Playing Tetris has taught us a very important life lesson. If you fit in, you will vanish, and the gaming startup industry is a prime example. What was once considered a hobby only needed someone to dispel the myth and turn this industry into a profitable option for other gamers to pursue their passion and launch gaming startups in India. The gaming industry is widely regarded as one of the most important and innovative technological sectors today. Its significance in terms of culture, social networking, and entertainment cannot be overstated. The term 'entertainment industry' is no longer limited to Hollywood and the film industry, as gaming now provides one of the most immersive and awe-inspiring forms of entertainment to more than two billion people worldwide.

Nobody could have predicted what the gaming industry would become when they were messing around in their basements with Pong joysticks and competing against their friends for the highest Pac-Man scores in the 1970s and 1980s.These simple games would become the foundation of today's gaming industry and an instant cultural phenomenon.

These are some of the top gaming startups in India that have not only contributed to the Indian gaming society but have also gained international recognition by presenting their games.

The Studio that gave us Raji: An Ancient Epic by Nodding Heads Games
Raji: An Ancient Epic is a video game developed by Nodding Heads Games, a company based in Pune, Maharashtra, India. On 18 August 2020, it was released as a timed exclusive for Nintendo Switch, and on 15 October 2020, it was released for Microsoft Windows via the Steam client and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game incorporates Hindu mythology and is inspired by epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The game's graphics are inspired by Pahari paintings, and the in-game architecture is inspired by mediaeval Rajasthan.

Make your Dream Team Possible in Dream 11
Dream 11, India's first mobile-based company that introduced fantasy sports such as cricket, football, basketball, hockey, kabaddi, and so on, is an app that allows users to create fictitious teams. Users can earn money based on the actual match performance of the players they have chosen for their teams. Dream 11 is India's first unicorn gaming company in 2019, with a valuation of more than $1 billion. They won the title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League 2020 in August 2020, and they also have partnerships with the International Cricket Council (ICC), the International Hockey Association, and the Pro Kabaddi League.


Paytm First Games
Paytm First Games, formerly known as Gamepind, is collaboration between Ali Baba's AGTech holdings and Paytm. It is a gaming platform that provides its users with cash prizes and rewards for playing games. Jelly Crush, Basketball Hero, 8 Ball Pool, and many other games are available on their platform. Some of these rewards can also be credited directly to the user's Paytm wallet or bank account.

99Games
Based in Udupi, 99Games is India's leading developer and publisher of games. It was founded in 2008, by Rohit Bhat. Wordsworth was their first game, and it was a super hit as it crossed more than 1 million downloads among Apple users. In 2013, they released their most successful game to date, based on the Bollywood movie Dhoom 3. Since its inception, they have released 22 game titles, and have almost 100 million downloads globally.

Games2Win
Games2Win, one of the world's largest mobile game publishers, was founded in 2005 in Mumbai by Mahesh Khambadkone and Alok Kejriwal. It has over 200 million app downloads. Online gaming portals, in-game ad networks, mobile social networks, and proprietary games are all available. Their games are available on Google Play, Amazon, Microsoft Store, and Apple App Store.

The Orchestrator of the Famous Games Tambola House and Indian Rummy-: Octro
Octro was founded in Delhi in 2006. It is the creator of the popular games Tambola House and Indian Rummy, both of which were released in the same year. They were the first in India to introduce the concept of productivity alongside gaming. Octro has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing mobile gaming companies, with games topping charts on Google Play and Apple iOS. The digital revolution of the last few years has also aided the growth of gaming startups in India. It was fueled further by the startup culture that has swept the country. Due to these factors, we saw the number of people who play online games in India in 2019 cross 300 million and that number has been growing since then.