Turkish Gaming Phenomenon Uncovered: A Conversation with Rina Onur

In the latest episode of the DoF Podcast, Mishka reconnects with Rina Onur Sirinoglu, CEO of Spyke Games, to talk about her exciting new mobile gaming venture, which recently secured a $55 million seed round. Rina entered the gaming industry at the age of 24 first as an investor, then entrepreneur, and had gained a lot of experience and expertise through working in the gaming industry for over 13 years.

Rina co-founded Peak Games, which has become a game-changer in the Turkish gaming scene. After the initial astounding success, she decided not to stop there and chose to embark on a new adventure with her former colleagues.

Together with Mishka, they discuss the highs and lows of Spyke Games, shining a spotlight on their latest sensation, Tile Busters. If you haven't tried it yet, consider this your friendly recommendation to give it a go. Even if it is not your preferred genre choice.

Mishka and Rina also take a look into the Turkish gaming industry as a whole. They explore its unique characteristics, shedding light on what has shaped it—both its successes as well as bottlenecks.

Make sure to listen to the podcast so as not to miss all the details of the conversation between Mishka and Rina.

How Spyke Games (and other Turkish companies) shine in competitive markets

The rise of Turkish companies in saturated market niches is a captivating phenomenon. You can't help but wonder: what sets them apart? It is genuinely astonishing how Turkish startups thrive in these highly competitive market segments.

Rina attributes a significant part of this success to what she calls "the Peak effect." Remember when Peak Games sealed a monumental 1.8 billion-dollar deal with Zynga? Well, that seismic event gave birth to a myriad of other enterprises (more than 65, to be precise, not all exclusively in gaming) and a pool of talented professionals eager to capitalise on their expertise. This, naturally, raised the interest of international investors and venture capitalists who foresaw the potential within this ecosystem.

While I won't dig into the details of what pushed Peak Games to greatness, it is safe to say that many companies inspired by Peak share a commitment to meticulous optimisation.

Rina attributes the success of Tile Busters, their second and most successful game to date, to an experiment gone right. Originally, they were developing Royal Riches, a social casino game, investing heavily in optimisation techniques like segmentation, personalisation, dynamic pricing, and live ops tailored for the casino title. Yet, the real game-changer came when they borrowed a fraction of these strategies and applied them to an entirely new puzzle game.

Optimization, in its many facets, lies at the heart of Spyke's development ethos:

“We optimise for speed, for quality, and for data-driven decision-making. We never put anything into the game without thorough testing, even if it means delaying us for two to three weeks.”

Rina Onur, CEO and Co-Founder, Spyke Games

I wouldn't be wrong in saying that playing to your strengths is half the battle when it comes to a winning strategy, and that's precisely the path Spyke Games chose. Drawing from their experiences at Peak Games, where they excelled in multiplayer games like cards and board games, they also honed their skills in creating accessible puzzle games, such as blast or match 3. The real magic unfolded when they blended these strengths and combined different game mechanics, giving birth to casual yet highly social games. Rina describes it as a 'deterministic puzzle'—'“it embodies a level of skill, but also a huge level of luck when you're solving it”.

None of this would have been possible without investing in building their first game in a modular way. This approach provided a strong base for any future games they plan to build on enabling Tile Busters to be developed in just a couple of months. This adaptable platform empowered them to repurpose and attract the right user base, ultimately propelling Tile Busters to a meteoric rise.

As Rina wisely puts it,

"You have to bring something new to the table to win at the user acquisition game."

I couldn’t agree more.

Indeed, Tile Busters' success sprang from expertise, innovation, and a willingness to defy conventions, showcasing the power of daring to be different in the gaming landscape.

Crafting a winning culture – why Spyke Games chooses to work in-house

One intriguing aspect of Spyke Games is their choice to maintain an entirely on-site work culture, which sets them apart from companies, like Playrix, who fully embrace remote work (read: Mastering Remote Work Culture: A Conversation with Playrix)

So, why did Spyke Games opt for a fully on-site studio, and what does it take to build such a thriving work culture?

In a nutshell, it comes down to convenience and familiarity. For Spyke Games, headquartered in Istanbul, this is simply the way they know how to operate. Whatever the future holds, no one knows, but for now, this seems to work just fine.

One distinctive feature of Spyke Games is their discerning approach to selecting team members. As Rina points out,

“The best thing I can do is to be really conscious of the type of people that we bring in and how we treat them after we bring them in. That is my number one priority”.

They highly value team members who embrace a data-driven mindset, crave success, and maintain a goal-oriented attitude. “Bro culture” is a thing of the past, everyone is here to do their job and perform to the best of their abilities. Yes, it is a competitive environment, but for a reason. Everyone has their own families outside of the office. It's all about teamwork.

Another unmistakable characteristic that sets Spyke Games apart is their maturity and experience. This isn't your typical startup with fresh-faced recruits. Instead, Spyke boasts a team that has collectively spent over a decade in the gaming industry. Their combined industry experience, both individually and as a group, brings a level of know-how and synergy that's often hard to come by in the competitive world of gaming startups.

As Rina emphasizes, even "rock stars" in the gaming industry require time to sync up and establish effective communication, even if they've previously worked in the same company but on different projects. This synchronization is effortlessly achieved when everyone works side by side.

The Unique traits of Turkish studios

Now, let's shift our focus to the broader realm of Turkish gaming companies. What binds them together? What unique characteristics define them? Do they share common challenges, or do they each face distinct hurdles? Let’s take a look.

1. Homogenous culture

One intriguing characteristic of Turkish gaming companies is their strong inclination toward self-reliance, leaving little room for co-development. They've got this OG Supercell vibe, preferring to keep things in-house. It's not just a choice; it's their long-standing tradition. Stepping out of this comfort zone would mean acquiring new skills, which isn't exactly a walk in the park. After all, why change something that's already working so well, right?

On the flip side, this inward-focused approach often means that Turkish developers shine in execution and problem-solving, but they may not always put meticulous planning, research, or structured project management at the forefront.

2. Working in compact and agile teams

Another standout feature is the compact size of Turkish development teams. In contrast to some of their European counterparts with larger crews, Turkish studios opt for smaller, highly agile, and incredibly productive teams. It's all about achieving more with fewer resources.

While these tight-knit teams offer clear advantages, they don't come without challenges. Their strong preference for hiring Turkish talent, although fostering a close-knit environment, can and does affect their scaling efforts. This limited talent pool presents obstacles to expansion. Moreover, as the demand for additional staff grows, the ongoing talent shortage adds an extra layer of complexity.

3. Competitive salaries

It might come as a surprise, but there's a common misconception about the Turkish gaming industry—it offers highly competitive compensation, even on a global level. Talented individuals in the Turkish gaming sector are handsomely rewarded for their dedication and expertise. 

4. Enduring geopolitical volatility 

Launching a startup is always a tough road, no matter where you are in the world. But Turkish gaming companies, have got an extra twist to their journey – the wild ride of geopolitical ups and downs. This adds a unique layer to their entrepreneurial adventure.

As Rina puts it, the level of craziness and challenges that Turkey throws at them in a single month might surpass what someone in a more stable place faces in a whole lifetime. 

5. Strong work ethic

Turkish gaming professionals are widely celebrated for their unwavering work ethic. They readily invest extensive hours and often opt for on-site work, demonstrating a deep-rooted commitment to their jobs that has been passed down through generations.

It's worth noting that Spyke Games places a strong emphasis on sustainability. Their mission centers around fostering a work environment where individuals genuinely want to be, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Surprisingly, they firmly believe that exceptional results can be achieved without burnouts; it all comes down to maintaining focus and discipline during work hours. As Rina puts it, "We don't stay here for the sake of staying here."

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The Turkish gaming landscape is truly unique and remarkably successful. Its distinctive characteristics, deeply rooted in tradition, emphasize the value of hard work above all else. While these traits, such as self-reliance and on-site operations, have propelled Turkish gaming companies to greatness, they also pose challenges, particularly in talent retention.

As Turkish studios continue to evolve and strive for excellence, their dedication to self-improvement and hard work remains unwavering. While there may be no secret formula or shortcuts to their success, the Turkish gaming industry's journey is a testament to the enduring power of tradition, resilience, and a relentless commitment to achieving greatness.