Hardscore Games GmbH
Mobile Games For Gamers.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Seed | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
| EUR | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 0000 | 0000 |
| EBITDA | 0000 | 0000 |
| Profit | 0000 | 0000 |
| EV | 0000 | 0000 |
| EV / revenue | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| R&D budget | 0000 | 0000 |
Source: Company filings or news article
Hardscore Games GmbH was a mobile game development studio based in Berlin, Germany, that operated from 2012 until it ceased operations in mid-2017. The company was founded by Felix Buchwald, who was motivated to enter the mobile gaming market by a perceived lack of games with strategic depth for dedicated gamers. Prior to founding Hardscore Games, Buchwald worked at a Berlin-based games publisher, an experience that shaped his ambition to develop more sophisticated mobile titles.
The studio's primary focus was on creating free-to-play mobile games that emphasized deep strategic gameplay and competitive player-versus-player (PVP) battles, targeting a core gamer audience. Hardscore Games secured approximately $196,000 in funding over two rounds. The first was an Angel round in April 2013 for $194,000, followed by a Seed round in October 2014 from investors including Catagonia Capital, IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft, and business angel Andreas Constantin Meyer.
The company's flagship title was "Star Admiral," a free-to-play collectible card game (CCG) with a science fiction theme, launched in 2014. "Star Admiral" combined mechanics from trading card games with 3D graphics and controls designed for mobile devices. Gameplay involved turn-based one-on-one battles where players aimed to reduce their opponent's hit points to zero using a fleet of over 100 collectible spaceships, strikes, and traps. A distinctive mechanic required players to sacrifice a card from their hand to gain the energy needed to play other units, adding a layer of tactical consideration to resource management. The game was designed to be skill-based rather than pay-to-win, allowing players to earn in-game currency and acquire all content without spending real money, though purchases could speed up progress. The business model relied on optional in-app purchases for the in-game currency, "dark matter."
Keywords: Hardscore Games, Star Admiral, Felix Buchwald, mobile game developer, collectible card game, CCG, PVP battles, strategic mobile games, Berlin game studio, free-to-play, IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Catagonia Capital, space combat game, tactical card game, deadpooled, out of business, German games industry, mobile CCG, Star Admiral gameplay