Gaming is one of the largest industries in the entertainment sector, with almost 3 billion users, which is now estimated to be worth $178.73 billion. Although slowly, Bangladesh has also entered the gaming industry with a few video game development startups led by enthusiasts. In 2021, Bangladesh held a gaming market size of $0.37 billion, and it is expected that this value will double by 2026. However, our neighboring country, India, ranked first in South Asia in this sector, with a value of approximately $4.46 billion. Given that we have an expansive youth community interested in the gaming industry, there is a huge scope for this sector to flourish in our country too and contribute to the GDP.
The game development industry began in the early 2000s in Bangladesh with the individual efforts of a few university students. The first-person shooter (FPS) game, Arunodoyer Agnishikha, was developed by Trimatrik Interactive in 2004 based on events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. After that, a few professional mobile game developer teams started their journey with the goal of developing world-class mobile and computer games. In recent years, we have seen some impressive game releases by Bangladeshi game development startups, and a few more fantastic projects are going to be released very soon. In this article, we will introduce you to the top game development companies in Bangladesh and provide a brief overview of their operations.
Top Game Development Companies in Bangladesh
Although there are no official statistics on the total number of game development companies in Bangladesh, here is an overview of some of the most prominent ones that we know of.
Riseup Labs
Riseup Labs is one of the best game-developing companies in Bangladesh. They’ve been in operation since 2009, and they specialize in creating cutting-edge, interactive entertainment experiences for a wide range of devices and platforms. They also provide technical solutions and services, focusing mostly on Web, Mobile, XR, and Simulator technologies. For more than a decade, they have successfully completed 700 projects.
Riseup Lab’s journey began with the success of Tap Tap Ants, which has been downloaded millions of times from the App Store and reached the top of the charts in many countries. They also created the “Meena Game” for UNICEF to raise awareness about children’s rights and the “Fun Basket” game for BBC Media Action for adolescents to raise money for Life Skill Based Education (LSBE). For Robi Axiata Ltd., they created Treasure Wars, a real-time multiplayer battle royale game. In addition to these, Highway Chase, Rooftop Frenzy, Brain Boss, Warehouse, Bubble Attack, and Shoot The Monkey are some other popular games in their rapidly expanding portfolio to lead the Bangladeshi mobile game industry.
Ulka Games Limited
ULKA GAMES LIMITED (UGL) is the fastest growing Bangladesh game development studio. They focus on Card, Board, and Casual mobile games for the South Asian market. UGL is dedicated to the growth of the video game industry in Bangladesh. They have more than 50 passionate professional developers on their team, and they are always looking for more great people to join.
They are a part of Moonfrog Labs Private Limited, which is widely considered to be the most successful game development studio in India. Stillfront Group, a Swedish free-to-play gaming studio, acquired Moonfrog Labs in 2021, which included Ulka Games Limited as one of its subsidiaries. They created a variety of games, such as Teen Patti Gold, Ludo Club, Adda, Alia Bhatt: Star Life, Bahubali, and Jalebi, amongst others. Moreover, Ludo Club has been downloaded over 60 million times. The company was founded in 2019 by Zamilur Rashid, who is also one of the founders of Mindfisher games.
Azmi Studio
Azmi Studios began developing video games in 2018 and believes that success is built on a foundation of constant innovation. Although the company started out as a small Bangladeshi mobile game development company, they’ve grown into a full-fledged technology company that deals with cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, IoT, and artificial intelligence.
Some of the most talented game developers, AR/VR/MR specialists, designers, artists, and animators in the industry make up their whole team. They have made a number of notable video games, such as Mega Crush, Flip Gun, Motor Hill Track, Getly, and others. Most notably, the Bangabandhu Military Museum in Bijoy Sarani, Bangladesh, has recently received virtual reality and mixed reality (HoloLens) solutions from them. They have also successfully delivered projects in different domains and have a strong client base across the globe, including the US, Canada, UK, China, India, and European countries. Shah Reyad Farabi is one of the co-founders of this company.
Pechas Game Studios
Pechas Game Studios is an indie mobile game development studio, founded in 2012, that operates from Dhaka, Bangladesh. They are experts at creating sports-themed video games. Their goal is to develop the most enjoyable cricket games currently available for mobile gamers. Some of the games developed by the company are Cricket Career Beginnings, Cricket Career Superleague, Cricket Career World Cup, etc.
Unique simulation, sports, and strategy games are the primary focus this studio’s development efforts. However, one of the first games created by the proud Pechas was a brain-teaser puzzle game. PGS primarily creates games for the Android operating system and earns money from advertising and in-app purchases. Maiaz Rahman is the CEO of PGS, who set out on an epic quest to create the best cricket games the world has ever seen.
Battery Low Interactive Limited
The company, Battery Low Interactive Ltd., develops apps, games, and websites that are compatible with multiple platforms that kicked off in 2015. They work with some of the most popular platforms, such as Android, iOS, Web, and Windows, as well as cutting-edge technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. Moreover, they have created a substantial number of applications that continue to thrive on Google Play, Facebook, and the Internet.
They are the first Bangladeshi company to use virtual reality technology in a commercial campaign. Additionally, the company developed Bangladesh’s first augmented reality-based video game. They travel across the country to educate the public on the most recent advancements in science and technology through outreach programs. Additionally, they work on projects for corporate clients in addition to developing new products and services. By utilizing cutting-edge technology, they are able to increase the visibility of any brand. Minhaz-Us-Salakeen Fahme is the co-founder and CEO of Battery Low Interactive Ltd.
Playense
Playense produces some of the most entertaining and highly addictive mobile arcade games for iPhone and Android. The company began its operations in 2016, and currently has 30 apps in its portfolio, the majority of which are games like Soccer Drills, Soccer Dribble, and Jump Start. Also, Tapong, Bounzy Jump, and Twisty Rush are some of their projects that are best known for getting rid of stress.
Currently, there are more than 100 games on different platforms developed by Playsense, and 325K+ users are actively playing them. When taking into account all of their apps, they have amassed an impressive 10 million downloads. In addition to that, they have already introduced the world to their first augmented reality game, which they call Kuboid AR, and they are currently developing a virtual reality game as well! Mahmudur Rahman, a dynamic programmer, is the founder and CEO of Playsense.
TechnoMagic Pvt. Ltd.
TechnoMagic is one of Bangladesh’s most prominent animation studios and software development companies. They began their journey in 2013 in Dhaka, and currently have a highly capable team of 21+ individuals. Their team is well-versed in working with cutting-edge techn such as games and solutions utilizing augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. They intend to be the industry’s forerunners by bringing cutting-edge solutions to Bangladesh and becoming leaders in their respective field.
In addition to this, they offer some of the most impressive and innovative 3D animation, visual effects, game development, and software solutions. Their unending passion for content has inspired them to fuel their creativity with modern technology in order to create a magical experience. They have made dedicated customized games for Coca-Cola, Plan-RFL, SSL Wireless, etc., and have served a total of 150+ happy clients. Arif Mohammad is the founder and director of TechnoMagic Pvt. Ltd.
Tappocket
Tappocket is primarily a game developer for the Android platform and has been working in the industry since 2013. This studio creates dinosaur battle games that are wildly popular and highly addictive. Currently, there are 20 games available in the app store produced by them. According to their website, Tappocket’s apps have been downloaded more than 50 million times.
Tap Pocket’s Jurassic Dino Water World and Dragon Village: City Sim Mania are two of the company’s most noteworthy mobile games. Both of them have accumulated more than 10 million separate installations between them. Moreover, this company’s games have a combined user base of 100 million people, and it’s only going up from there. Tanveer Ahmed, an IBA graduate, is the founder of this company, which is located at 10 Arambagh, Dhaka.
Dreamerz Lab Ltd
As a service-oriented start-up, Dreamerz Lab Ltd. specializes in generating solutions using XR technology. The company’s mission is to become a leader in the app and game development industry, with a particular emphasis on augmented reality, virtual reality, and game development. The developer’s motto is a simple one – “Never stop pursuing your dream.”
They develop games as a service, and for the time being, they are also working on an internal enterprise app called “DLab.” Utilizing AR/VR, this app allows consumers to virtually walk through the process of purchasing a home or other real estate asset before making a purchase decision. Tanvir Hossain Khan is the founder and managing director of Dreamerz Lab Ltd.
Mindfisher Games
Mindfisher Games, Inc. is the result of a merger between Portbliss and Gameover Studio. It was founded in 2016 with a mission to bring and engage South Asian people through video games. The current app portfolio of Mindfisher contains 5 games. Two of the most noteworthy apps from Mindfisher Games, Inc. are Heroes of 71 and Mukti Camp. Both of them have been installed more than 500 thousand times.
The game developer mainly focuses on casual and mid-core mobile games and were pretty successful in making their games highly sought-after. They had over 5 million downloads and 5 Apple Store features! Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, they were a team of 27 in 2017. Back then, they were making ‘Mukti Camp’, a sequel to the very popular Heroes of 71 series. The first version of Mukti Camp was launched on December 16th, 2017. This company also got funding from the Bangladesh ICT Ministry and huge coverage from the media.
The idea of a game development company is a very new concept in our country. Although there is no reliable source on how many game development companies are currently working here, we have tried to list down some of the most active game developers. However, with adequate support, it can turn into a significant industry in Bangladesh that will not only contribute to the country’s GDP, but also become a beacon of hope for all our youths who have always wanted to create a game of their own.
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