The path to Joyixir hasn’t been a direct one. In fact, the background of the game company lies some 5 000-6 000 km away (depending on whether you bike or drive). In 2014, Hassanzadeh was working in the mechatronics research laboratories of Qazvin Azad University in Iran. Although he found the work interesting, his true passion lay in gaming and especially how to create games. This led him to establish a game studio with his friend Ali. Titles they published soon gained some ground but, at the same time, it became apparent that it was extremely hard to break into the much-contested market.
While figuring out options to boost their venture, a friend doing his PhD is Estonia suggested that they apply for a start-up programme there. One thing led to another and in 2020 they packed their things and headed north.
The connection to Central Baltic and the Baltic Explorers project was established by chance. Hassanzadeh explains that they were looking for a working space in Tartu when they stumbled upon Henri Hanson. Hanson is the project manager for the Estonian partner of Baltic Explorers.
In addition to finding an office, they wanted to get connected with people in the gaming industry. Talking with Hanson, they learned about Baltic Explorers. “We realised it's a good opportunity for us,” Hassanzadeh adds.
In the mobile games sector, Joyixir concentrates on hyper-casual gaming. Derived from casual games that became popular in the late 1990s, hyper-casual games are characterised by ease of play, free download (although ads and in-app purchases are common) and their user interfaces are geared towards simplicity. They are often of puzzle, runner, simulation, and idle arcade type, making them accessible to all types of players. Popular hyper-casual titles such as Count Masters, Race Master 3D and Paper Fold have over 100 million downloads at the time of writing.
But what’s the secret to rising above the competition? Says Hassanzadeh: “You have to be good at it and bring innovation into your game.” For example, Joyixir is aiming to “hyper-casualise” mid-core games to lower the threshold for the occasional player, bring new people onboard, acquire new users and further investigate their needs. Ultimately, the goal is to move onto more complex projects such as PC games.
According to Hassanzadeh and Sharpasand, the big benefit of being part of Baltic Explorers is the connection to other game companies. Whether it’s about creating a presentation or receiving guidance on running a business, help is available within the community. As an example, Hassanzadeh mentions that they had tried to get an appointment with a particular investor for two years. Baltic Explorers helped them do so within a week.
Right now, a new casual title is in the works and Joyixir is joining trade missions arranged by Baltic Explorers to look for investors and opportunities and develop their network. All in all, it seems that Joyixir is on the right track. The company now involves 19 developers, has published over 70 games and has almost 40 000 active daily users. We wish them all the best for their future adventures!
By Ari Brozinski
Communication Manager
Central Baltic Programme 2014-2020
