Dream Games raises $50m and launches its first casual puzzle game title Royal Match

Dream Games, the Istanbul-based mobile gaming company has raised $50m to create the next generation of casual puzzle games, and today launches its first title Royal Match on the App Store and Google Play Store. The round was led by Index Ventures, the backers of King, Roblox and Supercell, with participation from existing investors Balderton Capital and Makers Fund. This brings the total amount raised to $57.5 million.

The team behind Dream Games previously worked together on Toy Blast and Toon Blast at Peak Games, games that have dominated the top charts for several years and reached hundreds of millions of downloads globally, before the company was acquired by Zynga in June 2020 for $1.8bn.

Dream Games’ first title Royal Match, is available globally as of today through the App Store on iOS and the Google Play Store, bringing together high quality gaming experience with the casual genre on mobile. Royal Match challenges players to help King Robert restore the royal castle to its former glory. To rebuild the castle, players have to solve a series of match-3 levels and obstacles, exploring new rooms, royal chambers and gardens in the process.

Dream Games co-founder and CEO Soner Aydemir said: “We’re excited to launch our first title, taking the casual puzzle experience to a new level with an experience that we hope will delight players around the world. With the support of our new investors, we’re focused on making Dream Games the leading studio in the category, just as mobile gaming continues to expand globally with millions of new players playing casual puzzles for the first time.”

Index Ventures partner Stephane Kurgan, who led the round together with Index’s Sofia Dolfe, commented: “Building iconic titles requires a harmonious mix of craft, science and flawless execution. The Dream Games team has perfected this mix over many years of working together, and has put it on full display in Royal Match. We could not be more excited to work with them in their journey to build the next global casual champion."

By the end of the year, Dream Games expects to more than double its team from 30 to 75, supported by the wealth of talent available across the Turkish gaming industry, which has seen a rapid growth following several prominent exits and local successes. Games developers in Turkey attracted $2.4 billion in investments over the past five years.