Peak Games

Peak Games was founded in 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey, by Sidar Şahin, Rina Onur, and Yavuz Akyazıcı. The company initially developed card and board games for the Middle Eastern and North African markets, including popular titles like Okey Plus and 101 Yüzbir Okey, which gained millions of users in Turkey and the region.¹ These early successes established Peak as a leading developer in the region and provided the financial foundation for its later pivot to puzzle games.

In 2016, Peak shifted its focus to the global puzzle genre, releasing Toy Blast and later Toon Blast in 2017. These games combined match-3 mechanics with unique level designs and a strong social layer, quickly climbing app store charts. By 2019, Toon Blast was among the top-grossing puzzle games in the U.S., and the company reported over 100 million downloads across its titles. The pivot was driven by data-driven design and a focus on player retention, which became a hallmark of Peak's development philosophy.

In June 2020, Zynga announced the acquisition of Peak Games for $1.8 billion, one of the largest deals in mobile gaming history at the time. The acquisition brought Peak's Istanbul studio into Zynga's portfolio, significantly boosting Zynga's puzzle segment and expanding its live operations capabilities. The deal was completed in August 2020, and Peak's founders remained with the company to lead the studio under Zynga.

Beyond its hit games, Peak Games is notable for its early adoption of hyper-casual game development and its role in nurturing Turkey's gaming ecosystem. The company's Istanbul office became a hub for talent, and many former employees went on to found successful startups. Additionally, Peak's Okey Plus remains a cultural phenomenon in Turkey, with a dedicated player base that predates its puzzle success. The company also experimented with social casino games, though it later divested those assets to focus on puzzle.² Peak's success has been cited as a case study in pivoting from regional to global markets.

Peak Games' success has had a profound impact on the Turkish tech industry, inspiring a wave of mobile game startups and attracting international investment. The Zynga acquisition validated the potential of Turkish studios on the global stage, and Peak's data-driven approach to game design has been studied by developers worldwide. Today, Peak operates as a key studio within Zynga (now part of Take-Two Interactive), continuing to update and expand its puzzle franchises.³

Match-3

A puzzle genre where players swap adjacent tiles to match three or more of the same type.

Live operations

Ongoing management of a game post-launch, including events, updates, and monetization.

Hyper-casual

Simple, instantly playable mobile games with minimal mechanics and ad-based monetization.