Small Giant Games
For mid-core mobile gamers who prioritize strategic team-building, competitive clan-based social play, and long-term progression.
Empires & Puzzles: Match-3 RPG
Snapshot
Who is Small Giant Games?
Delivering high-retention match-3 RPG experiences that blend tactical combat with deep base-building progression. Engaging mid-core players through competitive alliance-based social play.
Target audience
Portfolio
Free 3Last updated
Empires & Puzzles: Match-3 RPG
v85.0.1
4mo ago
Publisher DNA
What defines Small Giant Games?
Publisher DNA
Primary focus
Mobile games · Match-3 RPG hybrid
Scale
indie
Target audience
Mid-core mobile gamers who prioritize strategic team-building, competitive clan-based social play, and long-term progression.
Signature Patterns
- •Hybridization of match-3 mechanics with deep RPG hero collection and base-building.
- •Strong emphasis on alliance-based multiplayer and competitive social features.
- •Freemium monetization model centered on gacha-style hero summons and resource acceleration.
- •Consistent focus on mid-core strategy gamers rather than casual puzzle audiences.
Portfolio momentum
Released 13 updates across 3 apps in the last 6 months, maintaining a high development cadence for their core titles.
Portfolio
What does Small Giant Games ship?
Apps
3 apps analysed
Build your card deck, upgrade your towers and defeat enemy waves in epic battles
Card fusion mechanics provide an addictive core loop that keeps players engaged during initial progression stages
- The absence of forced advertisements allows for uninterrupted gameplay sessions that feel rewarding for casual players
- Recent updates shifted the game toward a pay-to-win model by significantly increasing upgrade costs and reducing rewards
Collect and assemble powerful heroes, build your base, and fight monsters
High-value veteran retention (6+ years)
- Engaging Core Mechanics
- Aggressive Monetization
Build your headquarters, Train your heroes, and Fight to the end!
Strategic depth in team building and resource management rewards players who invest time in learning mechanics
- Core match-three gameplay loop provides an engaging and entertaining experience for players seeking a time-killer
- Aggressive monetization and poor drop rates for legendary heroes create a pay-to-win environment that frustrates free players
Distributed across 19 markets, strongest in Europe.
Based on 1 of 3 apps with localized market data, more coverage rolling in as scans complete · last scanned .
Americas (4)
- Brazil1 / 1
- Canada1 / 1
- Mexico1 / 1
- United States1 / 1
Europe (9)
- France1 / 1
- Germany1 / 1
- Italy1 / 1
- Netherlands1 / 1
- Portugal1 / 1
›+4 more europe markets
- Spain1 / 1
- Sweden1 / 1
- Turkey1 / 1
- United Kingdom1 / 1
Asia-Pacific (6)
- Australia1 / 1
- India1 / 1
- Indonesia1 / 1
- Japan1 / 1
- Singapore1 / 1
›+1 more asia-pacific market
- South Korea1 / 1
Core markets (1/1 apps)
User Sentiment
How do users feel about their apps?
0
Positive apps
1
Neutral / mixed
2
Negative apps
37/100
Avg sentiment score
Unlock the app dragging this portfolio down.
Access the full report for freeRivals
Who does Small Giant Games compete with?
The rivals identified
Nemeses(2)
High-velocity live operations and massive scale in the zombie-themed survival strategy niche.
Dominates the deck-building tower defense niche with massive scale and a high-frequency update cadence that keeps the meta evolving.
Contenders(5)
A direct thematic competitor that pioneered the dice-based tower defense mechanic with a massive, established user base.
A veteran contender that uses the Marvel IP to drive a character-collection loop that rivals the depth of Empires & Puzzles' hero roster.
Direct thematic overlap in the zombie-survival strategy space with a high release frequency.
The gold standard for premium-feel tower defense, offering unparalleled depth in map design and tower upgrade paths.
Combines tower defense with high-fidelity character collection and narrative-driven progression.
Same space(8)
Adjacent competitor in the hero-collection and strategic combat space.
Leverages a well-known franchise IP to bridge the gap between RPG collection and strategy defense.
Benchmark for idle-RPG progression systems and monetization balance.
A smaller-scale strategy title that focuses on rapid, lane-based tower combat.
The gold standard for hero-collection RPGs that competes for the same 'high-fantasy' spender demographic.
Dominant player in the match-3 puzzle space, serving as a benchmark for core loop polish.
Shares the squad-based RPG progression model despite a different combat mechanic.
An adjacent giant in the strategy-card genre that defines the competitive standards for the entire category.
New entrants(1)
High-velocity updates and strong engagement in the puzzle category indicate a growing threat.
The Analyst's Read
The bottom line on Small Giant Games
Bottom line
Small Giant Games is a specialized studio with a proven ability to sustain long-term engagement in the competitive match-3 RPG space. Their portfolio demonstrates a disciplined focus on high-LTV mechanics, though future success depends on managing player sentiment regarding monetization and power creep.
Frequently asked questions
How many apps does Small Giant Games publish?
What kind of apps does Small Giant Games make?
What is Small Giant Games's top app?
In how many countries are Small Giant Games's apps available?
What fed this analysis
- Apps analyzed:
- 3
- With full intel:
- 3
- With overview:
- 3
- Website scraped:
- yes
- Social presence:
- yes