Circle Games has successfully raised $7.25 million in its most recent funding round

Circle Games has successfully raised $7.25 million in its latest funding effort.

This financing round was spearheaded by Bitkraft Ventures, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Play Ventures, e2vc, and APY Ventures. The funds are intended to fuel the development of Circle Games' current project, Sort Express, and other yet-to-be-announced titles. Additionally, the Istanbul-based company plans to use the investment to grow its team.

CEO Gokturk Balıkcı expressed to GamesBeat, "We aim to enhance our team and expand our debut title... Our main focus is on the casual puzzle game market, where players demand superior visuals and improved user experiences due to increased competition compared to a decade ago. It’s crucial that the game aligns with players' skill expectations."

Recognizing Turkey's dominance in mobile puzzle games, Balıkcı highlighted efforts to innovate in late-stage gameplay by adding new mechanics, crucial for long-term player engagement.

Jasper Brand, a partner at Bitkraft Ventures, commented, "Circle Games stands out as one of the most promising seed-stage studios. They possess specialized knowledge and a keen understanding of game design, coupled with a remarkable pace in developing and a strategic insight into succeeding in the mobile gaming arena. Their advancements in progression systems, adaptive difficulty, and interactive advertisement strategy, poise them to be Turkey’s next big hit in casual gaming."