Boomzap Entertainment

Facts and Numbers

History

Boomzap was founded in 2005 by Christopher Natsuume and Allan Simonsen. Natsuume, the company's Creative Director was formerly lead producer for Far Cry at Crytek. Simonsen serves as the company's Technical Director and worked on the Spider-Man game for the Nokia N-Gage. Boomzap Entertainment is composed of two legal entities: Boomzap Inc. in the state of Washington, USA and Boomzap Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. Both companies are private corporations owned by Natsuume and Simonsen.

As of March 2015, the company employs 65 game developers working out of Japan, Singapore, Russia, Ukraine, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Boomzap Fight Club

In October 2014, Boomzap announced a new brand called Boomzap Fight Club to house its free-to-play, mobile-first strategy games.

Jelly Boom

Jelly Boom is Boomzap's first game, and it was released on February 14, 2006. Jelly Boom is a block puzzle game, wherein you combine blocks of similar colors and eliminate them when a detonator falls unto the blocks. Jelly Boom was published online by publishers like Big Fish Games, Boonty, and Double Games. It also reached #1 on Boonty's Top Games chart.

Magic Lanterns

"Magic Lanterns" was first released in June 13, 2006. Magic Lanterns is a casual puzzle game where you have to click on a group of lanterns to clear them. The lanterns in most game modes refill the screen, so when lanterns are cleared, there are new ones. The more lanterns you clear, the higher your score. The game has different game modes, which has different mechanics: Lantern Quest, Perfect Mode, Panic Mode, and Puzzle Mode.

Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles

In 2007, Boomzap released the game Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, also published by Encore, Inc. Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles is a collection of nine different puzzle mini-games in a light fantasy theme. It placed in the iWin's Top 100 chart, peaking at #3 and staying within the Top 10 for 21 days. According to a review by Jayisgames, Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles is "A solid collection of puzzles built into a lasting and interesting new whole." Gamezebo gave the game 4 out of 5 stars in its review, stating that "while the puzzle themes will be immediately familiar to casual games, the developer added enough of a new twist to most of these digital diversions to keep us glued to the PC for hours."

Jewels of Cleopatra series

Jewels of Cleopatra

Boomzap developed the tile-matching puzzle series, Jewels of Cleopatra (released in 2007) under publisher Encore, Inc. Gamezebo gave 3.5 of out 5 stars to the original Jewels of Cleopatra, stating "What it all adds up to is a well-made, enjoyable gem-matching romp in full Egyptian garb.".

Jewels of Cleopatra 2: Aztec Mysteries

Jewels of Cleopatra 2: Aztec Mysteries was released in 2008, developed by Boomzap under publisher Encore, Inc.. It gave the same rating of 3.5 stars to the sequel, noting that "Armchair adventurers who enjoy Match-3 games will no doubt enjoy clicking through the story-heavy Jewels of Cleopatra 2: Aztec Mysteries."

Zen Fashion

On May 21, 2008, Zen Fashion was released on Big Fish Games and other casual game portals. Zen Fashion is a drag-matching Match-3 type puzzle game.

Orchard

In 2007, Boomzap received funding from the Media Development Authority of Singapore to create a game demo for the game Orchard, which was later signed by Majesco. The game was released in January 2009. It also ranked #1 on Amazon.com, Arcade Town and PlayFirst.

Frogs In Love

Boomzap released Frogs In Love on April 15, 2009. You play the role of a frog who falls in love with a beautiful female frog, Jasmine. But to win her heart, you have to prove yourself by winning challenges at the Flower Festival. It is a puzzle game with 13 different kinds of puzzles. Frogs In Love was published on portals such as Big Fish Games, Oberon, PlayFirst, Pogo, WildGames.

Passport to Paradise

On December 24, 2009, Passport to Paradise was released by iWin[1]. The game peaked at #4 on the Top 10 Games on iWin's portal, and was the #1 Tycoon game on iWin for the same week.

Pirates Plund-Arrr

On January 7, 2010, Majesco announced Pirates Plund-Arrr, a Nintendo Wii game being developed by Boomzap Entertainment. It was scheduled for release in April 2010, and was eventually released in May 2010.

Awakening series

Awakening is a game franchise in the hidden object puzzle adventure genre published exclusively by Big Fish Games. It is available on PC, Mac, as well as iPhone and iPad platforms. The first game, Awakening: The Dreamless Castle, was originally released on February 14, 2010. As of November 2014, Awakening consists of eight titles, seven of which are full, downloadable games while one is a free-to-play version.

Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is the sixth and final installment in Queen Sophia's adventures released on May 31, 2014. A seventh title, Awakening: The Golden Age was released on November 1, 2014 to serve as a prequel to the series.

Awakening Kingdoms is a stand-alone game that is not meant to replace the adventure series, but serves as "an endless game world that players can continuously explore and enjoy".

As of August 2014, games from the Awakening series have been downloaded over 17 million times on PC, Mac and mobile devices.

Antique Road Trip series

Antique Road Trip is a game series in the hidden object genre, with puzzles and different minigames. As of September 2013, Boomzap has released three Antique Road Trip games, all published exclusively by Big Fish Games and available on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad ad Android platforms.

After Antique Road Trip: USA and Antique Road Trip 2: Homecoming follows the latest installment Antique Road Trip: American Dreamin, the first free-to-play game developed by Boomzap. It was released on September 25, 2013.

Dana Knightstone series

Dana Knightstone is a series of hidden object games with a mystery novel storyline published exclusively by Big Fish Games. It is available on PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad platforms. The franchise draws it title from the main character, Dana Knightstone, a fiction writer who can see ghosts.

As of August 2014, there are five games in the series: Death at Fairing Point: A Dana Knightstone Novel, Death Under Tuscan Skies: A Dana Knightstone Novel, Death Upon an Austrian Sonata: A Dana Knightstone Novel, Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel, and Death and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone Novel.

Otherworld series

Otherworld is a hidden object adventure game series with a dark fantasy theme. Fiona, a young girl with magical powers, was abducted by a dark and menacing creature.

Otherworld: Spring of Shadows was the first game to be released on January 23, 2012. The sequel, Otherworld: Omens of Summer, was released on February 4, 2013. Both are published exclusively by Big Fish Games. The games are available on PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad platforms.

Otherworld: Shades of Fall is the third installment published exclusively by Big Fish Games. It was released on October 17, 2013 for both PC and Mac, then for iPad and iPhone on November 5, 2014.

Zaptales: Interactive Fairy Tales

In 2012, an interactive story book app called ZapTales: Interactive Fairy Tales was developed by Boomzap and published by Big Fish Games. It can be downloaded for free on iPhone and iPad platforms with in-app purchases for additional content. Aside from virtual books, minigames and puzzles were also available. The fairy tales were adapted from the works of Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. Boomzap also added its own educational books. According to a reviewer, the "sweet graphics, sounds and animations, professional narration, simple navigation" made it an enjoyable and quality game."

Botanica series

Botanica is a series of casual hidden object puzzle adventure games published exclusively by Big Fish Games. It is a combination of fantasy and science fiction with versions available on PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Botanica: Into the Unknown was the first game to be released on October 22, 2012. The sequel entitled Botanica: Earthbound was launched on December 14, 2013.

Brain Curve

On May 19, 2013, Boomzap released the freemium game Brain Curve for iPhone and iPad devices. It is an educational puzzle game that allows players to check their brain skills and compare their scores with friends in various minigames.

Emberwing: Lost Legacy

On March 15, 2014, Boomzap launched Emberwing: Lost Legacy Collector's Edition, a brand new hidden object puzzle adventure game set in a magical world filled with dragons. It was released exclusively on Big Fish Games for PC and Mac platforms. All About Casual Game gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "one of Boomzap's finest products" because of its "stellar production, superior graphics and well-exquisite gameplay."

Boomzap Casino Games

On July 24, 2014, Boomzap released mini casino games with real money betting powered by the b Spot platform. All three games have two modes where players can "Play for Cash or Play for Fun". These are available only in the United States for the iPhone and iPad platforms.

The Claw is a simulation game of a standard claw machine. Players have the chance to get rare prizes or common items, complete puzzles and unlock unique claw machines and backgrounds.

Doors of Fate is a probability puzzle game based on luck and intuition wherein players must choose one of three doors and encounter obstacles or win treasure. There are also different doors and backtgrounds to collect.

Gladiator Fight is fast-paced fighting game with simple, easy-tap combat wherein two gladiators battle inside an arena. Players can customize their gladiator and unlock hundreds of collectibles.

Pillage People

Pillage People is an online strategy game released on September 2014 for iOS and Android devices in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It won Best Narrative in the Philippine Game Festival 2014 organized by the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, and was also nominated for other award categories such as Best Game Art, Best Gameplay, Best Mobile Handheld, Game and Game of the Year.

Unlike other similar real-time strategy games, it will feature three different races with fantasy and medieval themes. Players can choose from the Humans, Elves and Goblins and eventually complete them all. They can build their towns, train troops, and attack other bases through both single-player and multiplayer campaigns.

Pillage People is described by Flipgeeks as "a non-stop romp of resource gathering and pillaging", at the same time "the graphics look very polished" and "the sound design is impressive". It also has "fun visuals and an exciting soundtrack".

Super Awesome Quest

Super Awesome Quest is a fantasy adventure role-playing game with turn-based collectible card game style combat. In October 2014, it was soft-launched for iOS and Android devices in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It was also a finalist for the Best Sound Design, Best Game Art, and Game of the Year categories in the Philippine Game Festival 2014 organized by the Game Developers Association of the Philippines. It was released worldwide on July 9, 2015.

Super Awesome Quest follows the adventures of a paladin and his friends. It features strategic, token-flipping combat and an in-depth crafting system. It is "an interesting mix of RPG, Fighting Game, Card Game" and described as "a nice refresher from the card-based combat" The game was given a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars by Gamezebo, calling it an "excellent adventure" and "a blend between Minesweeper and a dungeon crawler".

Rescue Quest

On November 25, 2014, Boomzap launched Rescue Quest for the iPhone and iPad under publisher Chillingo. It is a scrollable, path-based match-3 puzzle game with a fantasy storyline, featuring two magical apprentices on a mission to save fairy-like creatures called Spritelings from an evil sorcerer. The Android version was released on August 18, 2015.

Pocket Ages

Pocket Ages was released on February 18, 2015 for the iPhone and iPad. Developed by Boomzap and published worldwide by 505 Games, it is a town-building and trade simulation game that spans multiple eras. The initial release includes four ages: Prehistoric, Ancient, Classical, and Medieval.

마법퍼즐 아일랜드 for Kakao

마법퍼즐 아일랜드 (English: Magic Puzzle Island) for Kakao was published by Gravity Co. Ltd. on April 14, 2015 for Android devices. It is a reskinned version of Boomzap's match-3 game, Rescue Quest and published in the Korean language.

Super Awesome RPG

Super Awesome RPG was released worldwide by Boomzap in January 2016 for mobile devices. It is a reskinned version of another game by the studio, Super Awesome Quest, with anime art style and premium "pay once and play" business model instead of free-to-play. It has no advertisements or in-app purchases.

Monster Roller

Monster Roller is a monster-collecting strategy game for mobile devices which uses a slot machine combat mechanic. It soft-launched in the Philippines on December 2015, winning Game of the Year at the ESGS Indie Arena 2015 and Best Game Art at the GDAP Awards 2015. It is set to release worldwide on January 27, 2016, with support for multiple languages.

Legends of Callasia

In December 2015, Boomzap launched Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight campaigns for Legends of Callasia. It is a turn-based multiplayer strategy game wherein the main goal is world conquest across board game-inspired maps. It was successfully Greenlit on Steam last January 1, 2016 and released as an Early Access for Windows on February 11, 2016. The game officially launched on Steam for both PC and Mac on June 10, 2016, followed by an iPad release on the App Store on September 8, 2016, allowing for cross-platform multiplayer gameplay. Another Kickstarter campaign was launched to fund an expansion called "The Stoneborne" to include a new playable faction, which was then released on October 17, 2016 as a DLC on Steam and in-app purchase on the iOS version.

Community and Industry Involvement

On February 2014, Boomzap launched its own forums as a place where players can get updates, technical support and various game content. Fans can interact directly with the game developers, share feedback and access behind-the-scenes information about the games. A sub-forum is also added for purposes of beta testing.

Boomzap also has an active presence in worldwide independent game development industry. Founders Natsuume and Simonsen, as well as other members of the studio, speak at conferences around the world such as Game Connection, Casual Connect, Game Developers Conference, and Global Mobile Game Developers Conference, and help coordinate the different chapters of the International Game Developers Association. Most recently, Boomzap has participated in the Manila site of the Global Game Jam.

Awards and Recognitions

Aside from rankings in top downloads charts, Boomzap games have also been nominated and awarded in several websites and institutions such as All About Casual Game, Big Fish Games, Casual Gameplay, Game Developers Association of the Philippines, and The Straits Times.