Qila Games, a hybrid-casual gaming startup, announced on March 20 that it has raised $1 million pre-seed funding led by venture capital firm Chimera VC, underscoring rising investor interest in local gaming studios.
The round also saw participation from Visceral Capital, Atrium Angels, Ventana Ventures, 91 ventures, Untitled Ventures, and other angel investors.
Founded in 2024 by Dhananjai Hari and Neeraj Mishra, Qila Games aims to bridge the gap between casual and midcore games by building socially engaging experiences tailored for Indian players.
The startup plans to use the funds raised to develop new intellectual properties (IPs), expand its game portfolio, and strengthen its technology and design capabilities.
“India and other emerging markets are at the cusp of a major shift in mobile gaming, and hybrid-casual is set to be the next big category...With this funding, we are doubling down on building engaging, high-quality games that resonate with these audiences" Hari said in a statement.
Qila Games released its first game, called Ludo Hero, in February 2025. The title combines the classic Ludo gameplay with strategic battles, conquests, and hero powers.
"Qila Games has struck a perfect balance between bite-sized entertainment and meta progression to create immersiveness that can impact users. The consumer-centric focus and scalability of the product create a strong approach,” said Krish Anurag, managing partner, Chimera Venture Capital in a statement.
"The Indian gaming industry is creating phenomenal IPs and being able to support these founders and their vision has been a privilege" Anurag added.
Last week, mobile game publisher Felicity Games raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by 3one4 Capital. The startup, which specialises in hybrid-casual games, helps studios launch, optimise, and scale their games across the world.
Triple Tap Games, which develops hybrid casual puzzle games for global audiences, also secured $1.2 million funding led by Eximius Ventures and Kalaari Capital in February 2025.
Among other deals in the casual gaming space include QuriousBit that raised $2 million from Lumikai and General Catalyst in September 2023, HighXP that bagged $2.2 million in seed funding led by 3one4 Capital in June 2023, and Giga Fun Studios that landed $2.4 million in seed funding from Lumikai and Fireside Ventures in January 2023.
India is the fastest-growing games market in Asia, both in terms of revenue and gamers, according to Niko Partners, a market research and consulting firm that covers video games, e-sports and streaming in the continent.
The combined mobile, PC and console gaming revenue is projected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2025, up 13.6 percent from $943 million in 2024. It is expected to touch $1.4 billion in 2028, growing at a five-year compound annual growth rate of 11.1 percent. These figures do not include revenues from real-money games or exports.
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