Turkey’s Cypher Games raises $10m to take on match-3 market filled with “too many average-quality titles”

Turkey-based mobile developer Cypher Games has secured $10 million in a seed investment round.

The studio aims to use the funding to expand its team and support the global launch of its debut match-3 game.

The investment round was led by The Raine Group and included Play Ventures, 500 Global, King founder Riccardo Zacconi, ex-Activision Blizzard vice-chairman Humam Sakhnini, and Tripledot co-founder Akin Babayigit.

The fund raise brings total investment into the studio to $13 million to date, having previously secured $3.2m in investment in 2022.

Copycats vs. innovators

Despite a highly competitive space, Cypher Games CEO and co-founder Anil Simsek said there are “far too many average-quality titles” in the casual puzzle genre.

“Our goal is not just to meet outdated demands with static environments and basic VFX,” said Simsek.

“As players evolve alongside technology, they now seek richer content, consistent storytelling and vibrant worlds where they can escape and relax in bright, immersive settings.”

He added: “We’re focused on bringing the trends that players are asking for. Like Disney, we aim for top-tier quality, but we go beyond that by incorporating social, interactive entertainment into casual mobile games.

“By introducing unique character attributes and offering more personalisation, we create a deeper emotional connection with players. Most games today are merely reactions to successful titles, but casual players are highly experienced and can easily distinguish between copycats and true innovation in features, mechanics and storytelling.”

The Raine Group co-founder and partner John Salter commented: “We’re thrilled to work alongside the highly talented Cypher team at this pivotal stage of their growth. We look forward to leveraging our experience and global network within the gaming industry to support their new product as they aim to disrupt the interactive entertainment space.”