The Game Development Ecosystem of Kazakhstan: Companies, Startups, and Educational Initiatives

This article provides an analysis of Kazakhstan’s game development ecosystem: how the industry is evolving, which companies are shaping the market, which hubs support developers, and what challenges remain key.

Industry Development

Astana Hub, launched in 2018, has become the center of industry development:
— accelerator programs for startups
— office infrastructure and mentoring
— assistance in entering international markets.

The country’s technical base is growing: developers with IT backgrounds are creating mobile games, VR/AR projects, blockchain games, and interactive platforms. Communities of artists, designers, and game developers are also developing.

However, the industry still lacks systematic support: investors rarely have experience in game development, government support is limited, and the industry’s media presence is low.

Companies and Startups

Grand Mobile
A Kazakhstani mobile open-world game where players can build careers as police officers or criminals. Since 2022, it has accumulated over 60 million downloads and is actively expanding into foreign markets.

Olzhass Games
A Kazakhstani studio, creator of Car Parking Multiplayer, an open-world game featuring car customization, racing, and voice chat. The game includes 82 missions, a variety of vehicles, and detailed interiors.

Rhinotales Studio
A studio creating large-scale games focused on the international market. A team of over 30 developers, artists, and sound engineers is working on the turn-based tactical RPG Critical Shift, which features a deep storyline and more than 40 hours of gameplay, offering opportunities for professional growth and flexible remote work.

iDos Games
A Web3 gaming platform that aggregates thousands of free Web2 and Web3 games, allows users to create their own games without programming skills, trade in-game tokens, and launch game economies.

MadOut Games
The office handles localization and development of mobile games for both local and international markets. The MadOut 2 app has over 100 million users.

Borsyq Games
An independent studio creating the project Eden: Tale of the Forest Guardian. The team works on original game concepts and develops the local game development community.

SolidRock AI
Solid Rock specializes in game localization and adaptation for the international market, organizes educational workshops, and helps studios adapt projects for investment, accelerating the release of games on global markets.

VARDIX
VARDIX develops interactive 3D platforms, applications, and educational projects using its own Vargates framework for flexible development and gamification integration.

Hubs and Educational Initiatives

Astana Hub
An IT hub with offices and accelerators that supports startups and helps teams enter international markets. It hosts the TechOrda initiative, which offers game development training.

GameLab KBTU
An educational center for game development, training specialists for the industry.

OMNIUM
A center for interactive technologies and educational programs, creating an ecosystem for learning in CG, game development, VR, and AR, combining research and educational activities.

GameDev Center
An IT community of game developers that organizes jams and other events, runs educational programs, supports projects through accelerators, provides infrastructure for Unreal Engine, 3D, and VR, and helps attract investors and partners.

Opportunities for Game Development

Kazakhstan has made significant progress in creative industries, including gaming. International companies such as Netflix, Unreal Engine, and DreamWorks have shown interest in the region. This interest is reflected in the participation of funds and game publishers at Digital Bridge and other platforms.

Accelerators, GameJams, educational initiatives, and international exhibitions provide studios with opportunities to enter the global market and form the foundation for the future industry.

Geography and Target Markets

The main development centers are Almaty and Astana. Most studios focus on mobile and PC games, with exports to international markets exceeding local sales. VR/AR and blockchain directions are actively developing.