Sound Games, a Seattle startup developing video games that work across multiple platforms with a single purchase, announced $6.5 million in seed funding to support its “pay once, play anywhere” model.
The startup is betting on a model where players buy a game one time and can play it across PC, console, and mobile devices. The company says its goal is to focus on high-quality, replayable games without heavy in-game purchases or monetization mechanics.
Sound Games’ first title, Go Ape Ship!, is scheduled to launch Feb. 18. The game is designed as an early example of the company’s cross-platform approach, allowing players to move between devices without buying the game repeatedly.
The 12-person company was co-founded by Mike Schmid, who previously was head of publishing at Seattle startup Rec Room. Schmid was most recently vice president of growth at mobile gaming startup Backbone, and also spent four years at Apple. His co-founders include Jacobo Abril and Sergio Abril, who previously started and led video game development company nada studio.
The seed round was led by Point72 Ventures, with participation from Timeless, Daybreak, WOCstar, Hustle Fund, ZVC, and other investors. Sound Games said the funding will be used to ship multiple original titles, build cross-platform technology, and expand its development team.
The approach challenges the industry’s dominant free-to-play model, which relies on in-game purchases and monetization mechanics. Whether premium pricing can compete with free-to-play games that dominate mobile platforms remains the key question for Sound Games’ business model.
