List of Top Chicago Game Studios

The United States is home to the biggest game studios in the world. To be precise, there are 268,698 video game developers in the US, generating a revenue of $55 billion USD. Among all of the other cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, Chicago has been long known for its vibrant arts, entertainment, and video game industry.

 

One of the interesting things about the Windy City is that at one point it was the capital for the creation and distribution of arcade machines. 

 

Even today, Chicago paramounts in producing high-quality games for consoles, PC, and mobile devices. The city is incredibly distinctive, productive, and locally unique.

 

Let’s explore the list of top game studios in Chicago to keep an eye on. 

 

InvoGames

 

 

Hourly Rate: $25-$49/hr

Employees: 250-999

Founded: 2014

Location: USA, Canada, Pakistan

 

InvoGames is a Chicago game studio, with a range of game development services. They excel at providing facilities like game animation, VR/AR development, game art, and app store optimization. With professional experting in Unreal, Unity, PlayCanvas, and Game design, Invogames take full advantage of end-to-end solutions for cross platform and native game solutions. 

 

One of the prominent factors about this Chicago based game studio is its custom game development capabilities, helping your game to stand apart from the competition. To give you a holistic experience, game developers in Chicago offer expertise for your project that brings successful execution.

 

To mention their highlighted work, InvoGames is the creator for Gangstar Vegas, DRB Saudi NFT club (Metaverse Project), Crime City, Gino Devolution, We Cute Trees (Simulation Project), and many more.

   

Babaroga

 

 

Hourly Rate: $25-$49/hr

Employees: 11-50

Founded: 2001

Location: USA

 

Babaroga, is a mobile game development studio with over 20 years of operational experience. The studio is famously known for creating mobile games for both Android and iOS. Within its early days, the studio has built licensed games for Electronic Arts and Disney Interactive, while also creating few original titles for Glu and Microsoft. 

 

Babaroga is also creator for well-known projects including Zombies, Hello Neighbour Search Rescue, Lord of the Ring: Return of Moria for several platforms like Microsoft Windows and Apple App Store. 

 

Wishbone Club

 

 

Employees: 2-10

Location: USA

 

Wishbone Club offers a unique engagement platform for gamification reward programs in pursuit of health insurers that actively engage with their clients. This Chicago gaming studio crafts personalized engagement programs, including games like treasure hunts and health trivia games. 

 

Unlike other game development studios, Wishbone Clubs primarily focuses on the healthcare industry, helping players to actively improve their daily choices on a daily basis to achieve a healthier lifestyle. 

 

NetherRealm

 

 

Employees: 51-200

Founded: 2010

Location: USA, Chicago

 

NetherRealm, one of the successful video game companies in Chicago was founded back in 2010. The company is steered by industry expert Ed Boon, co-creator of the iconic Mortal Kombat franchise. When NetherRealm went bankrupt, Warner Bros. bought it from Midway Games, and raised it from ashes to become the creator of the popular Injustice series.  

 

The company is home to experts  showcasing skills in console game development, with game development for PCs as well as mobile devices. Today, Ed Boon continues to lead the company with average annual revenue of $25 million. 

 

Iron Galaxy Studios

 

 

Employees: 5-21

Founded: 2008

Location: USA, Chicago

 

Iron Galaxy Studio is a Lincoln-Park based video game company famous for collaborations with big android game developing developers. Through their technical advice and port games the studio has managed to launch games for multiple platforms. 

 

Iron Galaxy’s collaboration has resulted in the success of  games like the Bioshock series, Killer Instinct, and Destiny. While their standalone portfolio is decorated with titles like Wreckateer, Videoball, and Divekick. In total, they have worked on more than 50 games for platforms like iOS, Xbox, Wii, Nintendo Switch, and HTC. 

 

JackBox Games

 

 

Employees: 51-200

Founded: 1989

Location: USA, Chicago

 

JackBox is a well-known Chicago based game maker for console, mobile, PCs, and Amazon Fire TV. However, this video game development company was previously known as Jellyvision Games. You may know this company for its titles like You Don’t Know Jack quiz series. 

 

This quiz was a breakthrough in the gaming industry, allowing players to use tablets and mobiles to play quiz instead of joysticks and controllers. JackBox Games is also the creator for Fibbage: The Hilarious Bluffing, available on Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, and PlayStation. 

 

The game uses phones as controllers to play the game, allowing a maximum of 8 players to take part. Besides, their portfolio also includes games like Cards Against Humanity allowing players to write custom responses. 

 

Zynga

 

 

Employees: 1k - 5k

Founded: 2007

Location: USA, Chicago

 

Zynga is one of the best game development companies in Chicago founded in 2007. The company is famous for its mobile gaming portfolio. Zynga’s flagship games are FarmVille and CSR racing. Only these games have managed to pull a total audience of 215 million, which is almost 10% of global internet users. 

 

Despite such successful releases, the company gained a negative reputation for cloning games in 2010. However, it didn’t stop the company from earning a staggering revenue of 400 million USD, making it the wealthiest mobile game developer in Chicago.  

 

Factor to Consider When Signing Game Development Company in Chicago

 

There's a big game development industry in Chicago! However, there are a lot of studios to choose from, so it might be difficult. Before you sign on the dotted line, take into account these six important factors:

 

Expertise: Does the business have a history of producing games in the genre you're interested in (PC, console, or mobile)? Search for studios whose work reflects your concept.

 

Budget: Development studios in Chicago come in a variety of prices. Determine a company that offers competitive rates inside your cost range by being precise about your budget.

 

Group: Examine the backgrounds and experience of the crew. Seek for developers whose past performance is solid and whose team structure fits the requirements of your project.

 

Communication: It must be clear and constant. Examine how the company communicates and make sure that it uses the same channels as you prefer (frequent meetings, reports, etc.).

 

Expertise in gamification (if relevant): Give priority to studios who have experience designing engaging mechanics and incentive systems if your project includes gamification aspects. A Chicago-based business called Wishbone Club is an expert in this field.

 

Customer Testimonials: To learn more about the company's work ethic, capacity for meeting deadlines, and general level of client happiness, read reviews and testimonials from previous customers.

 

Sign with Chicago Game Studio Today

 

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