Studio42, a new mobile game studio started by industry veterans, has raised $3.6 million in seed funding to shake up the puzzle genre. The funding round was led by Play Ventures, with support from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners.
The team, based in Cyprus, will be led by Alexandr Bogdanov as the CEO, while Ivan Larionov and Pavel Sudakov take the roles of COO and Producer, respectively. The three former leaders from Belka Games helped create hits like Solitaire Cruise and Bermuda Adventures during their time at the mobile game studio.
With this new funding, Studio42 aims to speed up work on its first game while testing fresh ideas quickly. Their first project went from concept to live testing in just two months. They also use AI to test every game idea, planning to explore up to 10 new concepts a year.
Studio 42 wants to reimagine classic puzzle gameplay by mixing it with today’s hybrid-casual trends. Their goal is to make simple games that are easy to play but hard to put down.
The studio currently has 14 team members working across four countries. They’re focused on delivering fun, player-first experiences and are already off to a fast start.
A deep dive with the CEO into Studio42 – Its culture, operations and motivations
GamingonPhoneBiz had an opportunity to interview Aleksandr Bogdanov, the CEO of Studio 42. Aleksandr talks about why he left an established path to start fresh, what the studio’s name really means, and how they’re shaping a new culture with bold ideas and quick execution.
Note: This interview is edited for clarity.
Thoughts on the new studio after success at Belka Games
After building hit titles like Solitaire Cruise and Clockmaker at Belka Games, the founders of Studio 42 made a bold move, to create a studio of their own. The main reason? They wanted full ownership of the creative direction.
“First off, I’m truly grateful for the experience we gained at Belka. It gave us the chance to create games like Solitaire Cruise, Clockmaker and other successful titles. But there was one thing: we weren’t part of the founders at Belka, so our role in strategic decisions was limited. That’s one of the reasons we decided to start our own studio – where the big creative decisions, and the responsibility for them, are fully ours.”
With that, they didn’t feel like they were starting from scratch. They brought along years of expertise in puzzle games and a well-knit team that knows each other’s strengths well. “We’re simply doubling down on what we know best. This time, with the benefit of hindsight, we’re aiming even higher,” Aleksandr added.
The story behind the name ‘Studio 42’
“We wanted the name to highlight our core philosophy,” he tells us. “The world has become overly complicated and stressful. We want to go in the opposite direction – to make simple but engaging games that don’t add more stress to people’s lives. After all, the best ideas are often the simplest.”
As for the number 42? Fans of Douglas Adams will recognize the reference. He said:“Why42? Well, it’s our nod to the simplest answer to the most complicated question about ‘life, the universe, and everything'”
What kind of culture are you building at Studio42?
While the team had a strong hand in building Belka’s culture, they wanted Studio42 to feel different, lighter, cleaner, and more focused on simplicity across the board.
“We helped shape the culture at Belka Games from the very beginning, and I can proudly say that it became the company’s foundation. Of course, we’ve carried over a lot of that experience into our new venture, but Studio42 has its own vibe.”
Mr. Bogdanov says that culture is still all about people, but now they are building a culture around simplicity in product, design, communication, metrics, and even in the way they work without any overcomplication or unnecessary processes.
Speaking about their first launch
Studio 42 has already released its first title, Purrfect! Hexa Journey, available now for Android users. The game mixes Match-3 elements with hex sorter mechanics.
The CEO shares a fun fact: “It took just four months to build! Right now, we’re analyzing the metrics and deciding whether to scale it or pivot to new gameplay ideas.”
What does ‘player-first’ really mean for them
At Studio 42, gameplay comes first, and everything starts with how players feel. “We focus on making gameplay simple, clear, and compelling – because games are about emotions, and positive ones. That’s what we’re here for: creating bright, memorable experiences,” Aleksandr shared.
“We also invest heavily in analytics and player behavior insights – with plenty of tools, some of which we’ve built ourselves. We run playtests regularly to better understand what players love, what they don’t, and why they stay or leave,” he mentions.
Thoughts on testing up to 10 ideas a year
Studio 42 isn’t shy about moving fast, they can develop early prototypes in as little as 1–2 months, closely tracking gameplay metrics before deciding to continue or move on.
“We do run multiple ideas in parallel – development moves fast. Over the years, we’ve refined our own method for spotting promising game mechanics. Early builds take 1 – 2 months, during which we track core gameplay metrics – first session length, retention, early funnel behavior and so on.”
Mr. Bogdanov also adds that if the numbers look promising, they move on to testing monetization and ROAS. It usually takes one to four months to determine whether a game has real potential.
“The key is not wasting time on dead-end mechanics – and also not killing something with potential too early. It’s a fine line. A bit of science, a bit of gut feeling. Some might call it magic, but we think it’s an art,” Aleksandr concluded.
