Ratel Games to Secure a Foothold in the Global Market with Successive Releases of 'Square Puzzle Franchise' at 2024 PlayX4 B2B

Title image of 'Square Hearts' | Provided by Ratel Games

Ratel Games (CEO Hyoun-Ki Kim) has announced its participation in the '2024 PlayX4 B2B' event at KINTEX Hall 1 in Ilsan from May 23rd to 26th.

Based on the team's experience in commercial game development and release, Ratel Games is working to materialize innovative ideas systematically, ensuring they don't just remain as ideas. They have completed patent registration for 'Symmetry Puzzle' and are developing and releasing the 'Square Puzzle franchise,' which transforms symmetry puzzles into various genres tailored to the preferences of each country, starting with the casual puzzle 'Square Puzzle,' followed by stage-type puzzle 'Square World,' puzzle PvP targeting English-speaking and Middle Eastern regions, 'Square Master,' and puzzle RPG targeting Japanese and Southeast Asian regions, 'Square Hearts,' and the global social platform-targeted 'Square Town.'

They were selected for the 5th round of the Channel Program in 2023 and conducted direct collaboration with Google Play on the puzzle RPG project 'Square Hearts.' They aim to find global publishers and target a release in the second half of this year. Additionally, they participated in the 2023 ECHELON SUMMIT held in Singapore and conducted IR pitching as one of the top 100 companies in Asia. They are discussing publishing in Southeast Asia with publishers from Singapore and Vietnam and are in discussions for Seed-stage investment from Singaporean VCs.

Furthermore, they were selected for the 14th round of the Youth Startup Academy in 2024. They are currently developing the PUZZLE-META project, 'Square Town,' which aims to become a global multinational social platform. To secure a position in the worldwide market, they plan to release three main projects, 'Square Master,' 'Square Hearts,' and 'Square Town,' successively in 2024.

The innovative puzzle system of the 'Square Puzzle franchise,' called 'Symmetry Puzzle,' allows strategic enjoyment similar to bingo or Othello, unlike the conventional mass-produced 3-match puzzles. According to the company's explanation, players can easily learn by placing two blocks symmetrically on the board, and they can enjoy the pleasure of strategic thinking and the thrill when the board is completed simultaneously.
The original IP-based collectible puzzle RPG game Square Hearts features 80 original characters. It incorporates puzzle play into battles and character collection for growth, from light story and event modes to raid content and ranking modes for core users.


In-game scenes of 'Square Hearts' | Provided by Ratel Games

Moreover, 'Square Master' is designed as a hyper-casual PvP where two players compete by taking turns on the same puzzle board. Unlike 'Match Master,' which represents the puzzle PvP genre, 'Square Master' features the symmetry puzzle, which is more suitable for competitive content due to its strategic nature. This contrasts with the random elements and the need for more strategic aspects in 3-match puzzles.

'Square Town' is a Puzzle-Meta genre game aimed at English-speaking and global markets. It is a social-based puzzle game in which players decorate their own 'towns' with items and currencies obtained by progressing through puzzle stages and sharing them with friends. To create a game that users can play continuously, more than 1,200 stages are being prepared, and more than 50 puzzle gimmicks are being planned.

At this exhibition, Ratel Games expects to network with various buyers and publishers and further aims to find global publishers to serve their main projects, 'Square Master,' 'Square Hearts,' and 'Square Town,' together from the second half of this year. They will also conduct B2C user demonstration events to test and receive feedback on the 'Square Hearts' project from actual users.

Additionally, Ratel Games plans to set up a joint booth with indie development studios participating in the company's indie developer support program, 'DamBi Project,' such as 'Neardream' and 'Gambokchi,' to communicate with various user groups.


In-game scenes of 'Square Hearts' | Provided by Ratel Games

Ratel Games stated, "For our main project, 'Square Hearts,' we primarily target the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets. As there is a clear demand for collectible RPGs based on character IPs in these markets and countries where success stories of games based on new puzzle rules, not existing 3-match puzzles, are periodically confirmed, we believe that it is the optimal market for 'Square Hearts,' a new puzzle game based on character IP."

They added, "To achieve successful entry into Japan and Southeast Asia, which are our primary target markets, we plan to participate in TGS and Thailand Game Show to conduct tests & feedback sessions for local users and share various insights with local publishers."

From the second half of 2024 to the first half of 2025, Ratel Games aims to make a breakthrough as a developer that enters the global market by sequentially releasing titles of the 'Square Puzzle franchise.' Additionally, they plan to develop multiple PC and mobile next-generation works that are currently scheduled, create value with new fun elements, and through the company's indie developer collaboration project, the 'DamBi Project,' enhance capabilities in various areas and make a positive impact on the game development ecosystem.

The '2024 PlayX4 B2B,' hosted by Gyeonggi Content Agency and KINTEX, is themed 'More Than Just the Joy of Gaming' and features exhibitions and experiences of new games from Korean and international game companies. Visitors can enjoy side programs like the retro game market, esports competitions, and cosplay events.

Contact: Hyoun-Ki Kim / jetsomk22@gmail.com / https://ratelgame.com/