“Fun is a Feeling”: Building Emotion Engines for the Next Wave of Mobile Gaming
QUICK TAKE
- Istanbul-based mobile game studio Bigger Games has raised $25M in Series A funding to accelerate its vision of emotionally resonant, globally scalable mobile games.
- Index first backed the company by leading its $6M seed round in 2020.
- The new funding will fuel development beyond the studio’s flagship game Kitchen Masters and help grow its team and reach worldwide.
INDEX PERSPECTIVE
By Sofia Dolfe
“Fun is a feeling, not just a mechanic.”
When Hakan Ulvan first told us about his approach to gaming, it instantly resonated with us. His team at Bigger Games understands that the most successful mobile games are about more than metrics. They’re designed to spark emotion: progress, mastery, joy.
Founded in 2019, Bigger Games is part of a new wave of studios emerging from Istanbul. Their first title, Kitchen Masters, is a perfect example of what makes the team special. Every element of the game is designed with intention, from the flow of gameplay to the sense of momentum players experience as they move through levels.
At Index, we believe the next generation of hit mobile games will come from teams that focus on emotional depth as much as technical execution. Bigger is already ahead of that curve. With a talented team in Turkey, a product-first culture, and a design philosophy rooted in how games feel, they’re redefining what fun means for the mobile generation.
THE DETAILS
Bigger Games is a mobile gaming studio based in Istanbul, one of the world’s emerging capitals of mobile gaming. Since 2019, they’ve been creating intuitive, engaging experiences like Kitchen Masters, their latest title that turns cooking into an exciting puzzle adventure.
With $25 million in Series A funding, the team is doubling down on its vision of emotionally resonant, globally scalable mobile games. The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the Turkish gaming ecosystem, which continues to attract global capital and talent following a wave of high-profile successes and exits. Bigger Games, founded in 2019, is carving its own lane by betting on a distinct player insight: fun is a feeling, not just a mechanic.
“We’re not just building games—we’re building emotion engines,” says Hakan Ulvan, CEO and Co-Founder of Bigger Games. “We believe the next wave of mobile gaming will be won by studios that create meaningful, memorable experiences with every swipe. This funding is a launchpad for us to scale that vision globally.”
Kitchen Masters, a match-3 game with a culinary twist, is already outperforming industry benchmarks on retention and engagement. It blends vibrant mechanics with a carefully tuned sense of player empowerment, hallmarks of the studio’s design DNA.
“Every swipe in Kitchen Masters is meant to feel powerful,” said Ulvan. “We obsess over emotional momentum, the feeling of progress, mastery, and joy. This funding lets us take that philosophy to new platforms, new genres, and a much bigger audience.”
Published — June 16, 2025
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