Voodoo SAS is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris that has quickly risen to the top of the mobile gaming industry since its beginning in 2013. The company was founded by Alexandre Yazdi and Laurent Ritter, who foresaw the potential of the mobile gaming market and were determined to create a new gaming experience for the players.
From the beginning, Voodoo has set itself apart from other mobile game developers by focusing on creating what they called “hyper-casual games”. These are the games that are easy to learn and play, require no special skills or knowledge, and can be played in short bursts of time. Voodoo’s goal was to create games that were accessible to everyone, regardless of their gaming experience or skill level.
Voodoo has been successful in creating, predominantly free-to-play “hyper-casual games” and their games have been collectively downloaded 5 billion times as of May 2021.
History of Voodoo
Voodoo is a French Gaming company that was founded in 2013 by Alexandre Yazdi and Laurent Ritter. They had been high school friends and had previously founded Studio Cadet in 2012, which is a services company for websites and mobile applications. Initially, Voodoo started as a services company for websites and mobile applications but later changed its strategy to using data gathered from previous games to attract more players. Voodoo tested one new game roughly every week using the Unity game engine resulting in the successful release of Paper.io in 2016
In 2017, Voodoo quadrupled its staff count to 80 and by the next year, it grew to 180. In May 2018, Goldman Sachs invested $200 million in the company which is considered the largest fundraising in the French technology sector since 2015.
As of 2021, Voodoo has been very successful and has established several development studios and publishing offices worldwide and has acquired several companies. Voodoo is valued at €1.7 billion which adds itself to the list of unicorns in the Europe market.
Key Factors for Voodoo’s success
One of the key factors in Voodoo’s success has been its ability to identify and capitalize on emerging trends in the gaming industry. The company has been very quick to embrace new technologies and platforms and has developed a deep understanding of what players want and how they interact with games. This approach has allowed voodoo to create a wide range of successful games, including popular titles such as Helix Jump, Hole.io, and Paper.io, which have been downloaded millions of times all around the world. All these games have become incredibly popular due to their engaging gameplay, simple controls, and addictive mechanics, which make them accessible to players of all ages and skill levels.
In addition to creating effective gameplays, Voodoo has also been successful in its marketing efforts. The company has developed a strong presence on social media and other digital channels, which has helped to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to its games. Voodoo has also been successful in leveraging influencer marketing and other tactics to promote its games which helped to increase their visibility and reach.
Voodoo also frequently innovates and experiments with new game concepts and mechanics. The company is known to have a team of dedicated developers and designers who are constantly brainstorming new ideas and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in mobile gaming. Due to its innovative approach, they have successfully created a few truly groundbreaking games, such as Aquapark.io, which combines racing and water slide gameplay, and other games such as Stack Ball. Games such as these have been very successful, both in terms of downloads and revenue, and have helped to establish Voodoo as a leader in the mobile gaming industry.
Voodoo has also been successful in its expansion efforts and has opened offices in several locations around the world, including San Francisco, London, and Berlin, which has helped to increase its global reach and tap into new markets.
In conclusion, Voodoo’s success story is one of a company that has been able to achieve rapid growth and success by embracing emerging trends, experimenting with new concepts, and building a strong brand and presence in the mobile gaming industry. Its ability to innovate and collaborate has helped it to stay ahead of the competition and to create engaging and addictive games that appeal to a wide range of players. As the gaming industry continues to evolve and grow, Voodoo is well-positioned to continue its success and establish itself as a leader in the space.