Kolibri Games Hires Jakub Trancik as New Product Director

The Berlin-based developer wants Trancik (Ex-DECA Games) to lead its most successful title, Idle Miner Tycoon, as it seeks to continue the trend of idle gaming innovation


Berlin, 15 January 2023 | Mobile games studio Kolibri Games has appointed Jakub Trancik as its new Product Director for its flagship title Idle Miner Tycoon. He will report directly to the company’s Managing Director, Guillaume Verlinden. Trancik will lead the genre-defining title, which has amassed over 150 million downloads on Android ad iOS devices since its initial launch in 2016. The hire is another step in Kolibri Games’ efforts to innovate the idle genre, both with new releases, and established successes. All aspects of this initiative, from exploration to ideation to production to iteration, will be bundled in the hands of Trancik and his teams of game designers, programmers, and product managers.


A senior professional with substantial experience in product design and systems design within the games industry, Tancik has been at the helm of the transformation of high-grossing free-to-play and blockchain titles. His notable tenures include serving as Chief Delivery Officer and Head of Business Intelligence and Game Design (SuperScale, and most recently Senior Product Manager for the Berlin-based game advisory firm DECA Games. During his tenure at SuperScale, he grew the firm from two to over sixty employees, and over the course of his career Trancik has worked on titles including Battle Racing, Gods & Glory, and Tiny Tower.


Guillaume Verlinden, Managing Director of Kolibri Games, says:


“We’re excited to step into this new chapter of IMT’s storied history with Jakub at the helm. Given our large global player base and Idle Miner’s status within the industry, it was important to choose the right individual. Jakub’s background in game systems design and his tested experience in free-to-play titles gave us the confidence that he’s the ideal candidate to take the title forward.


As we look to continue our trend of reinventing the idle genre, Jakub’s experience, motivation, and vision will be the cornerstones of our future growth".


Jakub Trancik adds:


"It is an honor to have the opportunity to work on a game as important to the mobile space as Idle Miner Tycoon. The title has defined the idle genre and set the bar of success for subsequent releases to follow, so to be able to lead it in its next chapter is an exciting opportunity.


I look forward to applying my experience in games systems design and analytics to Idle Miner Tycoon. Having worked on over one hundred different games across a wide array of genres, I'm confident of providing a structured but unique input to Idle Miner Tycoon's future growth, and long-term success."