When you think of game studios in Germany, titles like Far Cry and Crysis probably come to mind. Both were developed by Crytek, one of the country’s most recognized studios. Crytek is also known for creating CryEngine — an advanced game engine that was among the first to introduce the PolyBump tool based on bump mapping technology.
Another name that stands out is Deck13. Their RPG Lords of the Fallen won Best German Game at the 2015 German Computer Game Awards. However, the studio’s ownership has since changed. In June 2020, Deck13 was acquired by the French publisher Focus Home Interactive for €7.1 million.
Germany is also known for Gamescom – an international exhibition of video games, which is held annually in the German city of Cologne, at the Köln Messe exhibition center. The event is aimed at people with a view to video games: consumers, fans, publishers, journalists and trade professionals. The exhibition is also used by many video game developers to showcase upcoming games and gaming equipment. Gamescom is the world’s first largest gaming event in terms of exhibition space and number of visitors, as well as the largest gaming news fair of the year in Europe. In 2018, it had a total of 370,000 visitors and 1,037 exhibitors from 56 countries.
Advantages of Choosing Video Game Companies in Germany
Despite the fact that, unlike the USA or Japan, the share of games released in Germany is relatively low, there are still game outsourcing studios here. There are not as many of them as in Eastern Europe, since Germany is quite expensive for employers, and the cost of production is much higher here. On the other hand, Germany offers qualified professionals good working conditions and a health care system, in other words, attracts them with its high quality of life.
The market for mobile and browser games is by far the strongest in terms of sales in Germany. Three of the four largest video game studios in Germany are focused on developing such games. This is not a region where you get lost among the assortment of AAA developers, but it is possible to find good game development companies in Germany.
We offer you a list of 7 gaming companies in Germany that can be useful to you in your gaming projects.
Gaming Companies in Germany
Private Division
Private Division is an American publisher of independent computer games. The company is headquartered in New York with offices in Seattle and Munich. The studio is a division of Take-Two Interactive Software dedicated to working with independent video game studios that are midway between AAA games from large studios and indie games from new or smaller studios.
It stands out from other video game studios in Germany for enabling independent game studios to develop games while providing the support they need to make their games commercially successful on a global scale.
Nurogames
Nurogames is an independent German game and software development company founded in 2006 in Cologne. The studio covers the entire game development pipeline – from the initial idea to the final product – for all major mobile, web, PC, consoles, VR, AR and XR platforms.
Other areas of expertise include e-learning game development, game-based e-learning solutions, and social media service integration. The studio’s main specialization is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for the gaming, social and educational spheres.
Klang Games
Another representative of gaming companies in Germany, Klang Games is developing next generation games. The company started with three like-minded people with different work experience who share a similar passion for gaming and creating something special.
Klang Games’ first title was ReRunners: Race for the World, released on iOS and Android. The game gained positive attention from both critics and players.
The studio’s approach goes beyond short-term releases. They invest in original concepts, experiment with new technologies, and develop distinctive visual styles — all while building communities that stay engaged over time.
Yager
A true veteran of German gaming companies, Yager is an independent video game developer based in Berlin. The studio’s most famous project is the third-person shooter Spec Ops: The Line, which won the 2012 Inside Gaming Awards for Best Story from Machinima.com. The studio also worked with Deep Silver on Dead Island 2.
In 2021, Tencent Holdings, which previously invested in Yager Development as a minority shareholder, increased its stake in Yager by acquiring a controlling stake. Now the studio specializes in creating multi-platform AAA action games for a global audience.
Travian Games
Travian Games GmbH, headquartered in Munich, is one of the world’s leading providers of online games. Travian Games also acts as an international publisher for selected games. The studio is currently marketed with seven live products: Travian: Legends, Travian Kingdoms, Rail Nation, Miramagia, goalunited LEGENDS, Shroud of the Avatar, and UnitedGP.
Products from the Travian Games portfolio are available in over 200 countries around the world and translated into 42 languages. Thus, the company can reach over 150 million registered and verified users worldwide. Travian Games GmbH products have also won numerous awards.
Goodgame Studios
Although Goodgame Studios is now part of Sweden-based Stillfront Group, which focuses on acquiring and managing mobile and browser game studios, it continues to operate as one of Hamburg’s most recognized online game developers. The company was originally founded there in 2009. The most popular products are Goodgame Empire and Goodgame Big Farm, for which the studio received animation assistance from Kevuru Games.
The specificity of mobile and browser games from Goodgame Studios is that they are distributed free of charge to over 500 million players around the world. Prior to the acquisition, the studio had independently produced its games and, with a rich talent pool from over 40 countries, was one of the largest German employers in the gaming software industry.
Bigpoint
Founded in Hamburg in 2002 by Heiko Hubertz, Bigpoint became one of the early pioneers of browser-based gaming. The studio is best known for DarkOrbit and Seafight, offering players the ability to jump into games directly from their web browser. All the products are accessible for free.
Although browser-based games are often associated with hyper-casual games like basic time-killer puzzles, the products of Bigpoint are not basic. These are top-quality games of different genres. For instance, Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming is a mix of strategy and role-playing, and Dark Orbit: Reloaded is a space-combat MMO. Both feature outstanding graphics and gameplay mechanics.
How to Choose the Most Reliable Partner?
If you are interested in German gaming companies, the above list might come in handy. Keep in mind that each studio has its strengths, genres with which it has more experience, as well as different teams of specialists with different levels of professionalism.
Always start from the presence of the required service in the list of services of a potential partner and a portfolio confirming this expertise. Feedback from previous clients can also be useful: often not only the positive aspects are indicated, but also the problems that the client encountered in the process of cooperation.
Expanding Horizons: Why Outsourcing to East Makes Sense
Germany is one of the top countries in the world for game development. However, the cost of living is rather high, which raises salaries, which affects the final cost of game development projects. If you are looking for a partner studio in Europe and expect collaboration to happen online, our advice is to take a look at options at the East. Countries like Poland and Ukraine are cheaper than Western Europe, while having many professional game development companies to choose from. If you would like to save money, this is an optimal solution.
The Kevuru Games game studio remains a versatile option for any gaming task. Even though it doesn’t yet have a German division, a large number of German studios have collaborated with it on art and development issues. Here you will find all game development services you need to create a game: art and animation creation, game design, development, interface design, testing, sound design, etc. Kevuru Games is also engaged in gamification and already has several successful cases in this area.
High quality, versatile team and German-style diligence distinguish this studio from others, and the full coverage of gaming services allows you to entrust it with any task up to the full cycle of creating a game from scratch.
