The video game industry has grown significantly, and gaming developers have had to adapt in many ways to satisfy game enthusiasts. Whether this is through putting out new bestselling consoles like the PlayStation 5 or capitalizing on gaming trends like multiplayer social games, studios have to do it!
As video game trends come and go, consumers will move on to the next big thing in gaming. Usually, these stem from online influences and social contexts. If we were to take you back to the mid-2010s, all you’d hear anyone talk about was one of the adventure or episodic story games that PewDiePie was playing. Thanks to his playthroughs, titles like The Walking Dead by Telltale Games and Life is Strange by Square Enix became cult classic games.
While considering online trends and other successful games, game developers have had to be mindful of what’s popular in gaming and what fits into their brand. This has been difficult because developers must plan for trend changes and their competitor’s contributions.
Many factions of the gaming industry have to follow this structure as the popularity of different genres fades quickly due to new ones popping up. In the gambling industry, for example, the popularity of streaming online has resulted in creating different online poker games to offer patrons of online casinos a range of poker games to broaden their gaming experience.
Video game developers now have to do the same with supply and demand and have had to anticipate new gaming trends to appease their customers. Therefore, it is evident that the United States would take the lead as the country with the most video game developers because the USA has 268,698 employees working in video game development as of 2023.
However, worldwide video game development is enormous, thanks to the different video game platforms. You may not know that the countries that boast some of the best video game talent in the world are not the ones you’d first think of. Thanks to its large population, Pakistan has the market and resources to excel in video game development, mainly because a considerable percentage of the country owns a smartphone and has regular internet access, so mobile games are popular.
Today, we will shed some light on the underreported greatness of Pakistan’s most underrated video game developers.
1. Techhouse Games
Based in Lahore, Techouse Games was founded ten years ago in 2013 and is multifaceted in its game development. Techhouse’s mission statement with their games is to “add fun to everyone’s life”, which they have been able to do by creating PC and console first-person shooter games.
One of their most popular games is ATSS2: TPS/FPS Gun Shooter Game, a signature shooter game with a few different game modes, including a zombie one. Recently, developers have added new features to ATSS2, including new guns, new languages for international players, and game patches to improve the game’s interface and fix common bugs. Techouse are constantly updating and staying on top of their customer’s wants.
2. Mindstorm Studios
Also based in Lahore, MindStorm Studios was founded in Pakistan in 2006 and has since produced over 75 games! MindStorm focuses on animated games with a cartoon art style. Some of their most popular games include Flick Pool Star and Hospital Inc.
Mindstorm’s ability to create the most aesthetically pleasing titles means there is no way they can be ranked any lower! Aside from that, their longevity in the Pakistani video game industry gives them the reputation of one of Pakistan’s most reputable video game developers. Their Fresh New Graduate Programme takes on new successful grads to become game developers.
3. Steelcloud Studios
The rise in opportunities in Pakistan’s gaming industry has enabled the video game industry to thrive and produce over 1,000 game development studios in the country as of 2022. Many studios have started producing games with specific niches to keep up with their competitors.
Since its founding in 2018, the modest studio has acquired over 106 million downloads of its vehicle-themed games. The most popular from their collection is Stunt Bike, which has a sequel because of how popular it is! If you want nice graphics with games focused on simple premises, consider trying one of Steelcloud’s games!
4. Frag Games
Frag is another game development company that was founded within the last ten years. What’s excellent about Frag Games is that they don’t shelve themselves into one box regarding the kind of games they produce. The games are primarily in 3D and are general simulator or social-style games. They have also branched out into RPG games with Life in Willowdale. In this farm simulator, the player has to save a small town and its farming community from town developers, such as the Mayor of Willowdale’s daughter, Penny.
As well as creating visually stunning and cutesy games, Frag takes on clients who want to create 2D and 3D artwork.
5. The Gamestorm Studios
Pakistan has become a lucrative place for game development studios in recent years, with Pakistan’s video game industry making 50 million each year. Gamestorm, another Lahore-born gaming studio, is one of the examples of Pakistani’s worldwide video game success, as it has expanded its offices to the USA and Dubai and has a secondary office in Karachi, Pakistan.
Gamestorm doesn’t have one sole focus for its games, as it has vehicle games, police games, and cooking games. The company’s scaling has been seamless, given they have now produced over 1,000 games on multiple platforms. Their mission is simple: “To provide the best mobile gaming experience to users across the globe.” If their vast game selection is anything to go by, we can’t deny they’re well on their way to achieving that goal!
