Since originally launching as a Flash game in 2016, The Battle of Polytopia has developed into a successful indie IP with Steam, Nintendo Switch™and Tesla releases and even its own ‘Polytopia Shop of Souvenirs’ in Stockholm. Mobile, though, is where Polytopia has experienced its greatest success, generating more than 20 million organic downloads worldwide across the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Polytopia’s success on mobile is unusual for a 4x strategy game, a genre which has mechanics more commonly found in desktop gaming. Likewise, Polytopia monetizes differently to most free-to-play mobile games where the game only offers expansions and cosmetics that players get to keep forever and has no in-game currency. The game is purely skill based and does not force players to buy anything at any point in the game. The title has been celebrated by critics and gamers alike, receiving the ‘Excellence In Gameplay’ title from the International Mobile Gaming Awards and labelled as ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ by Steam users. High-profile gamers such as MrBeast and Elon Musk are known to be Polytopia fans, with the game even available to play in all Tesla cars.
Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:
“By reaching more than 20 million players, we’ve proven that you don’t need to be aggressive with monetization to have a successful mobile game. In fact, that’s exactly why our game is a hit - we focus on providing great game play, not the business model. These values will continue long into the future as we continue to grow across platforms and explore potential future titles in the Polytopia universe.”
Felix Ekenstam, Game Designer at Midjiwan, commented:
“When I started making The Battle of Polytopia, I wanted to create the kind of game that I would enjoy, that wasn’t already available anywhere else. The idea was to build the best strategic game while blending it with the simplicity and accessibility you’d expect on mobile, but without all the aggressive monetization nonsense this audience hates. Now, 20 million downloads later, I think it’s safe to say my vision for the game has been validated. I’d like to give a big thank you to the fans who have stayed with us on our journey, and we’ve got a lot more coming down the road for The Battle of Polytopia that I think they and new players alike will love.”
Despite the success of its flagship title, which continues to receive regular content updates and expansions through new in-game Tribes and skill trees, Polytopia developer Midjiwan continues to operate as a small studio team in Stockholm. The studio invests a portion of all revenue from the game into Solar Power and other charity and sustainability initiatives.
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Joshua Callaghan
About Midjiwan AB
Midjiwan AB is an award-winning independent game developer based in Stockholm. The company released its hit 4X strategy game The Battle of Polytopia in 2016, which is available across the App Store, Google Play, Steam, Nintendo Switch™ and more. The title has received accolades from The Lovie Awards, International Mobile Gaming Awards, and the PC Indie Pitch, as well as receiving nominations for the Google Play Indie Games Contest and the Pocket Gamer Awards 2022. You can learn more about Midjiwan AB and find details on The Battle of Polytopia at midjiwan.com and polytopia.io.