The Best External Game Developers in California

California is home to some of the biggest game development studios in the world, and there is no shortage of talented developers in the city. However, sometimes game studios need an extra set of hands to help them bring their vision to life. That's where external game developers come in. These independent companies specialize in providing game development services to other studios. In this blog post, we'll be introducing you to the best external game developers.

Top Developers in California

Devoted Studios

Devoted Studios is an external game development studio in Los Angeles that offers a range of services to game developers. These services include full-cycle development, co-development, concept art, engineering, and art optimization. Devoted Studios has worked on a variety of projects, including games like Spellbreak, Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition, Palia, Blankos Block Party, Animal Jam!, Magic Craft, and Coin Hunt World, among others. They have also worked with 343 Industries to design new armor sets for the Halo: Master Chief Collection. Devoted Studios uses a range of technologies, including Unreal, Unity, and blockchain, among others. Their goal is to provide an equal opportunity for every talent in the world to work on the games of their dreams while nurturing and leading talent to success and recognition.

Double Coconut 

Double Coconut, a game design company with over a decade of experience, has been providing partners with exceptional service in the gaming industry, specializing in Crypto and Mobile games. With industry-leading engineering capabilities, the company specializes in mobile and web projects built in Unity and HTML5. Double Coconut offers full-service design agency capabilities to bring mobile, web3, Play-to-Earn, or NFT projects from concept to market. The company's vast experience and skillset in game design make them a reliable partner for anyone looking to create a successful gaming project.

Hidden Variable Studios 

Hidden Variable Studios is a game development company based in Los Angeles, California, that was founded in 2011. The company has a team of experienced developers who strive to create innovative and exciting games for audiences worldwide. Hidden Variable Studios has produced over 25 million game downloads and continues to develop new titles, including Skullgirls Mobile and an upcoming original game. The company values an environment that fosters growth, creativity, and wellness and seeks to develop meaningful, high-quality gaming experiences for players. In addition to creating and publishing their own games, Hidden Variable Studios offers contract software development services to partners.

Jam City 

Jam City is a renowned mobile entertainment company that provides deeply engaging and unique games that appeal to a wide range of global audiences. With over $4 billion in lifetime bookings and billions of downloads over the years, the company has created some of the highest-grossing games in the industry. Jam City is not only the creative force behind successful franchises like Cookie Jam and Panda Pop but also partners with major global IP holders to develop immersive, narrative-rich mobile games featuring iconic entertainment brands from Universal, Disney, and Warner Bros. Among its many successes is the popular RPG game, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, which was the #1 game in over 40 countries at launch, and Jurassic World Alive, which remains one of the top AR games on the market.

Simutronics 

Simutronics is a game development company founded in 1987 by David Whatley. The company's first game, GemStone, was a multi-user dungeon (MUD) title that debuted on GEnie. Simutronics has won numerous awards, including the AOL Member's Choice Award and the "Online Game of the Year" award from Computer Gaming World magazine. The company developed the HeroEngine, a 3D game engine and server technology platform, which was licensed by several notable game companies. Simutronics is best known for its role-playing games, including GemStone IV and DragonRealms, both of which offer robust role-playing experiences. The company also hosts CyberStrike 2, one of the first 3D online action games, which offers single-player, mission-based gameplay, or online multiplayer PvP and team combat.

Double Fine Productions

Double Fine Productions is a game development studio founded in 2000 by Tim Schafer, a veteran of the games industry. The studio is located in San Francisco and is known for creating high-quality games with a focus on originality, story, characters, and fun. The studio was set up by Tim Schafer and a group of other game industry veterans and cool people who wanted to create their own studio where they could work on original projects without limits.

One of Double Fine's most significant early projects was Psychonauts, which was a challenging game to develop due to publisher woes. However, it was eventually made and has since become a cult classic with an energetic and diverse fandom over 15 years later.

Giant Sparrow

Giant Sparrow is an independent video game company based in Los Angeles, California. Led by creative director Ian Dallas, the company has released two critically acclaimed games so far: The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch. The Unfinished Swan is a surreal game where players throw paint to reveal the world, while What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person narrative adventure game that won the "Best Narrative" award at The Game Awards 2017. The company is currently working on a new project that focuses on the enchanting beauty of animal locomotion.

Ready at Dawn

Ready at Dawn Studios is an American video game developer located in Irvine, California, with a satellite campus in Portland, Oregon. The company was founded in 2003 by Ru Weerasuriya, Andrea Pessino, and Didier Malenfant, and former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment. Ready at Dawn has primarily worked on games for the PlayStation Portable, including the God of War and Daxter franchises. The company's proprietary engine, the Ready at Dawn Engine, is wholly console-centric and has been integrated with a suite of third-party tools. 

Each of these companies brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the table, and they are all passionate about creating games that will delight and entertain players. If you're looking for a reliable and experienced game development partner in California, you can't go wrong with any of these studios.