined by their accessibility and designed to be played in short bursts – and this half a billion milestone is the ultimate confirmation of that.
The single biggest contributor to the half a billion download total is Draw It, a rapid-fire and evergreen drawing game which has been downloaded 87 million times. Other major releases for Kwalee have included Jetpack Jump (42 million downloads), Bake It (38 million downloads), Shootout 3D (35 million downloads) and Rocket Sky! (30 million downloads).
Kwalee’s varied catalogue of releases includes both those developed internally and by brilliant third-party developers of all sizes, with an equal commitment and investment given to each. The company is always looking to enter partnerships with developers and will offer them genuine support and coaching on all aspects of their games, from game design to monetisation.
And when it comes to internal development, the vast majority of Kwalee hits begin with a pitch on ‘Creative Wednesdays’, a weekly opportunity for anyone in the company to pitch their dream game ideas and vote on which ones get made. This formula has powered Kwalee to 500 million downloads with countless great concepts and there is a firm belief that it will take the company to one billion and beyond.
“Kwalee was founded with a belief in the power of digital distribution and great digital marketing to propel games to a massive global audience,” said CEO David Darling. “That’s not something that can be accomplished overnight, but achieving half a billion downloads by sticking to these principles is a very proud moment for all of us. Our approach to launching hit games is always being refined, we’re getting better all the time and we’re already setting our sights on one billion!”
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SOFTSWISS Wraps Up SiGMA Europe 2024 with Key Achievements
SOFTSWISS has successfully wrapped up its participation in SiGMA Europe 2024. This final major event of the year highlighted the achievements and progress of the iGaming industry over the past months. With a dynamic presence and the award-winning concept ‘Grab Success in iGaming’, SOFTSWISS made a lasting impact over the three action-packed days of the conference.
The SOFTSWISS booth became a nexus for clients, partners, and industry professionals, sparking new connections and fueling discussions on the latest trends. Among the highlights was the unveiling of the iGaming Trends Report 2025, offering a forward-looking analysis of the industry’s trajectory. Positioned as the ‘mother of all conferences’, SiGMA Europe proved the ideal stage for the report’s launch, with all 27,000 attendees able to grant complimentary access to this vital resource.
“iGaming is growing at a rapid pace, and for many, the main challenge is to keep up with this growth. SOFTSWISS takes a much broader view in this regard: it is important for us to understand where iGaming is heading and anticipate trends in order to strengthen our leadership positions,” said Vitali Matsukevich, COO at SOFTSWISS.
Before the expo officially opened, SOFTSWISS was honoured as the Best Platform Provider at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2024. This accolade is a testament to the company’s commitment to delivering robust, innovative technology solutions that empower iGaming operators worldwide.
One of the event’s most highly anticipated discussions, “How to Choose a Secure and Safe Crypto Casino,” featured Vitali Matsukevich among its expert panellists. The session drew a full house, reflecting the high interest in the future of crypto casinos amidst the evolving global economic and political landscape.
During the discussion, Matsukevich shared his deep knowledge and insights on leveraging blockchain technology to ensure smarter, safer choices for consumers in the crypto casino space. His expertise underscored SOFTSWISS’ position at the forefront of innovation in this fast-growing market segment.
SiGMA Europe 2024 provided a platform not only to showcase SOFTSWISS’ accomplishments but also to reaffirm its role as an industry leader. Already preparing for the next major event, ICE Barcelona 2025 in January, SOFTSWISS will once again present its cutting-edge tools and insights to operators worldwide.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
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Casino Guru and Mindway AI advance RG self-test game in time for SGW24
Casino Guru, the leading online casino database and a champion of informed play in the gambling industry, continues to build upon its responsible gambling partnership with Mindway AI, a prominent RG tech and solutions provider focusing on offering actionable real-time insight into consumer gambling behavior, by launching the revised campaign focused on the Gamalyze self-assessment game, in time for Safer Gambling Week 2024 (SGW24).
The game, a reinvention of the self-test, is a card game that allows players to analyze their own gambling habits through engaging and anonymous play. Thanks to a dedicated widget that welcomes players on the home page, the game is available directly on Casino Guru’s website and is also featured as “Game of the Week.”
To help further improve this year’s reach, Casino Guru has teamed up with several casino partners, including CasinoFriday, Shotz, Roman Casino, giving players the opportunity to explore the game while gaining deeper insights into their own gambling habits.
Casino Guru has reached out to subscribers with additional details about the campaign, aiming to significantly expand its impact and raise awareness among a larger audience.
Previous campaign iterations received 1,800 gameplays each, and Casino Guru is now determined to improve on this milestone.
Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, shared the following: “I am excited about this year’s upgrade to the campaign and can’t wait to see the results. Together with Niamh from Mindway AI, we were looking for ways to attract more people to play the game and learn more about the risks involved as a natural part of their gambling experience. The upgrades we introduced are promising, and we are confident we can increase the numbers significantly.”
Once the self-test game is completed, Mindway AI provides players with detailed feedback on their gameplay, and analyze certain behavioral markers, such as how players respond to rewards and losses, the frequency of their wins and how risky their gambling behavior is.
Ultimately, the assessment seeks to improve people’s understanding of their own risk-taking behavior, and what they can learn from it. Both companies are dedicated to bringing the concept of safer gambling to the forefront of players’ awareness, and this innovative collaboration allows them to achieve this goal in a creative and enjoyable manner.
To access the widget and test your gambling style, head over to Casino Guru’s home page and click on the widget in the upper right corner of the screen, or check the “Game of the Week,” which will feature Gamalyze throughout SGW24.
Casino Guru and Mindway AI first introduced the campaign several years ago, boosting its reach in a player-centric way in time for SGW24.
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Expert comment: Safer Gambling Week 2024
Safer Gambling Week commentary
As a company focused on generating high-quality, responsible gambling traffic to our operator partner sites, safer gambling is a daily consideration for QiH Group. We recognise Safer Gambling Week as a valuable opportunity to stay engaged with the broader industry conversations and to hear from the community on responsible gambling.
As affiliates are often an initial touchpoint for customers, our priority is maintaining a safe, compliant environment that benefits our partners and, ultimately, their customers.
We believe in supporting a balanced approach where gambling remains what it should be: safe, enjoyable entertainment.
– Andrew Lee, COO, QiH Group
Being a firm of licensing solicitors, one of our principal roles is helping our clients stay compliant with the Licensing Conditions and Codes of Practice, and the licensing objectives, so responsible gambling is something we focus on every day for clients.
It is important that we raise awareness of safer gambling and signpost the professional help and support services that are available to those who need it – ensuring the millions of people who enjoy gambling responsibly continue to do so in a safe environment.
– Nick Arron, Lead Solicitor, Poppleston Allen
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